More difficult to obtain workers’ comp
- Employers are now paying the lowest rates for workers’ comp than at any time since the 1970s, according to an investigation by NPR and ProPublica.
- Thirty-three out of 50 states have passed laws that reduce benefits, create hurdles to getting medical care, or make it more difficult to qualify for workers’ comp.
- Workers are stuck in a broken worker’s compensation system that fails miserably to deliver the medical and financial support workers desperately need, said Peter Dooley, a certified industrial hygienist (CIH) who is a program and technical support specialist at National COSH.
- The National Safety Council estimates the true cost to employers of workplace injuries and fatalities at $167 billion a year.
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Tis the Season: workers’ Comp and seasonal workers
- Major retailers have already started their seasonal hiring spree and these new individuals are entitled to the same workers’ comp benefits.
- Seasonal workers are not required to fulfill a specific length of employment to qualify for workers’ comp benefits.
- By reducing the threat of injuries, employees can minimize costly workers’ compensation claims, prevent OSHA violations, and avoid interruptions.
- Insurers want to help you minimize risk throughout your greenhouse.
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Workers’ comp claims for nurses rise in Minnesota
- Workers’ comp claims for nurses in Minnesota increased from 187 in 2018 to 236 in 2021 among hospital staffers who suffered disabling injuries from assaults, according to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
- Nurses filed 82 claims in 2021, but security officers saw the biggest increase over four years from 33 to 77 claims.
- In 2020, about 280 attacks injured hospital staff in Minnesota and forced them to miss work, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That triples the 90 assault-related injuries in 2019.
- Patients with mental and substance abuse disorders are exceeding inpatient treatment capacity and growing agitated instead in emergency departments and spillover units.
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Wisconsin wants more accurate classification for workers
- The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is unveiling a large-scale campaign to raise awareness about worker misclassification.
- Some of these workers might not be covered under workers’ compensation insurance, according to Romona L. Natera, DWD’s Equal Rights Division administrator.
- The most common areas for this misclassification occur in the construction, nail salon, and trucking industries.
- Worker misclassification also harms competition among employers because companies that use independent contractors don’t have to worry about paying for certain benefits or payroll taxes.
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