"I grabbed my stuff and walked out": Precarious workers' responses and next steps when faced with procedural unfairness during work injury and claims processes.
Nicole Billias, Ellen MacEachen, Sue Sherifali
PMID 35925478WHAT IT FOUND
Workers with insecure jobs often did not resist at first because they were confused, then fought back with anger, or quit claims or jobs after feeling unsupported.
Winning appeals left them determined but wary.
Key findings
0119 workers were initially passive when they perceived unfairness, and confusion was the prominent emotion.
0215 of 36 workers fought back by complaining or pressuring others, taking matters into their own hands, or getting help from others.
0323 of 36 workers experienced 2 or more stages; 14 quit pursuing their claim, 7 quit their job, and 14 won or got further.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Findings come from 36 precarious workers in Ontario, so they may not apply to workers with secure jobs, other compensation systems, or other regions. The sample included workers with primary physical injuries, so it does not provide insights from work-related psychological injury. This analysis uses worker interviews only, not the employer interviews conducted in the wider study. Recruitment was through social media, email lists, cold calling, word-of-mouth, and snowballing, so participants may not represent all injured workers. The five stages are proposed from interview themes, not tested as a validated model or outcome measure.
Declared interests
The supplied text states that the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funded the work. No additional author conflict-of-interest details are provided in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the five stages as a validated model that predicts outcomes or as evidence that a specific return-to-work intervention works. The paper describes what 36 Ontario workers reported after perceived unfairness, not a test of treatment.