A professor from Denmark sent me this troubling story about a worker who — after relentless abuse for
years — was no longer able to work. In this case, TCA (total cost of assholes)
was mighty high, in both financial and human terms. I quote his summary and
translation
Asshole compensation
A 39 old man from Denmark was recently declared unfit for work by the national workers compensation
board. When he started work as a supermarket employee he was functioning
normally, he was reliable and was well regarded by colleagues. Eight years
later he left his job with a mental breakdown so severe that he has no
prospects of ever returning to the labour market.
Basing it’s decision on a regulatory change that included Post
Traumatic Stress as an occupational disease, the Workers Compensation Board
writes “Your unspecified stress reaction is caused by your employment as a
sales clerk, during which you have been exposed to highly stressful
psychological harassment over a prolonged period, including accusations of
theft put forward by your immediate supervisor” (my translation from a local
news report).
Behind the official language lies a story of a new supervisor who
would verbally abuse, complain, assault and accuse the sales clerk of theft.
The supervisor had other targets too but the treatment of the sales clerk
accelerated when he became union representative. His vacation time was moved
repeatedly, he was told that his co-workers had complained about him, the
supervisor would greet anyone but the victim. When the supervisor became angry
he would throw chairs around and tell the victim to find another job. If the
victim complained to upper store management, he was told not to weep in the
boss’s office. He was accused of theft and sent home, but no evidence was offered
and the claim was not prosecuted. Finally he was called to a meeting where he
was told that he had used his position as union representative to threaten
colleagues while at the same time siding with staff too much.
As a result of the serious mental
disability, the victim of job-related abuse has now been awarded a permanent
disability pension. When his mental condition is determined to have stabilized
he may receive further compensation from the workers compensation board (a
mandatory insurance system), the amount depending on how severe his loss of
employability is assessed to be.
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