Christmas Greetings to WCB and the Employers of Canada
It’s been a tough year, we hear about it on the news all the time. We all know that at this time of the year, we just want good cheer, especially when profits are down, maybe even the Christmas bonus did not grow this year.
Ironic isn’t it how history seems to repeat itself, especially at Christmas when you heard about the story of Ebenezer Scrooge in the novel Christmas Carol. It tells the haunting story of how employees have historically been abused. That must be one that you would like to see abolished, maybe you could include this issue in the next re-write of Canadian Labor Laws.
Not even Workers Compensation officials should be subjected to this inhume reminder at Christmas.
How much richer did you all get this year? Could you imagine the horror of trading places with someone on the receiving end, in line at a food bank?
Life for you must really be blessed, but I ask one simple question from you at this time of the year. We all talk about Christ and Christmas, and that all blessings come from God. My question to you is, who are your blessings coming from? Who is standing there looking over your shoulder protecting you from abuse?
The reason I ask this question is due in part to reading another of hundreds of similar letters to the one below. How do you hide the truth that you are 100% responsible for destroying families throughout the year from your own children?
Do you describe it as being somewhat like being mercenaries, that you unlike a mercenary you don’t have to kill for a living, your only duty is to create a living hell for workers who no longer have a value, because they are permanently injured?
Do you even celebrate Christmas? Or do you tell your children it’s a fictitious time of the year, and that the only real object in life is to get rich, regardless of those who fall under your feet?
You might say, are you not being a little harsh yourself, especially as Christmas is almost here? I must admit if I had not read this letter today, maybe in the true spirit of Christmas, I might have chosen a different message.
My heart actually bleeds blood red, the color you see every Christmas, may it be a reminder of the letter below. I hope every time you see a Poinsettia, may it remind you of another injured worker tossed to skid row.
Please remember that this permanently injured worker is only one out of thousands of “human beings” that you do this to on a daily basis.
A Letter written by a - WCB Victim of Denial
The Receiving End of Charity
This is a small part of our story. It's the story of having to receive Charity. You see because we don't receive the Compensation owed us - we sometimes are on the receiving end of charity. It is a good story for the Holiday season. All the working public are wrapped up in their warm houses with a feast ready for the table - and then there are those poor souls they had to 'give' Christmas to....
My first brush with this was when an injured worker offered us some funds to help us get the kids ready for school one September. It was an absolute Godsend. It made a huge difference. And although it felt weird, and I felt I needed to justify every expense to the injured worker who had asked for no list, and nothing more than for us to pass the same along to someone else who needed the same in the future if we could. I cried. This same person was also good enough to supply us with funds that year to get a turkey. As this person was an injured worker I knew they understood why we needed it.
Then there was the time when we filed for bankruptcy. It was a very hard thing for us to do. We had been responsible users of Credit before injury. And just simply used credit cards and the line of credit to pay bills while we waited for WCB to 'realize their mistake' - which of course they never did! Well we had to get our house assessed for the bankruptcy to prove we had no equity. The lady came and appraised the house. We are from a small community, and she the same. She came and gave us the report - and told us not to pay her anything. She said we could pay her if we ever had the money in the future. The bill would have been around $250 normally. I cried right then in front of her. I thanked her, sort of sputtering while I did, unable to say more. Thankful but ashamed. (She died about 4 months later - it turns out about the time she appraised the house she had just found out she had terminal cancer.) Every time I see her son out around town I want to tell him the wonderful she did, but I am too ashamed that I needed the help.
I am too ashamed to apply for things. I know there are programs out there to get your kids involved in sports, or to get help at Christmas. But both my parents and my in-laws are fairly well off. They get the kids presents, and we don't get them much. There has been a couple of years we went without turkeys, but the kids were too young to know, and we had a turkey dinner at one or other parents anyway. Now the kids are getting older things are getting more noticeable. They are noticing their clothes (bought used) aren't the same as their friends. They don't have Wii's and DS's. My son this year wouldn't tell me what he wanted, but I found out from his sister it was because he thought the $25 item would be too much. My mother in law is getting it for him though. I just did stockings for them this year.
But I digress. This year, last night at church, out of the blue, we found out our church was giving us a Christmas Dinner hamper. They do 5 off these every year. And as far as I know they usually go to people outside of the church. I had already bought a turkey, and had plans to do some baking. But this basket includes a turkey, potatoes, squash, a pie, and many other baked goods. I am more ashamed of this than anything else. We didn't apply for this. And I didn't think a lot of the folks there know much beyond the fact that my hubby is disabled. But it must be obvious - which is humiliating for me. We are actually better off now than we have been the last couple of years. This coupled with a week where I have had 3 people tell me I need a new winter coat - I guess the rattiness is obvious, and I am having difficulty finding a replacement I can afford. Well I am just as much hurt as I am helped. It was really topped off when my 8 year old commented that we must be the poorest family at church if we got the basket.
Part of this story is that there is good people out there that are willing to help. And part of this story is that I am too proud in some ways and that is why it affects me like it does. The biggest part of this story is that when WCB's don't pay, those workers and their families may still get enough to eat, they may still get the shelter, and be able to live. But they face hardships of having to accept handouts.
A worker has a hard enough time accepting the WCB compensation. There is enough stigmatism to that. Often it takes several months or years of trying to get back to work before the worker is convinced they have tried everything. Then they no sooner give in, are resigned to get the Compensation that is their due. Then its whipped out from under them and they have to take the Charity instead.
An on-line friend told me that part of God's plan is for us to not only give when we can, but receive when we need it. And I will receive for now and be thankful. And I will teach my children of this. I know we should not be receiving - WCB should be paying.
My question is - what happens with my kids when the grow up being in the receipt of charity? Is it going to make them view life differently? Is it going to be a negative impact?
