Rapid rise in Alberta COVID cases
By now there’s likely only a degree or two of separation between you and someone who’s tested positive. Yesterday Alberta brought in new mandatory limits of 15 people at social gatherings after the province reported 1,440 new cases of COVID over the weekend.___ The convergence of a depressed economy, high unemployment, and newly compensable psych […]
Canadians’ mental health plumbing new lows
‘Social isolation can transform a mouse’s brain. Among other behaviours, mice kept alone for two weeks become hypersensitive to a threat, freezing, and staying that way, long after the threat is over. A flurry of surveys this week would suggest we’re all becoming similarly unhinged by COVID-19.’ https://nationalpost.com/health/more-than-200-days-in-covid-19-is-taking-a-psychological-toll-and-thats-entirely-normal
Serial workplace masturbator caught red-handed
Last year an Ontario man was caught red-handed masturbating in his office cubicle. Following several more unseemly incidents, the worker was finally dismissed. He would later petition the human rights tribunal, arguing that his rights were violated by the employer. The tribunal disagreed, proving that accommodation does have its limits.___ In a separate case, a […]
Bullying leads to worker’s death and widow’s WCB award
The widow of a deceased worker has been awarded WCB benefits after a Court rules that her husband’s cardiac arrest was linked to workplace bullying.__ Social hierarchies are an ancient phenomenon traceable to the earliest and simplest forms of life. Even lowly single-celled amoebas self-organize along hierarchical lines. Scaling upward in the animal kingdom tells […]
WCB claim arises from alleged bullying
Dear Blue Collar, Q: One of our veteran workers is getting on in age. She’s very experienced and we’d like her knowledge transmitted to an eventual successor. However, as I discovered, the worker is extremely sensitive to any suggestion that she’s being replaced. I tried to allay these fears, but she lashed out at me. […]
Canada’s Mental Health Care system overwhelmed
Dear Blue Collar, I hope you’ll share my story. To all those in favour of public health care — who say the rich can just pay for private health care in another country — this is not the case with mental health services. I suffered a severe mental breakdown while waiting to see a psychiatrist […]
Reasonable accommodation: What WCB expects of you
Dear Blue Collar, One of our guys, known to be a heavy drinker, was injured on the job after consuming alcoholic beverages. WCB accepted the claim. What’s the deal? Answer: Despite being under the influence, if the worker returned to his duties and was subsequently injured, the claim is normally compensable. And where a worker […]
Bullying and Psych Injuries
Dear Blue Collar, It’s no secret that our popular restaurant hires attractive women only. But one of our veteran servers has put on substantial weight, and our HR manager felt compelled to have a talk with her about it. I’m told the conversation was handled delicately, and the server acknowledged the weight problem. Everything seemed […]
Wim Hof masters his disability
After losing his wife to an accident in which he himself was injured, Wim Hof’s world began to spiral. Although the physical injuries were minor, Wim’s pain intensified despite a clean bill of health. Somatic symptom disorder, or SSD, is a psychological condition in which an injured person, though physically healed, remains pain-stricken. The disorder […]
Yes, WCB will often cover horseplay
Even the most stolid among us would struggle to keep a straight face amid such shenanigans. But when horseplay (bear-play?) goes wrong, the consequences can be severe and far-reaching. However funny for the onlookers of the prank seen below (not so funny for the terrified worker fleeing for dear life), the outcome of this spectacle […]