So the employees at the Omaha Von Maur store cannot get work comp for having witnessed the shootings there, or having been shot at, but the first responders that showed up after the kid killed himself can?
I’m sure the departments have available counselors for traumatic events and I’m all for “seeing someone” when necessary, but to make it a workers’ compensation matter??? Come on! “Mental” injuries are highly subjective and wide open for abuse. And how can they justify narrowing the beneficiaries to a select group? What is tramatic to one, may not be to another and vice versa. It’s not like emergency responders don’t have a clue of what they are getting into.
I’m sorry, but this makes no sense to me at all. I have a fear of heights, so I’m not applying for a job as a bridge painter any time soon. Wouldn’t these people EXPECT to see violent acts? Isn’t that what they’re hired to handle? What am I missing here?
As a former EMT I am getting a kick out of these responces. If you cant handle the heat get out of the kitchen.
I saw a man cut off his wifes arm the first day on the job. Another time I witnessed a dog bite off a womans breasts. Its was horrible, but you didnt see me complaining, becasue thats what I signed up for.
My daughter is the district manager for one of the stores in that mall. She had to defend one of her managers to her company after that incident. She had gone back to work and things started getting busy – she felt overwelmed (just like she did the day of the shooting) and had to leave the store. There was an asst. manager there but she was not suppose to leave. Their manual states if a manager leaves the store “unattended” they are to be let go. My daughter convinced them this was an emotional event that needed to be understood and not penalize the manager. They agreed and she kept her job, but there is no way they would agree this was a “work comp” issue – they nearly fired her!!!
I local paper did a spread a couple of years back about firefighters and cops that were on “stress leave” (they have a separate system for them where I live). They found over a dozen people that had been on “stress leave” for years – some for over a decade. They were claiming that stress from their job made them unable to work in any capacity – and they were getting paid full wages! Yes, I’m against adding mental “injuries” to workers’ compensation.
This bill is the result of the robbery/shootings at the Norfolk Nebraska Bank several years ago. A State Trooper had detained one of the suspects previously to the robbery but let him go before completely checking him out. After the bad guy was part of the shootings, the state trooper offed himself. His wife tried to get WC benefits for mental illness caused by his grief/depression of allowing this to happen.
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So the employees at the Omaha Von Maur store cannot get work comp for having witnessed the shootings there, or having been shot at, but the first responders that showed up after the kid killed himself can?
I’m sure the departments have available counselors for traumatic events and I’m all for “seeing someone” when necessary, but to make it a workers’ compensation matter??? Come on! “Mental” injuries are highly subjective and wide open for abuse. And how can they justify narrowing the beneficiaries to a select group? What is tramatic to one, may not be to another and vice versa. It’s not like emergency responders don’t have a clue of what they are getting into.
I’m sorry, but this makes no sense to me at all. I have a fear of heights, so I’m not applying for a job as a bridge painter any time soon. Wouldn’t these people EXPECT to see violent acts? Isn’t that what they’re hired to handle? What am I missing here?
Such a system would be ripe for abuse…
As a former EMT I am getting a kick out of these responces. If you cant handle the heat get out of the kitchen.
I saw a man cut off his wifes arm the first day on the job. Another time I witnessed a dog bite off a womans breasts. Its was horrible, but you didnt see me complaining, becasue thats what I signed up for.
Wonderful point you made!!!
My daughter is the district manager for one of the stores in that mall. She had to defend one of her managers to her company after that incident. She had gone back to work and things started getting busy – she felt overwelmed (just like she did the day of the shooting) and had to leave the store. There was an asst. manager there but she was not suppose to leave. Their manual states if a manager leaves the store “unattended” they are to be let go. My daughter convinced them this was an emotional event that needed to be understood and not penalize the manager. They agreed and she kept her job, but there is no way they would agree this was a “work comp” issue – they nearly fired her!!!
I local paper did a spread a couple of years back about firefighters and cops that were on “stress leave” (they have a separate system for them where I live). They found over a dozen people that had been on “stress leave” for years – some for over a decade. They were claiming that stress from their job made them unable to work in any capacity – and they were getting paid full wages! Yes, I’m against adding mental “injuries” to workers’ compensation.
Agreed lastbat, there should be no inclusion for “mental stress/injuries” in WC. It just doesn’t belong and is “too ripe” for abuse.
This bill is the result of the robbery/shootings at the Norfolk Nebraska Bank several years ago. A State Trooper had detained one of the suspects previously to the robbery but let him go before completely checking him out. After the bad guy was part of the shootings, the state trooper offed himself. His wife tried to get WC benefits for mental illness caused by his grief/depression of allowing this to happen.
AMEN!
I have been a trauma nurse for over 30years….I think it may be time to rest from all of the trauma I have witnessed!