Tom Gardner wrote:

My tech with carpal tunnel's claim has been denied by the BWC. They say
that his job doesn't have repetitive motion normally associated with this
type of claim. I'm sure of many, many appeals. But I still say there is a
God and He doesn't put up with EVERY bit of crap. Our risk management group
says that an approved claim will cost me over $100,000.00 over a period of
five years and will get me kicked out of the group and loose my discount
with the BWC. I have a phenomenal safety record with no lost time in over
20 years.


Watch this guy, particularly if his work performance drops off. In
Oregon (and I assume most other states) you can't discriminate against
someone for making a workman's comp claim. It's not an uncommon tactic
to make the claim then allow one's performance to drop off, or start
ignoring work rules, or whatever. Then when you fire the bozo he comes
back with a discrimination claim.

So if you _do_ start having problems with him, document everything very
carefully. If it were me, having seen this happen to other employers, I
would proceed under legal advice. You want to be able to march into a
discrimination hearing ready to show exactly what was going on with the
guy, and why you didn't treat him any differently from anybody else.

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Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com