Quote of the day
"Employers have worked very hard in the past 15 years to help make the workers' comp system solvent, and they did that by making surcharges and trying to increase their safety practices. At this point they deserve some sort of a premium (refund) for all of their hard work."
Lynn Birleffi of the Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant Association
Cowboy State Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Workers’ Comp
At a hearing of the state’s Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee, Wyoming lawmakers scrutinize whether workers’ compensation benefits are fair with respect to the program’s solvency in the future. By Dustin Bleizeffer, Casper Star-Tribune
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Commentary: Presumptive Legislation a Cause for Alarm
Well-intended state laws that seek to ensure that workers’ compensation programs cover firefighters for, in some cases, numerous medical conditions that could be contracted as a result of their work, without having to provide convincing evidence that they are eligible for the benefits are misguided. Business Insurance
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In Wake of Latest Tragedy, New York to Hire 20 Safety Engineers
In response to last week’s crane tragedy in New York City—the second such deadly incident since March—the city temporarily suspends all crane construction and plans to spend about $4 million on 20 new safety engineers to monitor hundreds of construction sites. But New York Gov. David A. Paterson promises a state investigation of the recent spate of deadly construction incidents in the booming city, sparking an angry response by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. By Henry Goldman, Bloomberg
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Commentary: County’s Tobacco-Free Hiring Policy the Right Call
Facing reduced productivity and higher insurance costs from people who smoke, many employers are deciding not to hire tobacco users. A county administrator argues that Florida’s Sarasota County, which also must contain these costs, has adopted a tobacco-free hiring policy that will promote a healthier work force and maintain responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Herald Tribune
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Aussie Study Links Job Stress, Depression
Work demands are to blame for more than 21,000 annual cases of depression in the Australian state of Victoria, according to a new Melbourne University study that found 17% of working women and 13% of working men suffering depression could attribute their condition to job stress, defined as a combination of high job demands and little control over how the job gets done. By Orietta Guerrera, the Age
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‘Massive Financial Discrepancy’ in PNG’s Workers Comp System
Papua New Guinea’s leading weekly newspaper reveals that tens of thousands of dollars from the Office of Workers’ Compensation are believed to have been stolen by or misappropriated by staff over a 10-year period. The departmental investigation has uncovered an “organized seven member gang” of senior and middle management staff being responsible for “pushing” bogus payment claims. By Tereni Kens, Pacific Magazine
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