After a few months on the payroll at the Wayside Tavern, Gertrude Frump presented with a medical certificate, saying she had sustained a back injury at work, and would be unfit for any duties until such time as the second coming occurred.
In her claim she made much of the "injury" that happened to her "at work", and of how she could now barely bend over, was unable to perform even basic household tasks, blah blah blah.
Workcover phoned to:
1/. Request paperwork on her rate of pay, etc.
2/. Request any other information regarding the "injury".
Mine Host assured Workcover he'd forward payroll details, and mentioned that the claim was bogus.....
..... the security camera footage of the hours and days subsequent to the "injury" did not show any sign of a back injury.
...... she was shown for the several hours after the "injury" leaping about like a young gazelle, handling heavy loads, etc. until her shift ended.
......a few days later she helped carry an entire lounge suite up the back stairs of the Wayside Tavern. This took more than an hour, and was heavy lifting the entire time.
Thus Mine Host offered to make copies of all this damning CCTV evidence, and forward it to Workcover.
The young lady from Workcover said guardedly that they "like to see these sort of things", as it was of invaluable assistance in uncovering bogus claims.
Several CDs containing 6 hours of very damning video files were posted to Workcover.
Several days later, having heard nothing from Workcover, and with curiosity consuming him, Mine Host telephoned the young lady.
The Workcover inspector lady at first had no recollection of who Mine Host was, or to what he was referring.
When it became clear that Mine Host was not going to be put off, and was wanting to know what Workcover inspectors thought of the video footage, she remembered the case, and the video files.
In a heated and antagonistic tone of voice she curtly barked at Mine Host:
"That video supports her claim!"
**********************
Gertrude Frump, due to being "unable to perform even the simplest household tasks, because of her work injury", was on full worker's compensation for 6 months.
During that time she left her husband of 20 years, spending the 6 months living in a house shared by several single tradesmen. She did all the housekeeping and cooking for them in return for a free room, bed with whichever housemate she chose, and payment in cash.
4 comments:
And I thought these things only happened here in Brazil...
How can a business thrive whilst having to deal with such kind of people? and I mean the employee AND the Workcover people.
The videos probably had a date/time stamp, so how in hell is that supporting the employee's claim?
Some things can't be explained.
Any appeal or complaint on your part would be instantly trashed, eh?
I am a homemaker. Time off is infrequent, to say the least, but at least if I'm injured or sick, I can take my own rest, without Government interference or permission.
Worst symptom of a rich society - those who take from others, but never do one thing to become productive themselves.
I think you've all got the picture. This sort of thing pretty much happens everywhere.
The state government is the worker's comp insurer. The staff are more or less public servants.
A familiar story. I'll write more about it later. Because for the exact reason I posted about, the scheme is running out of money. Actually it has run out of money, they haven't the capacity to pay all the outstanding claims in progress.
But no use telling them to only pay claims that have merit. It will have to be done by legislation, as it has had to be elsewhere.
Post a Comment