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Types of Workplace Accident Compensation

Michael J. Aarons — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:55:23 +0000

photo credit: beckstei

No one wants to suffer an accident while they are working as, aside from the physical pain and psychological trauma an injury can cause, there is also the fact that it may prevent you from working for an indefinite period, which few people can afford. Luckily, if you are unfortunate enough to be injured while at your place of work, there are compensation claims that you can make to help you to cope with anything from medical bills to lost income. These are the main types of work accident compensation claims that can be made in this situation.

Special damages

This means previous costs that you may have suffered as a result of the injury you received at work, and will require you to offer proof of the amounts you are claiming for through receipts. This can refer to everything from the loss of income you have experienced due to being unable to work, travelling costs incurred in the course of visits to hospitals and personal GPs, medical costs for the treatment you receive and expenses caused by having to cancel an engagement, such as a holiday, due to injuries received.

General damages

This refers to areas such as the pain and suffering or post-traumatic stress experienced due to injuries received in a workplace accident. The value of these types of damages is often set by the solicitor. Furthermore, interest can be claimed on both general and special damages, with the level varying depending on which of these it is.

Legal expenses

If you win your compensation claim, then in addition to the damages you are awarded, your employer will generally be required to meet the costs of your legal action. This, together with the damages should be covered by the employer’s employee liability insurance, assuming they have secured the appropriate cover.

Creating a Smarter Workspace Environment

Michael J. Aarons — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:19:58 +0000

photo credit: geishaboy500

Bored of your standalone desk or cubicle at work? Tired of relentless problems popping up over and over again because you’re trapped in an inefficient workspace in your workplace? If so, you don’t have to settle for the status quo. With a few intelligent and creatively applied upgrades to your desk or cubicle, you can give yourself the gift of a smarter workspace environment. Sure, it may just be a space designed to help you get your job done, but with every greater ease of burdens, you’re bound to be one step closer to ending your workday on a more positive note.

Start by figuring out the lighting. Poor lighting can be a detriment to your work performance in multiple ways. Using fluorescent lights may be efficient, but fluorescent tubes produce harsh, uninviting light that can be distracting. Incandescent bulbs aren’t much better, though in a different way. Though the light they produce is warm and gentle, if you have to sit under a collection of them, chances are the heat they radiate will make you uncomfortable (plus, they’re not very efficient lighting sources). Instead, if you switch to LED lights, your lighting situation will improve dramatically. Compared with fluorescents, LED lights are similarly efficient but less grating to look at. Compared with incandescent bulbs, LEDs waste less energy and produce similarly pleasant light.

Once you’ve got your lighting figured out, optimize the rest of your workspace. Throw away that uncomfortable office chair and replace it with a cushioned swivel chair. Just be sure the chair isn’t too comfortable, as you don’t want to spend half of your workday lounging around. Also, get rid of as much paper waste as possible. The more you can computerize, the easier it will be to juggle everything, and the less mess you’ll have to deal with as your desk will be far less cluttered. And of crucial importance, don’t forget to keep both a sweatshirt and a miniature fan around. That way, you can optimize your workspace temperature no matter whether it’s too hot or too cold to function.

Home Learning Degrees

Michael J. Aarons — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:10:40 +0000

Home learning is the ideal option for those that wish to advance their skills, yet simply don’t have the time to attend an actual University course.

photo credit: striatic

Despite learning from home the student will still be able to achieve an official degree. At Kaplan this degree is from an affiliate college of the University of Essex and allows the student to enjoy all of the benefits an actual land-based University course.

Home learning provides the student with a very flexible option when it comes to advancing further in their studies. Just because it offers an extremely flexible approach to learning this doesn’t, however, mean the student goes without help. There is still advice and answers available to those that take part in home learning in the form of online tutors, fellow students and course administrators. All of these options are readily available and will help you receive the most from your online home learning degree.

The courses available also have multiple start dates, which allow the students to begin at a time that is convenient to them.

Another benefit comes in the form of being able to suspend the course at any one time. You may experience a heavier workload than usual or personal circumstances may come into play; either one of the above could dramatically affect your learning. If you were instead studying at an actual land-based University, you would most likely have to re-take the year due to falling behind.

Just because students taking part in a home learning course do so from the home environment, this by no means that they are alone. Home learning degrees instead use a platform that allows for the latest Internet technology. Such a technology provides the student with an exceptional classroom learning experience, which offers the perfect alternative to a traditional learning environment yet still houses many of the same benefits and options as a land-based University degree.

How to avoid work related sicknesses

Michael J. Aarons — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 07:14:12 +0000

I have a friend who recently found out he has a cyst on the wrist. While he hasn’t had it checked by a doctor yet, he thinks it may be work related. He’s a writer, just like me. He works most of the day and most of the night on client assignments. Typing away on your keyboard all day like that is bound to do some bad things to your hands and wrist.

I think these conditions can be avoided or at least minimized if you can manage your resources in a balanced way. By resources, I mean your time, energy and your body’s capabilities.

Get enough rest.

Freelancers like myself usually have a very erratic schedule. Since I work from home, I sometimes find myself having to manage a few household tasks every day. this can include helping out with the cooking, bringing the kids to school, and the like. While those don’t exactly eat your time in a big way, sometimes it might give you difficulty in gaining momentum.

And so many in my profession are fond of working during nighttime, when everything is quiet. The problem here is that your health suffers. Your eyesight suffers. Your body suffers.

Tip: get at least six hours of sleep per day. Studies show that’s the optimal level of sleep for an adult. Too little and you won’t be well-rested. Too much and you will feel fatigued from too much sleep.

Use the right tools.

Gadget companies usually come up with “ergonomic” stuff. Ergonomic this and ergonomic that. These are usually meant to fit better with your body. An ergonomic mouse might be easier to hold than one that focuses more on style than function. An ergonomic keyboard promotes a more relaxed posture.

Aside from buying the right gadgets, ergonomics will also involve using them right. If you work with computer screens all day, set the monitor at eye level, so you don’t have to slouch or nod down to view the screen. If you drive for a living, set your seat height, backrest, and steering wheel tilt, such that you are in a comfortable position.

Tip: work in a comfortable position. If you can’t achieve this with your existing setup, then buy or improvise.

Exercise.

You will also need to keep yourself fit. If you’re a writer, you don’t have to sit all day in front of your screen mulling word after word. Stand up and stretch every 30 minutes. Rest your eyes by closing them a couple of minutes, and then focusing them on a faraway object. Go to the gym. A fit body can help improve posture, which, in turn minimizes injuries.

Tip: don’t let your body stay in one position for extended periods of time. If you work sitting down, walk around every half hour or so. If you work standing up, don’t let your weight fall on both feet 100% of the time–shift positions often.

Different professions have different needs. In your line of work, what can help minimize or avoid work-related sicknesses?

If you work in your pajamas, does it make you less professional?

Michael J. Aarons — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:53:28 +0000

photo credit: huzzahvintage

It’s the in thing in freelancing today. You have a home office. You work at home. You work from your bedroom. You telecommute.

If you have a day job, and you have to rush to the office before 8 a.m., and you need to run through the crowds downtown in a suit or high heels, chances are you envy those folks who can earn as much as you can (or even more) while in their shorts or nighties at the comfort of their living room.

But the moment you experience telecommuting, then you start shedding the formal workwear. You can now work in your pajamas, and you can still get things done. For all your client cares, you’re probably in your underwear, making those business calls, coding, designing or writing.

You try to tell yourself it’s a good thing you can run your business without having to think of your appearance. Or can you?

Do clothes make the man?

Sometimes, clothes do make the man (or woman). Even if you’re running a business from home, it doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have to dress up. For some people, dressing up involves pysching oneself for doing work. Even better, dressing up can mean psyching oneself for success.

I mean, have you ever felt sleepy or lazy during your telecommute workday because you’re in your sleepwear? Have you felt shy talking to clients on the phone or via email because you haven’t showered yet?

Working in your pajamas doesn’t necessarily make you less professional. But in some cases, it might make you feel less professional. You’re doing real work, after all. Why not try looking and feeling nice for the job.

You don’t necessarily have to wear a coat and tie at home. But wouldn’t it be nice to start your workday by showering, dressing in smart casuals, and grabbing a quick breakfast (or lunch or dinner, depending on your work schedule) before starting your work routine? It might get you in a more productive mood. It might get you into a more aggressive selling mood. It might help you close deals.

That’s unless you’re Hugh Hefner, which I seriously doubt.