5 Simple Ways to Understand Your Legal Rights When Injured at Work

Everyone should be able to do their work safely. Even if your job requires you to work in the vicinity of hazardous material or equipment, you should be given equipment, tools, and guidelines that will keep you from harm. Most employers understand this and take measures to ensure the health and safety of their employees. Other companies are not so rigorous, and this puts their people at risk.5 Simple Ways to Understand Your Legal Rights When Injured at Work

If you have been injured on the job, you should make a claim for worker’s compensation. But before you do anything, you need to hire a lawyer. You want an attorney from a workers compensation law firm. They will have the knowledge and skill to get you through the process with as little trouble as possible.

You should not assume that your company and its insurer have your best interests at heart. No matter how friendly and kindly they may seem after the accident their priority is to minimize the impact of your accident on their bottom line.

When it comes down to it, you can only depend on yourself and your will to be fairly treated. Here are 5 simple ways to understand your legal rights when injured at work:

  1. You have a right to make a claim

Do not allow anyone to dissuade you from making a claim. Indeed, the very moment you are injured you should report it to your supervisor. You may also need to advise the human resources department of the incident. Different companies have different policies regarding this, so you should check your worker manual for the exact instructions.

Once you have alerted the company to your injury, you should hire a lawyer and file a claim for worker’s compensation. As mentioned above, the basis for this claim is straightforward. Every company is legally obligated to protect the health and safety of their employees. When they fail to live up to this expectation, they must be held accountable.

  1. You have a right to be properly compensated

If you are injured, you will need to go to the hospital for treatment. If your injury is severe enough, you may need to be hospitalized for some time. This will lead to a loss of wages and the addition of medical bills to your monthly expenses. Even after you are released from the hospital, you may need to go through a process of rehabilitation and spend more time at home recovering. Your injury may permanently degrade your ability to perform as you used to. This can force you into a lower paying position or mean that you cannot work as many hours as before.

You should not have to bear the stress and strain of such changes alone, especially when the accident was not your fault. The people whose job it was to protect you as you carried out your work must be held accountable.

  1. You have a right to fair treatment

Your employer cannot demote, harass, or otherwise mistreat you just because you make a claim against them. If you believe your employer is retaliating against you because you have made a claim, then you can sue them. Such a lawsuit can be made in addition to your worker’s comp claim. It is illegal for employers to engage in such behavior. They know it, and you should remind them of their obligations and responsibilities toward you with a lawsuit.

  1. You have a right to an attorney

Your employer may try to persuade you that the accident and the injury it caused can all be dealt with in-house; that you can trust them, their insurers, and their legal team to sort it all out and compensate you fairly. Don’t believe it. Your company will put its own interests first. You must retain counsel that will do the same for you.

A lawyer who specializes in worker’s compensation cases can be useful in many ways. First, they can ensure that you complete the forms for the claim properly. The paperwork is not always straightforward, and a great many worker’s compensation claims are rejected owing to an administrative error on the part of the claimant. A worker’s comp lawyer will ensure that the application you submit is flawless. They can also anticipate any possible objections made by the company’s insurer and be at hand to respond to them.

You also want a lawyer present for the accident investigation. The main aim of insurance companies is to minimize the amount of money they have to pay to claimants. To this end, they maintain an army of claims investigators who will look for ways to get the insurance company off the hook. Your lawyer will be able to bring in their own investigative team. They will be able to review the evidence and conclusion of the company’s insurers so as to verify the validity of their results. This will all be done to make sure you get the money you deserve.

  1. You have a right to your own doctor

The company will want you to be looked at by their doctor. You should accede to this request. Otherwise, they will say that you are not really injured and deny your claim. However, you have a right to be examined by your own doctor. In fact, you should go to your medical provider first. Their initial findings on the nature and severity of your injury will be crucial to your claim for worker’s compensation. You should tell your doctor that you were injured at work and describe to them your actions and movements before the accident.

These are 5 basic rights you have as an injured worker. You should not allow anyone to limit them or persuade you to abandon them at any point. Your injury could put you in dire financial straits; it could also have a tremendous effect on your ability to earn a living. Your employer must be made to carry out their responsibilities toward you; they must be held accountable for the accident and all that follows from it.

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Ten New Ways of Unleashing Your Creativity in The Workplace

Creativity is the new buzzword – you are constantly reminded that you need to showcase creative thinking in your workplace, to ‘think outside the box’. However, no one tells you how intimidating unleashing your creativity is and it remains one of those scary things for many jobs since it involves shaking things up and trying new things.

That means letting go of older, inefficient systems, all in order to solve new problems that are increasing in their complexity. You never know how vital a new way of thinking is until you face a problem that cannot be solved using the tried and true methods of the past.

Many reasons exist that necessitate the need for creativity in the workplace – needing to resolve problems, a requirement for something new, and a need to communicate with others.  Innovation is the lifeblood of any organization or business, so here are some ways that will help you increase your creativity.

Sometimes, disregarding the rules is good. 

The next time you get together with your team and brainstorm, it is a good idea to enforce a ‘no barring of ideas’ session. Encourage everyone in the team to come up with ideas, even those that seem far-fetched or nonsensical. Even in these ideas is a bit of wisdom, so make it even better by assigning someone to police any negative phrases that may be said, and encourage honesty from everyone as well.

 Become visual in thinking 

Becoming a visual thinker is a good thing, regardless of the industry you work in, or the role that you are operating in. visualizing ideas is an excellent way to get you and the team thinking on new levels, so leave the phone alone, get into a room and use a board or your notebook – at least until your hand hurts from all the drawing or writing of ideas.

Propose a finished idea, then work backwards

You have a scenario you find ideal, and it happens 20 years later? Present it to the group, and you can work backwards with everyone to figure out what to do to make that dream a reality. However, do not choose to focus on the ‘how’ you will make it happen, and watch your road map unravel itself.

Write down everything you hear or think

When brainstorming and thinking about creative ways to do your job, understand and remember that no idea is too small for consideration. Keep in mind that even the most far-fetched ideas have some value to your business, and you can use them down the line.

After all, you never know the exact phrase or word that will spark the next great idea, so make sure you note all of them down. You can then display it somewhere prominent in your office, such as a dashboard, and remind yourself of these ideas.

 Turn idea sharing into an interesting game Turn idea sharing into an interesting game

To promote the flow of creative juices, you can set up a game during the next meeting. For instance, having everyone present to write an idea and toss them to the table, you can pick a random idea and read it out loud. Another way is to switch roles, and you can ask one of the other employees what they would do if they were in your position.

Mental breaks are important

The perception we all have of social media and things like playing a random game of monopoly or Sudoku may seem like time wasters – after all, society teaches you that you should be actively participating in bringing more money and investing more time in your work.

However, no one tells you that the most productive people in the workforce take regular mental breaks – you are not a machine, you are a human. Give yourself time to rest and recover from your work – it is impossible to produce creative ideas when you are exhausted or lacking morale.

Encourage yourself to go for an exercise session

The problem with sedentary jobs is the lack of physical activity. However, exercise does not only serve to keep you healthy, it also encourages a boost of creativity.

At least once a day, take a break from your job. Go outside for a walk, a run, or whatever suits you and your schedule. You can even get outside and smell the fresh air, or go and say hello to other people outside your office.

That break has many benefits on your mind, and it will allow you to tackle an idea or a problem with a fresh mindset. You may even get inspiration in the middle of a break.

Maximize your strengths Maximize your strengths

Most people think that creative thinking in the workplace is the preserve of the ‘chosen few’ that have creative roles in your workplace, while the rest of the workers are logical-minded and dull thinkers. However, contrary to popular opinion, any skill that you have can be useful in a creative way.For instance, do you shine at using Microsoft PowerPoint? You can put your ideas in a presentation format, create graphs and charts to analyze them and see brainstorming sessions begin.

Initiate the conversation

The most difficult part of all brainstorming and creative thinking sessions is initializing the whole process in the first place. Regardless of whether you are in a group or alone, getting the ball rolling is not the easiest task.

The solution is simpler than you think – start writing or talking, or even doodling your ideas. Once you get the words down, even though they seem nonsensical in the beginning, you have gotten past that initial hurdle and ideas will begin to flow.

Take some time to relax Take some time to relax

Your workday is mostly spent when you have your tea or coffee mug beside you. However, do you realize that a small amount of alcohol can help you out in brainstorming?

Do not use this as an excuse to drink yourself silly though and land yourself in AL alcohol addiction treatment facility,for instance –a glass of wine is enough to relax the mind, help you to stop focusing on negative outcomes too much, and instead focus on the positives.

Conclusion

Creativity in the workplace is not the preserve of a few gifted individuals, but anyone can exercise it. The key to increasing creative output is to relax your mind, and convincing yourself that your thoughts are not impossible to attain.

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Tips and Tricks for Simplifying Your Life


Tips-and-Tricks-for-Simplifying-Your-Life

Face it. Life can be stressful, and this can wreak havoc on your mental health as well as your overall well-being. Sometimes this chaos comes from too many responsibilities, too many outside stressors (like work or finances), or just from being unorganized. Sometimes the best way to handle all this is to find ways to simplify your life. By doing this, you can create a more peaceful atmosphere and open up your mind to focus on what’s important. If you’re looking for ways to reduce stress and simplify the way you live, then consider these tips and tricks.

Learn to say no

One of the biggest challenges people face today is feeling overwhelmed by the amount of “stuff” we have to do, such as making dinner, go to work, attend the social gala, keep a clean house, go to the family party, etc. All of this creates chaos, and if it’s adding more stress to your life, it’s not doing you any good. The first way to simplify your life is to learn to say no. Just because you get invited to a party or asked to do something doesn’t mean you have to say yes. Sometimes you need time to yourself, whether it’s just to relax or to catch up on something else you’ve been putting off. Don’t feel bad for telling someone you can’t do something and know it’s the best thing for you.

Downsize

Sometimes our stress builds up because of the responsibilities we have to take care of. If you’re trying to keep up with keeping a clean house, staying on top of your bills, or juggling too many things at once, then maybe downsizing is the right option for you. For instance, moving from a large house to something simpler will likely reduce your mortgage as well as give you less square footage to maintain, both of which can reduce some of your stress. Going from a two-car family to a one-car family can also reduce your monthly expenses. When you look at ways to cut payments or responsibilities out of your life, it can make it easier and more enjoyable.

Ask for help

We all have too much pride that makes us feel like asking for help shows failure, but that’s not true. Instead of taking on too many responsibilities, it’s important you ask for help. This can happen in a variety of ways. For instance, if you’re struggling to keep up with household chores, ask family members to chip in and help. If you need assistance with a project at work, ask a coworker to assist you. If you do decide to move, get a moving company quote and see if it makes sense to let someone else tackle that beast for you. If you’re struggling with finances, consider talking to a financial expert to get your money in order and help you create a budget. When you’re humble enough to ask for help, you’ll see the stress in your life start to disappear.

Purge

Sometimes the stressors in your life can occur from the items you surround yourself with, so purging can help you eliminate some of the items that add to this pressure. For instance, look at what you spend money on every month. Are there items you’re paying for you don’t need or use, such as gym memberships, overpriced cable bills, an old car, excessive phone bills, or entertainment packages? If so, cancel these or try to negotiate a lower payment. In addition, it’s time to purge items in your home too, which will make your space feel less cluttered and possibly help you make some extra cash. Once you’ve gone through your belongings and found what you no longer need, you may just find that now you have less to maintain and want to downsize into something smaller.

Make a career change

While having a job is a necessity for most people, sometimes you need to find the right job. For instance, if you’re stressed out because your current job forces you to travel often or work long hours, maybe you need to find a career that keeps you home more often. If you know your current company doesn’t offer a chance for you to grow your career, maybe you should find a company that does. If work is the cause of your stress, then finding a career that fits better with your needs is the right way to go.

Feeling stressed is never fun, but using these tips to simplify your life will allow you to have a healthier and happier experience.
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