Office of the President and Vice-Chancellor, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Insurance, Work and Health Group, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Work. 2020;67(3):741-752. doi: 10.3233/WOR-203323.
Migrant workers have been identified in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia as a particularly vulnerable working population with a higher risk of work-related injury and mortality compared to non-migrant workers. Lack of English language proficiency is associated with an increased risk of work-related injury. Whether lack of English proficiency influences post-injury recovery or return to work outcomes remains unknown.
Using administrative data from a population based workers' compensation dataset in the state of Victoria, Australia, we aimed to examine work-related injury rates, worker characteristics and compensation outcomes in workers who were not proficient in English. We hypothesized that the use of an interpreter service would be associated with a poorer post-injury recovery profile and worse return to work outcomes.
WorkSafe Victoria accepted non-fatal claims for injuries and illnesses reported between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2012 by workers aged 15 to 74 (n = 402, 828 claims) were analysed. Consistent with prior research, we selected "use of an interpreter service" as the indicator of English language proficiency. The total and categorical compensable cost of recovery was used as recovery outcomes.
Of these claims, 16,286 (4%) involved the use of an interpreter service (LOTE workers). Our analysis revealed that Victorian injured LOTE workers have significantly different demographic, occupational and injury characteristics compared to non-LOTE injured workers. Furthermore, we present novel evidence that LOTE status was associated with poorer long-term injury outcomes, observed as a greater healthcare utilisation and larger paid income benefits, after controlling for occupation, employment status and injury type compared to non-LOTE injured workers.
These data suggest that English language proficiency is associated not only with the risk of work-related injury but also to the long-term recovery outcomes. We conclude that despite access to language interpreter services, injured LOTE workers experience English language proficiency dependent, and injury severity independent, recovery barriers which need to be overcome to improve long term recovery outcomes.
在欧洲、北美、亚洲和澳大利亚，移民工人被确定为一个特别脆弱的劳动群体，与非移民工人相比，他们在工作中受伤和死亡的风险更高。英语水平不足与工作相关伤害的风险增加有关。英语水平不足是否会影响受伤后的恢复或重返工作岗位的结果仍不清楚。
利用澳大利亚维多利亚州基于人群的工人赔偿数据集的行政数据，我们旨在检查英语水平不足的工人的工作相关伤害率、工人特征和赔偿结果。我们假设使用口译服务与较差的伤后恢复情况和较差的重返工作岗位结果有关。
WorkSafe Victoria 接受了 2003 年 1 月 1 日至 2012 年 12 月 31 日期间年龄在 15 至 74 岁的工人（n=402828 人）报告的非致命伤害和疾病的非致命索赔。与先前的研究一致，我们选择“使用口译服务”作为英语水平的指标。恢复的总和分类赔偿成本用作恢复结果。
在这些索赔中，有 16286 项（4%）涉及使用口译服务（讲其他语言的工人）。我们的分析表明，维多利亚州受伤的讲其他语言的工人与非讲其他语言的受伤工人在人口统计学、职业和伤害特征方面有显著差异。此外，我们提供了新的证据，表明在控制职业、就业状况和伤害类型后，讲其他语言的工人的 LOTE 状况与较差的长期伤害结果有关，表现为更大的医疗保健利用和更大的带薪收入福利。
这些数据表明，英语水平不仅与工作相关伤害的风险有关，还与长期恢复结果有关。我们的结论是，尽管可以获得语言口译服务，但受伤的讲其他语言的工人仍然面临英语水平依赖和与伤害严重程度无关的恢复障碍，需要克服这些障碍才能改善长期恢复结果。
