News Digest 3-24-2020

Quote of the day

“This decision will leave $200 million in the economy through the deferral of those payments.”

Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted

Nbc4i (Columbus)

 

Ohio businesses can defer payments to BWC

Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced Saturday that businesses in the state can defer their payments to the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation until June. As of Saturday, there are three deaths and 247 total cases in Ohio. Nbc4i (Columbus)

 

FBI reports rise in fraud, scams related to coronavirus pandemic in Oregon

Around a week after Oregon’s attorney general issued a consumer alert warning about scams and price gouging, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI also are warning Oregonians of a rise in fraud leveraging the coronavirus epidemic, including fake emails from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claiming to offer information on the virus. Register-Guard (Eugene, Ore.)

 

Why workers’ comp may not provide relief for Pennsylvanians sickened by the coronavirus

As state health officials warn of exponential increases in the number of confirmed cases across Pennsylvania, there is growing anxiety among first responders, nurses, doctors, cleaning staff, cashiers, and truck drivers who are part of the essential economy. The state Department of Labor and Industry assured employees last week that those who contract the coronavirus on the job might be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. But legal and public health experts say that help may be very hard to obtain. Daily Item

 

Hanford cleanup crews were given leaky respirators at contaminated jobsite

An estimated 560 cleanup employees between 2012 and October 2016 at the Hanford nuclear site, the nation’s most contaminated, wore respirator gear that may have leaked, documents show. A federal compensation program has approved 20,740 claims from 11,829 Hanford employees. Over the past two decades, the program has paid out more than $1.3 billion to them, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Seattle Times

 

Seven workplace injuries that can put you out of business

A successful personal-injury lawsuit due can be costly, and in some cases, cost you your business. So, when can your employee sue you for injuries on the job? Entrepreneur