Superstitions and Workers' Compensation Myths Uncovered

Ever wondered if walking under a ladder truly invites bad luck or if holding your breath while passing a graveyard can keep ghosts at bay? Discover the captivating origins of these Halloween superstitions and more, as we unravel the tales and traditions that haunt our everyday lives.

We're bringing an interactive twist to our exploration by challenging you to separate myths from realities in the world of workers' compensation. Play along and test your knowledge on topics like the roles of employers in claims and the rights of independent contractors. Participate in our myth-busting quiz for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card! 

Click the link to take the survey>>

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Perspective.
Perspective is spelledP-E-R-S-P-E-C-T-I-V-E.
Perspective the 30,000 footview.
Perspective put on someoneelse's shoes.
Perspective can also refer tothe state of existing in space

(00:20):
or one's view of the world.
Perspective R-E-A audio.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Reemployability.
Have you ever stopped yourselffrom walking under a ladder or
held your breath while drivingpast a graveyard?
With this being Halloween, wethought it would be fun to talk
about superstitions and mythsboth around Halloween and
workers' comp.
And we're going to trysomething a little new.
We're going to make itinteractive so we can see how
well you know the myths versusreality of certain aspects in

(00:49):
the workers' comp industry.
More on that in a few minutes.
So do you know where thesuperstition of not walking
under a ladder came from?
Well, according tomidlandladderscom and they
should know it's thought to bebased on the ancient Egyptian
practice of leaving ladders intombs so that the dead could
ascend upwards if they wanted.
Egyptians believed that thetriangular space between the

(01:12):
ladder, the floor and the wallwas filled with good and evil
spirits and they shouldn't bedisturbed.
It was therefore forbidden towalk underneath a leaning ladder
for fear of disturbing thespirits and incurring their
wrath.
Now, in the Middle Ages, it wasconsidered bad luck to walk
under a ladder as it broke theChristian triangle of the Holy
Trinity, inviting the devil intoyour life, and then, later on,

(01:36):
the triangle shape wasassociated with the gallows,
where walking under a ladder wassaid to be inviting your own
death.
So what happens if you'rewalking along, scrolling through
social media on your phone andsuddenly find you've been cursed
by walking under a ladder?
Well, you can do a couplethings, including walking
backwards under that ladder andcrossing your fingers until you

(01:58):
see a dog.
How about holding your breathwhile passing a graveyard?
Now, personally, I didn't dothis one as a kid, but my kids
do it religiously whenever we'redriving in the car.
This explanation comes frommemorialplanningcom.
According to legend, if youhold your breath while passing a
cemetery, the spirits of thedeceased cannot enter your body.

(02:21):
Additionally, some peoplebelieve that it's to avoid
making the ghosts jealous, youknow, because they can't breathe
and you can.
But whatever the reason thewebsite gives this warning,
holding your breath whiledriving past a cemetery can be
somewhat dangerous.
There are large cemeteries inAmerica and trying to hold your

(02:41):
breath as you pass a lengthy andtrying to hold your breath as
you pass a lengthy, mile-longgraveyard can result in
disorientation, which is never agood thing while driving.
Well, thank you for the warning, memorialplanningcom.
So let's talk, work, comp.
Here's where we want to getinteractive with you.
Now I'm going to give somescenarios or examples of

(03:01):
circumstances within theworkers' compensation world and
ask you to determine if it's amyth or reality.
But wait, there's more.
You could win a Starbucks giftcard just by participating.
Click on the link in the shownotes to take you to a Google
survey.
Answer myth or reality for eachquestion and I'll read those
questions to you in just a fewseconds and then you'll be in

(03:23):
the drawing.
It doesn't matter if you'reright or wrong, just participate
.
So here we go.
These are the questions.
Number one myth or realityEmployers play a big role in a
workers' compensation claim.
Myth or reality.
Number two Independentcontractors cannot file a
workers' comp claim.

(03:44):
Myth or reality.
Number three If the accidentwas the fault of the employee,
they cannot get workers'compensation.
Myth or reality.
Number four Many healthinsurers exempt workplace
injuries and can refuse to coveryour treatment, so workers'
compensation is the onlycoverage most people can have.

(04:05):
And the fifth and final myth orreality a work comp claim can
be denied if an employee filedtheir claim after leaving their
job.
Remember, just click on thelink in the show notes to go to
the Google survey.
We'll post the answers nextweek on our REA audio website,
listentoreacom.

(04:27):
Good luck and if you have anyquestions, you can email me Todd
at reemployabilitycom.
Happy Halloween everybody.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Halloween can be traced back to a 2,000-year-old
Celtic festival called Samhain,which means summer's end in
Gaelic.
In what is now Ireland, theUnited Kingdom and northern
France, the Celts would dress indisguises to ward off ghosts
and would beg door to door forfood.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Thanks for listening to REA Audio.
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We appreciate you.
Have a great rest of your week.