peta odgers - comcare - keynote address: creating a tailored approach when working with injured...
DESCRIPTION
Dr Peta Odgers, Director: Research, Scheme Performance Group, Comcare presented this at the National Workers' Compensation Summit 2014. The Summit focused on minimising workplace injury claims through establishing a successful safety culture and embrace working towards successful outcomes should a workers compensation claim arise. Find out more at http://www.informa.com.au/nwc14TRANSCRIPT
1
Tailoring the Way
We Work with
Injured Workers
15th National Workers’ Compensation Summit 2014
February 2014
2
Purpose
• To share some of the insights from Comcare’s research program
• To outline two of the key drivers associated with successful
recovery and RTW
• Resilience and
• Trust in Employer
• To explore four types of injured workers
• To talk about how we might be able to make a difference
3
Comcare Research Program
• Comcare’s research program was established to
• support informed decision making
• provide new insights, and
• contribute to the national research agenda
• Comcare’s research program with injured workers consists of both
• quantitative and
• qualitative data collection strategies.
• Responses have been collected from:
• over 3,700 injured and unwell workers through the Injured
Worker Survey, and
• over 50 injured and unwell workers and 6 employers through
our qualitative research program.
Quantitative research tells us how many people do or think a particular way, while Quantitative research provides us with an insight into why people do what they do.
It’s a Fact
Quantitative research provides an invaluable insight into why people do what they do.
Don’t Forget
4
Factors Influencing RTW
Personal Situation
Expectations of the
Organisation
Relationship with the
Organisation
Individual Characteristics
Demographics
Life stage
Career stage
Experience
Tenure
Equality
Fairness
Safety
Support, and
A bully-free environment
The relative stability of the
organisation
How the worker fits into
the organisation
The worker’s motivation to
get back to work, and
The length of time away
Resilience
Empowerment
Self-esteem
5
Relationship with Employer
• Stability of the organisation
• Employee Fit
• Length of time off work
• Good employer relationships help to build
• Confidence
• Loyalty
• Trust
6
Resilience
• Resilience is usually something which refers to someone’s ability:
• to “bounce back” or recover from stress,
• to adapt to stressful circumstances,
• to not become ill despite significant adversity, and
• to function above the norm in spite of stress or hardship.
(Smith et al., 2008)
Resilience could play a key role in influencing an individual’s recovery from a workplace injury or illness.
Here’s an Idea
The Injured Worker Survey included the Brief Resilience Scale – a validated measure designed to assess individual resilience.
It’s a Fact
Resilience can be influenced
both positively and negatively
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Resilience Comes From …
• Some of the factors associated with resilience include:
• Supportive relationships
• Ability to make realistic plans and carry them out
• A positive view of self and confidence in one’s own strengths
and abilities
• Communication and problem solving skills, and
• Ability to manage strong feelings and impulses.
• All of these are important for recovery and RTW How do we build resilience in injured workers with the aim of assisting their recovery and return to work?
Point to Ponder
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Claimant Typologies
High Resilience
Low Resilience
Low
Tru
st
Hig
h T
rust
Defensive & Entitled
Strivers
Victims Temporarily
Floored
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Strivers
“Go with the flow”… get on with their job and not complain.
Resilient… and able to adapt well to change
Cope… when challenged with illness or injury through work
Flexible… do what they can to adapt and manage the
situation to the best of their ability.
General Description
Empowered… maintain control over recovery journey
Trust… the organisation will play a role in recovery
Pragmatic… in their approach
Communicate constructively… with all key parties
Experienced… tend to be in more senior roles
Achievers/“Over-achievers”… sense of pride, very driven
Supported… strong support networks
Key Characteristics
Ideal group… for successful RTW
Still vulnerable… can transition towards other less constructive
groups depending on the process experience
E.g. if handled poorly by the organisation, potential to fracture
the level of trust sending them towards ‘Defensive and Entitled’
typology.
Potential Transitions
“The system is there to get you going while you’re healing – its
not meant to be a crutch”
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Temporarily Floored
Everyday resilience… cope well with everyday situations,
Anchored… strong relationship with organisation & colleagues
Easily destabilised… coping skills are lower than Strivers –
especially with unexpected situations
Holistic… focus on recovery and RTW in combination – need to
make sure they “stop and take a breath” before RTW
Worriers… concerned that issues will be ongoing
General Description
Less empowered … than ‘Strivers’
Seek support… trust the organisation, looking for guidance
Responsible… accept all requirements of them
Self-protecting… want to RTW, but worry about the conditions
Middle management… or admin roles, mid-career or close to
retirement
Key Characteristics
Potential… positive organisational management at all stages
can empower and shift them to ‘Striver’ territory.
Concern… poor management can lead to break down in trust -
danger of a shift into ‘Victim’ typology.
Potential Transitions
“You feel helpless, frustrated, and lonely - sometimes you just have
to rely on everyone”
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Victims
Dependent… generally more reliance on support
Disempowered… if anything goes wrong – it is everyone else's
fault and out of their control, they have lower resilience levels
Incapacitated… when things go wrong
Validation seeking… become reliant on the advice of those who
sympathise with their problems
Defeated… don’t believe they will RTW or that they will recover
General Description
More often associated with mental illness
Mistrust… noticeable lack of trust in the organisation
Dethatched… don’t appear to want to be involved in recovery
Institutionalised… even agoraphobic
Lower skilled… lower ranked position, less responsibility
Poor support… weaker social networks
Key Characteristics
Challenging… to shift into more positive typologies
Organisation can transition them to “Temporarily Floored” with
significant understanding, sympathy, flexibility
Potential Transitions
“I don’t believe I will ever work again”
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Defensive and Entitled
Strong minded… stick up for themselves
Protective… work within boundaries, look after themselves &
recovery first
Assertive… quick to learn about entitlements
Cautious… won’t RTW until they feel completely ready
Resilient… in their approach towards return to health over return
to work
General Description
Personally empowered… to look after themselves – appear in
control
Cynical… low level of trust in the organisation
Self-determined… recover is on their terms – well versed in
rights and responsibilities
Reactive… may put up barriers easily – appear less cooperative
Key Characteristics
Potential clash… with organisation can detract from sense of
empowerment – shifting to “Victim” typology
Potential to shift… to “Striver” if organisation works alongside
them, but harder to move them
Potential Transitions
“I said point blank that it would be a graduated return”
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Claimant Typologies
High Resilience
Low Resilience
Low
Tru
st
Hig
h T
rust
Defensive & Entitled
Strivers
Victims Temporarily
Floored
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Keys to Success
Understanding Corporate Culture
Transparency Foster Value
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Remember this …
• Resilience comes from …:
• Supportive relationships
• Ability to make realistic plans and carry them out
• A positive view of self and confidence in one’s own strengths
and abilities
• Communication and problem solving skills, and
• Ability to manage strong feelings and impulses.
For more information please contact:
The Comcare Research Team
Thank you!
Dr Peta Odgers
Director Research, Comcare