health care - If you need it, we will fire you!

Today, April 24, 2012, I went to new (seasonal) employee employment orientation.   I was told about an accident/injury report form I am to fill out every time I am injured or hurt on the job.   Johnna reassured us there was told there was no reason to not fill out the form.  For that matter, if we didn't fill out the form at the time of injury, and later claimed an on the job injury, we might be denied coverage.  She explained she was in the process of denying coverage to an employee injured 6 weeks ago who did not fill out the form at the time of the accident.

I have never seen the form and very much doubt it would be anywhere near the water where I actually work, usually on weekends.  To fill out the form would require me to wait until Monday, then go to some building miles from where I actually work, and fill it out. 

After  Johnna stopped talking to us, the woman from Human Resources who was hosting the orientation  returned to the podium.  The subject was misconduct and reasons for termination.  The second slide, right there on the bottom left, said that if we caused ourselves or others harm, even accidentally, it could be reason for a reprimand or even termination.

Let me get this straight.  In our country, health insurance comes with employment.  Not, however, if you are a temporary or part-time worker.  Because I am older - and more expensive to insure - and it is an employers' market, I can't get anything but a part-time or temporary job.  No health insurance benefits included. If I am accidentally hurt on my job, say by slipping on an algae-covered boat ramp, my employer could deny me coverage because 1) I am a part-time, seasonal employee, 2) I didn't fill out the (unavailable) form at the time of the accident, and 3) I was (perhaps) the cause of the unsafe conditions - say, not wearing appropriate footwear. 

Every company tries to keep employment costs low.  Finding ways to deny employees medical and accident coverage helps their bottom line.  They don't have the employee's benefit in mind.  So why does our health system put individual's health care in the hands of employers?



In China, children who get sick or hurt are punished.  It's a blame the victim culture.  I thought we didn't do that here.