ACC employee reprimanded for 'God' comment

Dana, I would just like to add my condolences to your family on the loss of your father. As for some of the comments below, they are simply sad. No matter what the circumstances of your case, or what discussions had been had with ACC previously, this comment was rude, offensive and totally unnecessary. It is also highly unprofessional. Those in receipt of support from ACC, and with other financial support payments (insurance payouts, benefits, etc) often feel powerless when confronted by the bureaucracy of such systems while necessarily dependent on them at the same time also. Those who work in such systems do not realise the power they hold over individual claimants lives and how their actions and comments can be quite devastating at a family level, particularly in a family such as yours which is grieving. As for comments about so called "bludging" - there is a huge difference between someone who has been left disabled in the process of their daily work (in this case a role which carried with it a real risk of death that is faced by firefighters when tackling fires not to mention the distress faced when dealing with fatal road accidents and other situations) and someone who wakes up one day and decides to fake a "back injury" because they do not want to work (and these people are by far the MINORITY I believe). Dana, my thoughts are with you and i hope that your family's case gets the full and fair investigation and subsequent public apology that it deserves. Take care and keep strong.

Thank you, Phil.

What this article also doesn't say is what has been said to the case manager prior to his/her email and hence the response.

Dana, first my heart goes out to your loss. Nothing can measure the stress you and your family has had to go though over this entire saga.

It is shameful reading some of the comments, and I must say rather half baked from people that have absolutely no passion or care what so ever.

The view of the majority of New Zealanders is definitely not theirs. Most humane kiwis feel sorry for your situation and believe that this is terrible.

Now the reality is that your father suffered an injury while working serving his community so he was entitled to receiving ACC under the rehabilitation and compensation act.

Your father like many other working New Zealanders paid a levy out of his salary, and so contributed his own funds to ACC. This is what people are forgetting about in this entire dispute. It was his entitlement, period an agreement made between him and the New Zealand Government.

Any breach of those terms by ACC is a breach of contract.

Although this gives you hardly any comfort at this time, just stay strong, and do not give a dam what others may say. I am sure they would have a different view if it were them.

He was not on ACC because he was in a wheelchair. He suffered severed shoulder injuries to both shoulders while working for the Fire Service. This is why he was not working. My Father was a very proud independant man and his claims were legitimate. If he could have provided for his family without the assistance of ACC, then he would have done so.

Marisa

Do you have the facts on hand? I think its just another case of someone abusing a system that is working for others. Now again they're looking for compensation by being a "victim" of the same system that supported them for 20 years.

To answer your question, No I won't be offended.

So you would not be offended if you received that e-mail after your spouse of 42 years had just died? get real. There are more details on the herald website about his circumstances and why he had been on ACC for so long. Don't start throwing stones and making assumptions when you have pretty much none of the facts.

I am sure most of us know someone who is ripping off the system! it takes just one person to dob someone in and i am sure that will free up some cash for those who really need it. as far as i can see from the NZHerald article, My Johansen was only on ACC cause he couldnt do the physical work that was only able for a man that could stand however he did earn a reasonable living doing what he could from a wheelchair. Who would employ a man that is wheelchair bound and possibly needing time off from medical appointments etc etc.. i think Mr Johansen needs a medal for facing up to ACC and for actually trying to earn an honest days wage with what ability and tegrity he had left! My heart goes out for his wife who has lost her husband way too prematurely. lets get these 'bluggers' off the lists now so that there are no more people like Mr Johansen getting ill treatment due to others ripping off the system!!!!

How can this be offensive if it is the honest truth?

Kurt Johansen was my Father. I was with my Mother when she received this email shortly after attempting CPR to revive her dying husband. The "email" is only the tip of the ice berg and the stress ACC caused my father is unforgivable.