Job insecurity and workers' compensation filing

From the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort, 5,204 individuals who reported work related injuries or illnesses were followed up. Among the injured workers, 2918 workers (56%) filed workers' comp and 1360 workers (26%) were compensated. 13% were in the group of job insecurity. Few occupational illnesses (8%) were compensated compared with acute injury. The crude rate ratios (RR) showed that those people in the low job security group were less likely to file workers' comp (crude RR= 0.69, 95% C.I.=0.38_1.36). Findings from the cross-sectional analyses with logistic regression, showed that the odds of workers' comp filing among injured workers in the low job security group is less than the odds of workers' comp filing among in the job security group, holding all other variables constant (for workers' comp filing of odd job OR=0.46, 95%C.I. = 0.31_0.68, for workers' comp filing of odd job and unemployment OR=0.59, 95% C.I. = 0.47_0.75). Findings from the panel data analyses showed that those in the low job security group are less likely to file workers' comp consistently and significantly when the person has experienced a work-related injury or illness (beta = -0.18, p<0.0001). This study suggests that workers with low job security need to be protected from any reprisal action against their employment when they were filing for workers comp for their work-related injury or illness. This study provides several implications on future study in workers' comp area as well as practitioners in work environment policy, and labor relations issues.