Washington attorney general takes Hanford workers’ comp law to Supreme Court
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson appeared in the Supreme Court yesterday to defend state protections for employees at the Hanford nuclear site, a decommissioned nuclear production complex along the Columbia River. The protections were passed by the Washington State Legislature in 2018 with strong bipartisan support, and designed to make it easier for the employees to access medical benefits. Patch
Vermont settles with insurer over handling of first responder PTSD claims
The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation on Monday announced its agreement with Acadia Insurance Company, under which the company will pay an administrative penalty of $85,000 and contribute $15,000 to the Vermont Financial Services Education and Victim Restitution Special Fund. The settlement relates to the alleged improper handling of Vermont workers’ compensation claims, including those filed by first responders for post-traumatic stress disorder, by Acadia’s third-party administrator. VermontBiz
Wisconsin manufacturers reportedly poaching labor from Illinois
A labor shortage in the manufacturing industry is spurring Wisconsin manufacturers to entice Illinois employees away from their state. Before COVID-19, the industry had 437,000 open jobs whereas today there are roughly 850,000 unfilled positions, according to the president of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Center Square
Canada: Saskatchewan workplace injuries up slightly in 2021
The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board reports a slight increase to the provincial injury rate in 2021, according to its annual report. Despite the injury rate increase, workplace incidents resulting in death fell to 31 in 2021, as opposed to 34 in 2020. CTV