Perhaps, given the benefit of hindsight, I was a tad over-optimistic in regard to my recovery timeline. I realize now that people who undergo a total knee replacement are unlikely to be performing somersaults on the pool deck just a few days after the fact. Now, I really did not expect to be performing somersaults,…
A Post Written on Opioids
Editors Note: Bob is in the hospital following a planned surgical procedure. Being the trooper that he is, he insisted on posting despite the fog of painkillers. Frankly, we believe it is the most salient article he has provided in some time. _________________________________________________________ The fire raced down along the pickle juice. The cat may be brown,…
Transitioning to Better Communication
There is a webinar later today, being produced by The Transitions, that will be focused on “Reimagining the Communication Model” that we use in the workers’ compensation industry. I am pleased to be one of the speakers, along with Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, Greg Hamlin, and Todd Thams. It will be moderated by Dr. Claire Muselman. It…
Pictures and Video of Florida Kids’ Chance Awareness Month Proclamation
Earlier this week the Florida State Cabinet passed a resolution declaring March to be Kids’ Chance Awareness Month. Introduced by State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, it was designed to honor Kids’ Chance of Florida for their “outstanding work to ensure our Florida families have the ability to give their children an opportunity at a higher education…
Zoom Boom Gloom and Doom
According to a brief article that crossed the Cluttered Desk this morning, we as a nation are beginning to suffer “Zoom Fatigue.” Apparently, all this video conferencing is wearing us down and making us yearn for nappy time. I wonder if this work-based exhaustion would be compensable under workers’ compensation. We’re probably all too tired…
Going Gaga Over Lady's Dogs
You might have missed it last week, but the world ended. Don’t worry if that slipped your notice, everyone else missed it, too. They were instead all consumed with the violent abduction of Lady Gaga’s dogs. In case you were in a coma, two of Lady Gaga’s French Bulldogs, Koji and Gustav, were brazenly abducted…
Is All Quiet on The Workers' Comp Front? (aka, Can We Get Back to Normal Now?)
I was speaking to a friend the other day about general topics within the workers’ compensation industry. This person, who I find highly informed about comp activities across the nation, made a simple yet highly relevant statement. Their exact words elude me, but it was in essence that things just seem to be really quiet…
Getting Cheeky Over Buttock Spasms
There is nothing funny about buttock spasms. Nothing at all. So, why I am chortling? I really can’t tell you. I would suspect it is due to my deep understanding of the human psyche, juxtaposed with the irony of a unique malady that is rarely the topic of discussion within the workers’ compensation community. Or…
Was Virginia Workers' Comp Retaliation Bill a Bridge Too Far?
It is a common and sometimes justifiable concern for some employees around the nation. They worry that if they file a workers’ compensation claim they will be fired by their employer. In many jurisdictions, such retaliation by employers is prohibited by law. That is not to suggest that it never happens. It is just prohibited…
Is California’s Prop 22 a Blueprint for the Future?
Last November the residents of California told the state, by a fairly substantial margin, to keep their labor employment law mittens off of rideshare gig workers. Proposition 22, designed to “define app-based transportation (rideshare) and delivery drivers as independent contractors and adopt labor and wage policies specific to app-based drivers and companies,” passed with a…