Overtime Costs More Than Time and a Half
How long is your work day? The attorneys I see slaving away over their files, your humble lawyer/blogger included, often put in ten to twelve-hour days, sometimes including evenings and weekends. And, unless there is some extensive and complicated conspiracy amongst all the adjusters dealing with California workers’ compensation, the adjusters are seeing similar hours and overflowing work load. Often enough, I hear surprise on the other end of the phone when a 7:00 am phone call is answered, but if you’re at work and making the call, why wouldn’t I be at work and taking it?
LinkedIn discussions place the problem with third-party administrators, underbidding and then overworking their employees, but the blame can be placed on the industry – higher costs, lower business revenues, and a worse situation for all involved. A recent study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and the University College of London, draws a link between overtime work and depression and higher risk of coronary heart disease.
Why should this matter for the workers’ compensation defense community? Well, for one, we should all be keeping an eye on our own health (remember those New Year resolutions that have yet to gather the dust of a single month?) Another reason this matters is that, if true (and even if it isn’t), you can expect to see psyche claims based on overtime, especially if the scent of layoffs is in the air.
Recently, we saw a case in which an applicant was awarded treatment and PD for a psyche “injury” because he couldn’t keep up with the requirement of using computers to do his work. How long before we see regular claims for being asked (or volunteering) to work overtime?
Picture the applicant giddy at the prospect of earning more money through overtime pay, then collecting benefits after filing a claim based on being asked to work overtime.
So, when are you quitting tonight?