Report Finds Both Workers and Doctors Pressured to Avoid Reporting Workplace Injuries

The new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that both workers and health care professionals are often pressured not to report workplace injurues. The GAO surveyed more than 1,000 occupational health practitioners and found (1) more than two-thirds observed worker fear for reporting an injury or illness, (2) a third said they were pressured by employers to provide insufficient treatments to workers to hide or downplay work-related injuries or illnesses, and (3) more than half of practitioners said they were pressured by an employer to downplay an injury or illness so it wouldn’t be reported on an official log. Full report available here. Coverage here.