Salesman imagines he’ll be forced to make a drastic career change
Dear Blue Collar,
WCB is offering a supported job search because I was t-boned several years ago while driving to a sales call. The accident caused injuries that led to permanent work restrictions. Since I can’t return to my former line of work, how concerned should I be that WCB might force me to take a role for which I’m way over qualified?
(A) If your work injury or illness requires you to find alternative employment, a WCB employment specialist will work with you to find viable job leads. And In order for any deemed employment to be suitable, it must be consistent with a worker’s physical, vocational, social, and psychological abilities and the employment must be in the worker’s locale.
Rephrased, when a person meshes well with their environment, well-being is better than when they don’t. When employees mesh specifically with their job, that means that their knowledge, skills, abilities, personality and interests align with job demands.
Assuming your professional background is in Sales, WCB wouldn’t expect you to, say, pursue accounting, plumbing, window-washing, or any other occupation mostly unrelated to customer service. The Board is well aware that, for a Supported Job Search to be successful over the long haul, a good person-job fit is imperative.
Of course, occasions do arise where injured workers feel that WCB’s Labour Market Analysis is incompatible with their particular skillset. In such cases, workers are wise to consider reaching out to an experienced representative like Blue Collar to ensure the Supported Job Search is commensurate with their abilities and interests.
The Final Word
The Supported Job Search program often strikes fear in the hearts of injured workers. But the reality is that WCB wants you to succeed, as the future costs of your disability are likely to be far lower if they help you find meaningful and engaging re-employment. But as mentioned above, this process doesn’t always meet the worker’s satisfaction, and that’s the time to reach out to a professional.
