New York AG: Governor undercounted COVID-19 nursing home deaths
New York State undercounted COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50 percent, according to a report from the state attorney general, who says investigators found data suggesting many nursing home residents died after being transferred to the hospital. Facilities with poor pre-pandemic staffing ratings also had higher fatality rates from COVID-19. Washington Times
Montana bill would increase workers’ comp payments after death
Families of Montana employees who die on the job could receive more money under a new bill backed by trade unions in a legislative committee hearing Wednesday. Currently, the estates of people killed at work are entitled to up to $4,000 from workers’ compensation; the bill would allow up to $10,000. A spokesman for the Montana Funeral Directors Association said the average cost of a burial is around $11,000. Sidney Herald
Canada: Yukon WCB to send $7.7M in rebates to employers
The Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board is issuing $7.7 million USD in rebates to employers this month. The board’s compensation fund was at a 141 percent surplus at the end of 2020, allowing some money to be returned to employers. Yukon News
Connecticut corrections officer charged with workers’ comp fraud
A 49-year-old West Hartford, Connecticut man has been charged with collecting workers’ compensation while being employed as a state corrections officer. Authorities say during that period of time, he was managing and was owner of a restaurant in Massachusetts. Patch
Migrant farmworker wins increased COVID-19 protections for following lawsuit
In a case in which a migrant agricultural worker in El Paso, Texas sued her employer for failing to take health and safety precautions during the pandemic, a federal district court judge recently ruled the employer must enhance its COVID-19 precautions for employees in a variety of ways. Whistleblower Network News