Employers have a new weapon in the war against workers who fake illnesses and injuries to collect benefits. But do you think this company applied it properly?
Nathalie Blanchard, 29, was on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for a year and a half after being diagnosed with depression. Now she’s fighting to get her benefits reinstated after her employer’s insurance company, Manulife, cut them after conducting an investigation using Facebook.
What happened?
The insurance company spotted several pictures Blanchard had posted on Facebook of her having fun at a Chippendale’s bar show, at her birthday party and on the beach — all taken while she was out on leave. The company said that was evidence she was no longer depressed.
Blanchard said she was acting on her doctor’s advice to try and have fun by going out with friends and taking a short getaway. She said she even notified the insurance company that she’d be taking a trip.
But it didn’t matter. The insurance company deemed she was fit to return to work and cut her benefits.
Was the company right to cut Blanchard’s benefits? Let us know what you think in the Comments Box below.
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