Quote of the day
"It's a cost you have to think about every time you want to hire someone. ... From everything I've heard, this sounds like a pretty good bill."
Michael Dougherty, a Wilmington, Del., businessman, regarding a workers' comp reform bill that just passed the Delaware Senate
Go to the full story in the News Journal (Wilmington, Del.)
Monterey Contractor Charged with Failing to Cover Workers
Herman L. Johnson, 64, a longtime Monterey County construction contractor faces charges that he has failed to cover his employees with workers’ compensation insurance, according to the California Department of Insurance. The agency estimates that 30 percent of the state’s 800,000 employers don’t have workers’ comp insurance. Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
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IRS Charges Accountant in Florida Construction Corruption Probe
An accountant who has played a central role in a seven-year probe of corruption in northeast Florida’s construction industry faces charges of setting up sham subcontracting businesses to help framing contractors avoid payroll taxes on undocumented workers. The IRS says he also helped contractors buy false workers’ compensation policies. By Paul Pinkham, Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville)
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Comp Overhaul Bill Passes Delaware Senate
Delaware Senate Bill 1, which would overhaul the state’s expensive workers’ compensation system, passes unanimously, setting up a House Committee hearing and a possible House vote today. Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn estimates businesses could save up to $43 million as a result of the bill. By Patrick Johnson, News Journal (Wilmington, Del.)
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Fairness Concerns over Disability Settlements and Workers’ Comp
People who receive higher disability ratings for work-related back injuries do not necessarily fare worse over the long term than those who get lower ratings, according to a Saint Louis University study. The new research is among the first to examine the relationship between workers’ compensation settlements for back pain and long-term functional outcomes. eMaxHealth
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One-Third of Cancelled Mountain State Employers Get Reinstated
Thirty-six percent of the West Virginia employers who had workers’ compensation insurance policies canceled on Jan. 1 for nonpayment of policy premiums to BrickStreet Mutual have been reinstated or had their policy issues resolved, state insurance officials report.
Go to the full story by George Hohmann, Charleston Gazette
Go to the full story by Jessica Legge, Times West Virginian (Fairmont, W.V.)
Ohio Attorney General Will Not Appeal Workers’ Comp Decision
New Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann and frequent critic of the state Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s business practices says an Ohio court last month ruled properly in a case against the agency that may lead to increased injury benefits for workers hurt on jobs they obtained through welfare. By John O’Brien, Legal Newsline
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Stress Costs English School District 22 Years of Sick Leave in One Year
Teachers based at schools in East Sussex and Brighton, England spent more than 8,000 days off school in the last academic year due to stress, anxiety or depression. Some teachers blame aggressive students for their maladies; and teaching is said to be one of the most stressful jobs in Europe. Hastings Today
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