Conflicts of interest: A preliminary version of this paper was prepared for a meeting organized by the National Economic & Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) and entitled Rethinking Workers' Compensation: Developing Strategies to Protect Injured/Ill Workers' Basic Human Rights and the author acknowledges having received remuneration for the preparation of that paper. The author has no conflict of interest to declare.
Research Article
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Preserving workers' dignity in workers' compensation systems: An international perspective†
Article first published online: 21 FEB 2012
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22022
Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Issue
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Special Issue: Re-thinking Workers' Compensation: The Human Rights Perspective
Volume 55, Issue 6, pages 519–536, June 2012
Additional Information
How to Cite
Lippel, K. (2012), Preserving workers' dignity in workers' compensation systems: An international perspective. Am. J. Ind. Med., 55: 519–536. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22022
- †
Publication History
- Issue published online: 8 MAY 2012
- Article first published online: 21 FEB 2012
- Manuscript Accepted: 23 JAN 2012
Funded by
- Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- workers' compensation;
- Canada;
- New Zealand;
- Netherlands;
- iatrogenic effects;
- stigma;
- medico-legal issues;
- scientific uncertainty;
- return to work;
- adversarial systems
Abstract
Background
Workers' compensation systems are among the most generous disability insurance systems in North America, although they are also known to be potentially adversarial and may have iatrogenic effects on claimants. This article examines issues to be considered to ensure fair compensation provided in a way that respects the dignity of workers.
Methods
An overview of the literature on characteristics and effects of workers' compensation systems is followed by an analysis based on classic legal methods, including those of comparative law, complemented with interview data to examine three models of disability compensation.
Results
The first part of the article identifies cross cutting issues to be considered in the examination of the equity of compensation systems and the protection of the dignity of claimants. These include three underpinnings of workers' compensation: the links between a “no-fault” system and the adversarial process, the appropriate use of medical and scientific evidence in the determination of compensability and the application of appropriate measures for promoting return to work. The second part looks at accident compensation in New Zealand, where compensation is available regardless of the cause of the accident, and disability insurance in the Netherlands, where compensation is available regardless of the cause of the disability. It then describes a composite of characteristics favorable to equity drawn from the thirteen workers' compensation systems in Canada.
Conclusion
Systems that succeed in reducing opportunities for adversarial interactions and that provide substantive protection could better promote the dignity of claimants. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:519–536, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.