• 22
  • November
    2010

In an article for The Associated Press earlier this month, Emery P. Dalesio reported on an apparent drop in workplace injuries among workers in several states, including Texas. On its face, the news is great, especially for Texas, where oil fields and other hazardous environments have posed many dangers to workers in the past.

Then again, are those dangers necessarily gone - or are they just underreported?

For the government, employer reports of workplace injuries and illness are paramount for accurate analysis and proper corrective action. When employers fail to report everything or simply omit information, it's the workers who suffer.

As Dalesio writes, however, workers may not feel comfortable surfacing these problems on their own. Especially in an environment where the employee feels especially vulnerable to termination, it is highly unlikely that any complaints will make it out of the workplace.

If it comes down to working through an injury or not working at all, few employees will choose the latter.

It is illegal, sure, but employers have been getting away with it for years. So, while the news that workplace injuries are decreasing is good news, it should be taken with the aforementioned points in mind.

For workers who have been injured or become ill as a result of duties performed on the job, it is important to remember that you have a right to treatment and compensation.

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