Women\u27s experiences of the workers\u27 compensation system in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

This was a phenomenological study undertaken to understand women\u27s experience of the workers\u27 compensation system. Eleven women were interviewed. They ranged in age from twenty-five to sixty-five years and represented diverse socio-economic and educational backgrounds. All women were from a non-indigenous background. The initial question to women was Can you tell me what it is like to be involved in the workers\u27 compensation system? The narratives were analysed and interpreted using Hycner\u27s (1985) phenomenological guidelines. Five core themes were found: negative versus positive/neutral experiences, the workplaces response and role in the process, women\u27s experiences of payouts and tribunals, reasons why women may not claim workers\u27 compensation, and the impact of the process on each women and their family(s). Acker\u27s theory of \u27gendered institutions\u27 was used to understand why many apparently gender-neutral processes are sites of gender production (Acker, 1992b, p. 249). The experiences of the eleven women suggested that the workers\u27 compensation system in Queensland is gendered; \u27The women indicated that the workers compensation process was a disincentive to making a claim. WorkCover was viewed as siding with the employer, bureaucratic in nature and lacking values associated with empathy, sympathy and caring. Recommendations for improvements to the workers\u27 compensation included: establish legal obligations and enforcement of occupational health and safety responsibilities to injured or ill workers; adoption of occupational health and safety values by employers; change the attitudes of employers (recognising women as breadwinners and workers are not disposable); a single case manager to advocate for injured or ill workers; recognition of mental and emotional consequences of an injury or illness provision of rehabilitation that recognises mental and emotional factors as well as the importance of family participation; greater involvement of employers and employees in the rehabilitation process; and finally, improved service delivery which involves consistency, ethics, clarity, (regarding the WorkCover process for injured workers and employers), accountability and involvement of all parties. The knowledge embedded in the interviews, expressed through core stories and themes, was essential to making women\u27s voices visible and providing an insight into service delivery based on women\u27s experiences and needs