The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) recently published a story Why we Lie About Being Retired, an eye-catching lead. The author describes the great efforts on the Internet to portray images of retired folks enjoying their golden years. There is a lamentation that retirement is perceived by some as a goal for which financial planning is necessary, and recognized. However, it suggests that perhaps a broader spectrum of preparation would be more beneficial overall.
While the BBC acknowledges that there are financial concerns for retirees, it focuses on retirement being a life change. One professor is quoted characterizing the change as "a very dramatic moment." A study is cited that concluded people who retire may initially relish their new-found freedom and time, but that "the novelty can soon wear off." After it has worn off, the retiree may be left "feeling under-utilized."
The author reminds us how people have a tendency to describe themselves in work terms. There is an association we have with our occupations or professions. And, when that ends, according to the cited research, people continue to identify with those descriptions like "I'm a retired librarian." They are relating themselves to their work, an identifying anchor of self, of identity. This was explained, according to the author as effectuating a "desire to be a part of something."
People seem to find relevance in themselves, contributed to by the relevance of the occupation in which they invested their working lives. A Nobel Prize winner is quoted concluding "Work is so fundamental to the good life." And, that "work is the main source of a meaningful existence for most people." He explains our investment in that regard is lifelong and "work is essential to play a role in the discovery of new things." There are rewards to participation in the workplace, both financially and in the realm of "testing yourself and showing what you can do, achieving and discovering and exploring."
Likely, by this point, Statler and Waldorf are perhaps asking: "What does this have to do with workers' compensation?" A fair question. But, focus for a moment on the idea of preparation. Many people will focus for years upon their retirement date. They will plan, if only financially, for how they will function after that point. The idea of not being a librarian, but a "retired librarian" will have much time to germinate and mature in the intellect. And yet, according to this article and the study cited, people will nonetheless struggle to adapt to that transition.
Instead, focus on the person who does not have years, months, or perhaps even days to "get used to" the idea of no longer being a librarian. When a work accident happens, that transition from a vocation, occupation, or profession may happen very rapidly. Is the injured worker any less connected to the identity of an occupation than a retiree? It seems likely that the transition from "librarian" to "former librarian" is as challenging regardless of the cause (retirement versus injury). Therefore, empathy is worthwhile in either setting.
Of course, the retirement issue is much more pervasive. Eventually, the vast majority of us will retire. Conversely, fortunately, most of us will never suffer a debilitating work injury. But it is worthwhile to consider the emotional impact it will have on those who do suffer a work injury. For some, the impact may be temporary. Following an event, as medical care begins, there may be an onset of fear regarding the ultimate impact of injury, disability, or function loss. For the most optimistic, that fear may be some level of additional challenge. If care is effective, and functional restoration is noticeable, fear may diminish or even subside. Is it fair to assume that the sooner such restoration occurs the better?
But what of the worker for whom modalities are less effective? As medicine perhaps struggles to define the exact cause of symptoms and complaints, might that fear strengthen? As time passes, might a worker become disillusioned with the pace or extent of progress? During the effort at recovery, might any occupation begin to question or even fear that this could mean he/she may become a "former" __________? If the BBC article's conclusions are to be believed, isn't this transition or potential for transition as anxious for the injured worker, or perhaps more so?
Economically, no one is likely to plan their lives based on "what if I am injured." When we calculate how much house, car, or other lifestyle we can afford, we do not think about whether it is sustainable at sixty-six percent (66%) of our current or even future income. That is not in our nature. In fact, some may make financial commitments that become a challenge even on 100%. I recall a young professional I once knew who felt that way about a BMW purchased soon after graduation; it turned out that the payments, insurance, etc. were more strain on a young family's budget than predicted. Might a sudden decrease in income after a work accident likewise, or additionally, contribute to anxiety, stress, or emotion?
The Author of the BBC article sees potential for societal unrest as the population ages. There is a perception that there will be an economic necessity to raise the retirement age, and that may impact certain occupations more than others. There is a specific reference to those performing "physical labour," and some conjecture those workers will not "have the same opportunities to work longer in their late 60s and 70s." And, there is advocacy expressed for policy change to address the perceived inequity of that.
Might the same dichotomy be as applicable in the work accident paradigm? Just as skill sets and occupational physical demands may impact the longevity of career paths in the retirement realm, might such considerations impact the potential for an injured worker to either return to a former vocation/profession or to transition to a new one? Some may argue that there is not equal, perhaps not equitable, access to opportunity. As a worker is confronted with that potentiality regarding retirement, the realization might have an emotional impact. Would the potential be any less for a worker confronted with it more unexpectedly in an injury paradigm?
Let's turn back to the conclusions in the article about the value of vocation/occupation. One source noted "Work is the main source of a meaningful existence for most people"; explaining that "work is essential to play a role in the discovery of new things." If that is accepted, does it support the underlying goal of workers' compensation "to facilitate the worker's return to gainful employment?" Section 440.105, Fla. Stat. If our work, occupation, or vocation is so critical to our person, to our identity, are we not reinforced and empowered by a return to "gainful employment" after injury in the same manner that we are by maintaining such employment or association to such employment in the retirement consideration?
The overall tenor of this vocational discussion is nothing new. There have been codifications of educational and vocational aspects in various workers' compensation laws over the years. The recognition of benefits to retraining and vocational efforts seems persistent, even if one might find less than unanimity or even consensus in what the details should, could, or would be. Perhaps the BBC author's conclusions about the value of feeling "utilized" bear our consideration and discussion. If we could, through any such change, find a path to dropping the "former" by either returning to a previous role or finding some new role with which to identify and contribute, there would be a benefit.
But, the BBC article suggests that change can be hard emotionally. When that change is long predicted and planned for, it can remain difficult to accept nonetheless. Unexpected change, it is suggested, may be as, or more, difficult to process, accept, and overcome. That there is emotion to change seems plausible, but it has seemingly only recently become a subject that is discussed. Perhaps more attention to emotional challenges of vocational change, or even interruption, merits attention following a work accident?
