Hello,

I work in Security at a luxury hotel. My department is responsible for first aid for injured employees. My manager must evaluate all injuries prior to any professional medical treatment at the clinic. However, she is not an EMT, RN, CNA, PA, etc... My co-workers and I feel she persuades injured employees from seeking outside treatment. She offers her own treatments: massaging sprains, puts mustard on minor burns, bandages cuts which obviously need sutures. She even boasts about how much money she saves the company by playing doctor.
This is just not right, and I am prepared blow the whistle. The H.R. Director can't help - they're best friends! Should I file a complaint with OSHA or the Labor Board? I would appreciate any advice...Thanks!

I would definitely talk to OSHA about this.

There's nothing wrong with doing a little in-house first aid on minor injuries, such as cleansing a minor cut or scape and putting a bandaid on it or making ibuprofen available for a muscle ache but employees must be free to seek professional medical care if they desire to do so. Just because the HR Director and this supervisor are friends (or perceived as such), I urge you to have word with HR first. Unless someone tells them what's going on, they almost certainly aren't aware that potentially recordable WC injuries are being "witch-doctored" in-house. Chances are your HR Director will be horrified at what's going on. (1) It's not right or safe, and (2) by not allowing proper medical care, this supervisor is creating a situation where a fairly minor injury may turn into a major one (if an infection sets in, for example.) I'm very friendly with several supervisors I work with but that hasn't stopped me from immediately intervening when I've discovered they were doing something stupid or improper.

If saying something to HR doesn't work, then you should contact your State's Worker's Compensation Division. If the supervisor is coercing or prohibiting employees from seeking medical treatment when they are injured on the job, I have no doubt that violates your State's WC regulations.

...thank you for your feedback! I filed a complaint with OSHA. Also, my co-workers and I had a private meeting with management and H.R. All were quite stunned to hear what was going on. I'll keep you posted on the aftermath.

Thanks again and regards...

Also, my co-workers and I had a private meeting with management and H.R. All were quite stunned to hear what was going on. What'd I tell you. :)

Presumably management will rectify the situation immediately. First line supervisors can sometimes get some very short-sighted and misgided ideas about how to save the company a buck, even though they may have the best of intentions.

Thanks Beth. The most shocking aspect of this situation is that this manager has the title of Dir. of Risk Management! She has been an H.R. Director at other properties. Her actions are not mistakes, there were deliberate violations. We're waiting to see if this is enough for her to get fired (or resign in disgrace). Coincidentally, today she wrote me up for tardiness...

this manager has the title of Dir. of Risk Management! Then she's an idiot, not just foolish.