INJURY SOLUTIONS
Mental Health Claims
Psychological claims should be treated the same as physical claims
By Clifford Gerow, Injury Solutions Canada Inc.
Employers countrywide are dealing with a significant increase
in claims that are unfamiliar to them. Stress and
employer/employee relationships have always been
an issue in the workplace in Canada and around the world. We all
have stories to tell and can relate to some of these issues on a personal
level. How these issues were dealt with when a psychological
claim was made was – and is – a real mishmash of methods, denials
and back turning by both parties. It was easier to deny there was
an issue, it was not a thing anyone would talk about and was quickly
swept under the rug.
The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) in 2017
made changes to be the first in Canada to expand their claims acceptance
policies.
Many employers, when confronted with a psychological claim or
issue in the workplace, would let the employee deal with it on their
own, not discuss the issue or deal with the worker in the workplace
while they were going through their difficulties; these could be personal
or something that has occurred in the workplace.
This accommodation supports workers who are injured physically
and/or psychologically, provides the other employees of the
KATARZYNA BIAŁASIEWICZ/123RF
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