Embarrassed to Report Small Incidents? Get Over It

Imagine your day going along as it usually does. You are doing your job and trying to make it to the end of the day. All of a sudden you trip over some boxes left in the walkway by a careless co-worker. You fall down and immediately get up and hope no one saw what you did. You try to go about your day, humiliated by what happened and too embarrassed to tell anyone you were injured at work.

A few days have passed and the pain in your knees is becoming unbearable. You eventually have to go see your doctor. The first question she asks is ‘did this happen at work?'What do you do now?

When something happens at work that may lead to an injury, the only way you can protect yourself is to report the situation as directed by your employee handbook. Even if the incident is embarrassing and hard to relay to another person, you must get the details down soon after it took place. Otherwise you jeopardize your protection in a worker's compensation claim. You can end up having to shell out all the cash for treatment and suffer through the loss of income if the injury gets worse.

Many times people won't report an incident out of fear it will get their co-workers in trouble for neglecting their job duties. It can be tough to have to ‘turn in' your friend for leaving items where they don't belong but it is just a part of the process. If you let fear keep you from doing what it necessary, you can be hurting your chances of recovering medical expenses for what you incurred.

 

If you have been hurt at work and are concerned about your rights being protected, call us to discuss your concerns. We can be reached toll free at 866-205-2415 or through our online contact form. Your injuries need to be taken seriously and treated promptly so don't wait!