Disability Syndrome

Abstract

An American employee can count on many stressors in the modern workplace. Not too many years ago one of the major problems confronting a worker was a job related injury. It was an uphill battle for any employee to tackle the resources of a large company and prove employer negligence. Nowadays, workers' compensation programs level the playing field between an injured employee and the employer. A new dilemma surfaced shortly after employee disability programs appeared. The number of claims skyrocketed, nearly bankrupting some companies. Employers cast an increasingly jaundiced eye at these claims, ushering in an era of acrimony as each side tried to discredit the other. Unfortunately, some employees faked or exaggerated a disability which fueled the skepticism. Slowly, an elaborate and cumbersome system involving medical opinions, employee representatives, attorneys, magistrates, and endless paperwork clogged the process. This article will discuss the historical development of workers' compensation, promote the concept of a disability syndrome, and suggest management techniques that might hasten recovery.