Quote of the day
"I am proud of our collective progress."
Timothy C. Adams, Ohio Industrial Commission of Ohio director of non-adjudicatory operations, after being fired from the troubled agency that handles workers' compensation appeals; Adams supervised employees who were accused of creating problems
Keystone State Lawmakers Move to Criminalize Misclassification
A Pennsylvania bill that would make it a third-degree felony to intentionally misclassify employees as independent contractors passes the state House. The legislation would establish a presumption that workers in construction or trucking are employees and force employers to prove otherwise to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Philadelphia Business Journal
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Ohio Industrial Commission Fires Second-in-Command
The Industrial Commission of Ohio, which handles appeals of Bureau of Workers’ Compensation cases, fires its director of non-adjudicatory operations, as the commission attempts to recover from two reports that accuse its managers of abusive practices. By James Nash, Columbus Dispatch
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TDI Workers’ Comp Director to Step Down
Albert Betts, Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation for the Texas Department of Insurance, will retire at the end of August. By Greg Barr, Houston Business Journal
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Editorial: What Are the Odds?
Four workers’ comp claims in a person’s career is a pattern. Maybe it’s just coincidence, or maybe the mayor of Cahokia, Ill., is just accident-prone and needs someone with a pillow walking behind him. Belleville News-Democrat
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Windy City Storms May Spawn Rip-Off Artists
In the wake of the Chicago area’s recent storms, homeowners and business owners need to be alert for disreputable builders offering to fix damaged buildings. Because workers’ compensation insurance rates for roofers are sky high, some contractors may try to pass themselves off as having the coverage when they don’t, says one insurer. By Mike Nolan, Southtown Star
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Firm in Cape Town Collapse a Scofflaw, Authorities Say
A contractor that had been renovating an old industrial building near Cape Town, South Africa, when a slab collapsed, killing four workers, “grossly” violated occupational health and safety regulations, according to the country’s labor department. Authorities contend the firm never contributed to a workers’ compensation fund, which means the families of those killed and injured will not be able to collect. By Karen Breytenbach, International Online
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Province to Cover More Workers; Some Farm Groups Object
Manitoba is extending coverage to more workers as part of the Workers’ Compensation Board’s three-year plan to modernize employee protection, but not everyone is happy with that. Those opposed to expanding coverage include groups representing hog producers, bank workers, accountants, insurers and computer and software industry workers.
Go to the full story by Bruce Owen, Winnipeg Free Press
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