Iowa considers the reshuffling role of governance
- Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is considering a reorganization plan that would make certain officials “serve at the pleasure of the governor.”
- Under the proposal, the workers’ compensation commissioner would answer directly to the governor.
- However, many residents should want the commissioner to be shielded from political influence, according to The Gazette in Cedar Rapids.
- Under current law, the commissioner serves a six-year term, unless some malfeasance is discovered, but that could change under the proposal.
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Workers’ Comp Group Supplies Grant
- The MEMIC Group, a Portland, Maine-based specialist in workers’ compensation insurance, awarded a research grant to Illinois State University.
- The $30,000 award will help the research team investigate whether wearable sensors can maximize performance and minimize injuries in U.S. workplaces.
- The research will focus on the occupational activities of workers in warehouses.
- It will focus on whether wearable technologies that track functional movements can provide continuous physiological data to mitigate or alleviate injuries.
Transportation companies battling benefits
- App-based platform drivers, such as Uber and Lyft, have been able to classify their drivers as self-employed “independent contractors.”
- These firms have also lobbied to redefine employment and avoid costs for workers’ compensation, paid sick leave, and other benefits.
- Nearly all drivers (86%) depend on their gig earnings to pay for basic expenses like food and utilities, according to research.
- Discussions are expected to continue over how to define these drivers and their potential benefits.
Hotel worker files lawsuit
- A worker at Maui’s Grand Wailea filed a lawsuit, alleging owners of the hotel giant misclassified workers to avoid paying benefits, including workers’ comp.
- The complaint alleged the employer illegally avoided federal income tax contributions toward workers’ Social Security while avoiding mandatory coverage.
- The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
- Grand Wailea is a Waldorf Astoria resort and part of a brand of Hilton hotels with U.S. and international locations.