Minnesota governor signs bills extending workers’ comp presumption for COVID-19
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Friday signed into law a proposal that would extend a presumption that health care and public safety employees contracted COVID-19 on the job, making it easier for them to collect workers’ compensation. The policy is set to take effect February 5, and will impact police, firemen, first responders and nurses that contract the illness. Echo Press
Idaho bill would add COVID injuries to workers compensation
An Idaho House bill was presented last week in front of the House Commerce & Human Resources Committee in the hopes to incorporate COVID-19 vaccination-related accidents and injuries to the legislation. The bill applies to employees required to get the COVID-19 vaccine by their employer, and who later suffer from an adverse reaction or injury. It includes Idahoans who wanted the vaccine and those who got it in order to keep their job. Bonner County Daily Bee (Sandpoint, Idaho)
Seven judges of the Supreme Court of Illinois ruled Thursday that claims against employers for statutory damages under the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) were not barred by the exclusivity provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act. This opinion paves the way for privacy litigation against employers in the state. Jurist
How to avoid workers’ compensation claims from weather-related slips and falls
Every year a significant number of weather-related slip and fall injuries occur among employees in parking lots and other exterior areas, and, in general, many large businesses have at least one serious injury per year as a result. The situation becomes even more complicated when an employee sustains an injury in a parking lot or exterior area that is not owned or controlled by the employer. How can employers identify and reduce weather-related parking lot injuries at places of employment? JD Supra