employee threat

longie · April 2004

We have an employee who has been on modified duty for a back injury for one year. Last month, the employee was released to full duty. Due to the company striving to be a lean machine, hours are really being tightened right across the board. The employees are being told about the tightening of the hours. This particular employee made a statement to a co-worker that, "I may have to have another back injury if my hours get cut". The co-worker told his supervisor about the conversation & provided a signed written statement regarding the threat. We do not have anything addressing this issue in our employee handbook. What do you suggest?

marc · April 2004

It may be difficult to separate real plans from the venting that often accompanies reduction in hours. You have a written statement that you can pull out if such an injury occurs and alert the workers comp claim handlers to be extra diligent in their examination of the injury; or you can call the EE in and tell them you are aware of this statement. If you called them in and confronted them, you are in a difficult situation because there is really nowhere to go after the confrontation. Do you just admonish them to not get a back injury because we are watching? Or do you just say, "we are aware of your statement and understand you are frustrated with the possibility of a cut in hours, however, you can see that we have this statement on file and will be making an appropriate investigation in the event of an injury."

Others may have a better method to handle this kind of information, but I think it is just venting.

HRSPD · April 2004

I suggest you keep the employee statement on file in your worker's comp area. I would not suggest to confront the employee with such statement as you are also running into confrontation with the co-worker that heard the statement and this may lead to a hostile working environment-there's no need for that at this point as it was only a statement and not an action.

If this employee ends up having another "work related" injury, defenately inform your worker's comp carrier of what you have documented, leave it up to them to take action on the statement.

Good luck:)

Balloonman · April 2004

If they have another issue........call the clinic you utilize and inform then of the situation, and ask them to closely evaluate the individual to see if they are really injured, and if it is work related.
Then notify the insurance company of what has gone on.
My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman

employee threat

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