"It has long been accepted in this country that when a worker is injured on the job, his employer should bear some or all of the expense resulting from that injury. The largest single employer in the country. the Federal Government, meets this obligation through the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) administered by the Office of Workers Compensation Programs of the Department of Labor. Federal workers are protected not only against injuries sustained on the job, but also against occupational illnesses contracted as a result of exposures in the workplace. During the subcommittee's investigation of safety in the Federal workplace, we were told of problems with the compensation program for Federal workers. In installation after installation, management officials, doctors, and safety officers expressed their concern that the 1974 amendments to this act had led to an increase in the claims made for compensation. In their view, the changes made in 1974 made it possible for some workers to abuse the compensation program. Notable among these were the provisions authorizing the worker to select the physician of his choice and the deletion of the requirement that the worker use 3 days of sick leave before going on compensation"--Page 1.