Experiences of injured workers in the workers' compensation system of Taiwan

In Taiwan, there was an average of 52,587 compensated injuries and illnesses per year between the years 2001 and 2006, which included 838 fatalities per year. The actual work-related morbidity and mortality could even be higher, considering the barriers and difficulties in gaining workers' compensation (WC). Work-related injuries and illnesses often result in various forms of hardship, including psychological distress.

We conducted in-depth interviews with 17 workers who were injured or inflicted with work-related illnesses and had sought for WC. Of them, 10 workers were recruited through a major occupational health center, and 7 were through non-governmental advocacy organizations. Five aspects of experiences were inquired: work conditions before and during the event (or disease diagnosis), experiences with medical care, experiences during the process for WC, benefits received from the WC or other social welfare systems, and current physical and psychological health status.

Findings indicated that many injured workers were exposed to hazardous work conditions and had experienced undue difficulties during the treatment, compensation, rehabilitation and return-to-work process. Depression was common; some injured workers even suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The multidimensional hardships they experienced were due to problematic social systems, insufficient knowledge and information regarding labor's rights, unbalanced employer-employee relationship, lack of involvement from professional communities, and lack of awareness in the society as a whole.

This study highlights the problems in current health and compensation systems affecting injured workers. Specific recommendations for policy reform are proposed based on findings from this study.