Bad Santa Grinch – Yes I Was Mean And Green Every Year
The bad Santa Grinch Workers Comp made.One of the most disturbing trends in my WC career occurred every Christmas. I started my career in claims.
Every year just before the Yuletide I was told at least once – “My family, kids, etc. will not be having Christmas because of you.”
That statement disturbed me for the first few years. A claimant would usually not return to work, have their claim denied, etc. After a few years I became jaded to the statement. When I became a claims supervisor I thought – well, I will not have to hear than again – Au Contraire,
I would usually have to handle an even more upset person telling me that if I did not overrule the adjuster and send out their check, the adjuster and I both were ruining their Christmas. At least I had another Grinch to feel bad with me.
When I reached the managerial level, I thought there is no way that I will ever have to handle the ubiquitous mad injured employee saying that I was the Bad Santa Grinch. Once again, the person made their way up the line from adjuster to supervisor and then to me. They did not actually call me Bad Santa Grinch by then – the term was much more graphic.
As I started my WC consultant company, I thought – well, no more years of hearing that I was Bad Santa Grinch for not mailing the benefits check. I did not hear that for a few years until I decided to assist with a file runoff of self insured claims.
My Holiday was complete that season as an injured employee told me that unless I mailed out his RX reimbursement check, there would be no Christmas at his house. I was so used to hearing that I was Bad Santa Grinch that it almost warmed my heart.
If anyone would like to make me get into the Holiday spirit, please feel free to call or email me and let me know that I am the Bad Santa Grinch.
**Please note that no checks were due the claimants mentioned in the story. I was not holding any check just to be mean.
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