Accidental contact leads to WCB claim for PTSD
WCB claims arising from unwanted or accidental physical contact are on the rise. But what’s an employer to do? Question of the week: Q: Last year one of our male employees brushed up against a female colleague while passing behind her through a narrow corridor. By all accounts, according to eyewitnesses, the contact was […]
Appeals Commission upholds WCB decision
A vast majority of Alberta employers shy away from disputing WCB entitlement decisions. A recent decision (Decision No. 020-0262) rendered by the Appeals Commission underscores the importance of drawing your battle lines. The worker, a truck driver, filed a disability claim on the basis that he was bullied, harassed and intimidated by his supervisor. The […]
WCB and benzodiazepines
WCB approves of opioids and benzodiazepines for medical treatment. And doctors are prescribing benzodiazepines, like Xanax and Ativan, at accelerating rates. But most don’t know about their debilitating, even deadly, effects. A Globe & Mail examination of cases involving dozens of injured workers dependent on narcotic painkillers has revealed deeply entrenched flaws in the provincial […]
Key factors driving disability management costs
This 5 minute video summarizes the key factors driving up WCB and STD/LTD costs for employers. Forewarned in forearmed.
Return-to-Work Protocols for dealing with Covid-19
Workplace law expert explains how to prepare and enforce return-to-work protocols.
WCB Claim for Head Injury
We received a question recently from an employer dealing with a WCB claim related to a head injury. In this case, the employer’s worker suffers persistent emotional difficulties and issues with impulse control since the accident. Rather amazingly, the injured worker is also experiencing another strange side-effect: greatly improved memory. Blue Collar helps employers accommodate […]
Disability Management – Lunch & learns
Requests for our high-impact lunch & learn presentations are beginning to stream in again. Given the return to semi-normality, we’ve recently decided to resume on-site sessions as well as virtual L&L’s. Blue Collar supports local restaurants across the province for the purposes of lunch catering. Each of our culinary partners follows enhanced food-handling protocols while […]
Hacking the TRIF
The mere mention of TRIF strikes fear into the hearts of construction leaders. And for good reason, as a subpar TRIF score can be a veritable death knell for those who chase bid work. TRIF stands for total recordable injury frequency, aka the gold standard of safety metrics. This rather harsh, and arguably maladapted KPI, […]
How to engage Blue Collar
One more inquiry from another of our valued followers: Q: How do we engage Blue Collar? Do you bill by the hour or work on retainer? A: We consult on an hourly basis and/or monthly retainer. Clients who retain Blue Collar take first priority, with hourly appointments accepted as time permits. Clients who sign up […]
Keep an eye on top perfomers
According to Price’s Law, the square root of the number of people in a domain do 50% of the work. Otherwise stated: 10 employees; 3 of them do half the work100 employees; 10 do half the work10000 employees; 100 do half the work Notice the nasty corollary of this law? As a company grows, mediocrity […]