Workscape Institute

I hurt my back a number of years ago.  It actually happened when I was leaning into my car to pick up a towel of all things.  Not something I wanted to brag about around the office.  But the funny thing is that having gotten hurt I had to start being careful about how I moved, and had to consciously make smart decisions such as lifting with my legs and not my back, etc. So, while I was hurt, I was also acting smarter.  I did the right things and I got better.  Then I hurt my back again leaning over a chair to pick up one of my 3-year-old’s toys.

Follow up:

That’s what burns me.  I knew what not to do, and I did it anyway and paid the price of walking around like an 80 year old for the next week and seeing my chiropractor for five straight days.

I was thinking that my experience was similar to the way people are paying attention to compensation practices today.  As a market, nation and world we’re hurt and are changing what we’re doing to be more careful.  We know that the government is acting as the equivalent of our spouse saying things like, “watch what you’re doing or you’re going to get in trouble again and I won’t let you forget it.”  So hopefully we are doing the right things now and making smart pay decisions, and making sure that our decisions are right and defensible.  But the important thing that we have to remember is that after the economy gets better, we need to continue with these carefully determined practices and not fall into our old bad habits.

So, when you’re thinking about compensation decisions… remember to lift with your legs.