title: Administering the cost of death: organisational perspectives on workers' compensation and common law claims following traumatic death at work in Australia.
abstract: Quite apart from its devastating human and psychological effects, the death of a worker can have significant, life-changing effects on their families. For many affected families, workers' compensation entitlements represent the primary financial safeguard. Where the worker was self-employed, the family will generally be excluded from this remedy and have to take the more problematic option of claiming damages at common law. Despite the centrality of workers' compensation, little attention has been given to how effectively workers' compensation agencies address the needs of bereaved families or the views of other organisations involved, such as safety inspectors, unions, employers and victim advocates. Based on interviews with forty eight organisational representatives in five Australian states, this study examines how workers' compensation regimes deal with work-related death from the perspective of those organisations involved directly or indirectly in the process. The study highlighted a number of problems, including the exclusion of self-employed workers and dealing with 'mixed families'.
authors: School of Management, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: m.quinlan@unsw.edu.au.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Quinlan
authors: Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Scott J
authors: SJ
authors: Fitzpatrick
authors: Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Lynda R
authors: LR
authors: Matthews
authors: Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Ngo
authors: Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Philip
authors: P
authors: Bohle
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D004651:Employment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: Bereavement; Families; Fatal injuries; Industrial relations; Traumatic work-related death; Workers’ compensation