Quote of the day
“The lack of [COVID-19] testing has created issues and, in some cases, delays. “We’ve had six tested that I know of so far.”
Joe Baer, president, Kentucky Professional Firefighters Association
Colorado: Pinnacol to pay out $70M in dividends to customers
Nearly 5,000 El Paso County employers will receive about $5.9 million in dividends from Denver-based workers’ compensation insurer Pinnacol Assurance which last week announced it paid $70 million to more than 50,000 policyholders, about 95 percent of its customers. Colorado Springs Gazette
Medical cannabis covered by New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Act
A New Jersey court earlier this year ruled that an employer was required to reimburse an employee for the cost of medical marijuana treatments as a result of a work-related injury. This “avant-garde” decision, which permits a workers’ comp judge to award such expenses to a person duly qualified by a doctor, to receive marijuana to treat work-related injuries, will be a jumping off point for further development of this timely issue, argues Louis Locascio, attorney and former judge. New Jersey Law Journal
Officials warn of coronavirus scams
As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in the US, the number of coronavirus-related scams is also rising, officials say. They include fake emails from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, counterfeit treatments, phishing emails and online ads for products that never get delivered. KSL (Salt Lake City)
Kentucky fire departments struggle to get COVID-19 tests, workers’ compensation
Kentucky firefighters say they are having a difficult time getting COVID-19 tests and workers’ compensation for missed days while self-quarantining or waiting for test results. First responders are worried that if firefighters can’t get tested soon after exposure, coronavirus could spread easily throughout a department, decreasing the number of ambulance staff available to treat patients during the pandemic. EMS1
Instacart workers slam pandemic working conditions
The coronavirus outbreak has pushed many consumers to begin relying on companies like Instacart, which hires people to shop for and delivery groceries. Those workers have expressed concern that they are putting themselves at risk of catching the coronavirus. For years, labor activists have argued Instacart shoppers are misclassified as independent contractors, which denies them access to health benefits, workers’ compensation, sick pay and other benefits typically granted full-time employees. NBC News