An advice column appearing in the Chicago Tribune two weeks ago highlights just one of the many challenges that an injured worker may face during an extended recovery. While the discussion did not have anything to do with his original injury, it was definitely related to the social support structure that is so important for a recovering…
Krauthammer – A Life Lived Abled
Conservative columnist and icon Charles Krauthammer passed away last week after a lengthy fight with cancer. To many people such as myself, Krauthammer was a brilliant observer of the otherwise obvious, with a special skill at analyzing life and disseminating it in a clear and entertaining manner. For many of us, his death will be…
Sex and Seafood in the Workplace
Well, it’s Friday, and time to shrug off the consistently negative news in exchange for a little lighter fare. And when it comes to a little useless information, I’m sure you’ll agree there is no place better than my blog. Especially, as is so often the case, when we find two ridiculous studies that merge…
Saliva Stress Test Can Identify Those Workplace Burnouts
Scientists announced this week that a simple saliva test can quickly show if you are overly stressed on the job and at risk of burnout. They say measuring levels of “the anti-stress hormone cortisol at different times of the day more accurately reveals stress levels than more complicated measures, including blood tests.” The study indicated,…
Getting Schooled on Texas Subrogation
I wrote a post last week entitled, “For Texas Subrogation, the Devil is in the (Policy) Details.” It concerned a Texas Supreme Court Decision where an insurance carrier had attempted to collect from an injured workers’ third-party liability suit despite the existence of a waiver of subrogation in the policy issued to their insured. The…
Thanks, Dad.
Last week I saw a message on Twitter sent by a friend. She was re-tweeting a meme acknowledging the June 6th anniversary of D-Day. She had added with her tweet, “God bless them for their courage and sacrifice.” I re-tweeted her message with the simple comment, “Thanks Dad!” Given the historical significance of that fateful…
When the Law of Unintended Consequences Screws Good Samaritans
I hear employers complain about having to carry workers’ comp all the time. Many of them do not understand the protections that workers’ compensation coverage can provide, and instead simply view it as a “pain in the ass” mandatory expense that they must endure. They really should educate themselves as to what comp can do…
For Texas Subrogation, the Devil is in the (Policy) Details
An interesting decision has emerged from the Texas Supreme Court, and I predict there will be a whole lot of workers’ comp insurance policy revision going on in the Lone Star State as a result. The court ruled Friday that a workers’ compensation insurer was not entitled to claim settlement proceeds from an injured worker…
South Carolina Slavery Case Tells Us Attitudes Still Need to Change
I was sickened last week when I read an article written by our own Liz Carey, telling us about a restaurant manager in South Carolina who pled guilty to enslaving and abusing a mentally challenged employee. While I am certain that everyone who read that story was repulsed by what they learned, for me it…
I Hope They Didn't Spank The Monkey
You’d think the damn ICD-10 billing codes would be able to accommodate this, but no. With a bazillion different codes for every possible injury, illness or malady, you would hope someone somewhere would have seen this coming. But they didn’t. There is not a single, solitary ICD-10 code for Monkey Bite in a Home Depot.…