My company deals with a massive amount of workers’ compensation information. Between news, statutes, regulations, forms, court decisions, legislative and rule changes, there is plenty to keep us busy. Many people are not aware of it, but between our (shameless plug) online claims compliance and research library, our forms auto-population and management systems, our Virtual…
Bowling for Workers' Comp Dollars
Quite often here in the Cluttered Desk we relay stories of abject stupidity, either for an action that caused a needless injury, a legislative effort that makes no sense, or a court decision that boggles the mind. Today, however, our story includes none of that. It simply discusses an injury and subsequent court decision that…
Reflections of an Outgoing Kids' Chance President
Kids’ Chance of Florida, Inc., the scholarship organization dedicated to helping children of seriously injured workers, held its quarterly board meeting in Tampa last week. It was a meeting filled with what you might expect at such an event; discussions about finances, strategy and policy dominated the day. It was not, however, without its fair…
It Has Never Been This Bad – Or Has It?
I had the great honor of providing the Keynote speech last summer at the Kids’ Chance of New Jersey Annual Gala. In that presentation I attempted to draw a positive picture of the work done by the organization as well as for the future of the scholarship recipients present at the event. I believe that…
The Taxman Cometh for (and Killeth?) the Gig Economy
An interesting tax battle underway in New Jersey, highlighted by Toni Sutton-Deangelico on this site yesterday, has the potential to completely upend the still nascent Gig economy. And it appears to be happening without what many would consider due process for the targeted company. The Gig economy, powered with brash new technologies and most often represented…
Big Daddy's Money Can Buy You Happiness at the Walmart
It should have been one of the happiest days of their lives. It is a true American love story. A North Carolina woman and her boyfriend buy rings and become engaged. They even have professional photos to commemorate the event. Of course, the engagement occurred in a Walmart, and the photos they have are technically…
The Best Way to Reduce Delays is Not to Have Them
A report issued by the Florida Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims shows that this year, for the first time in recent memory, the workers’ compensation judges in the state met the time standards that are legislatively established for their work. Judge David Langham, in a blog article entitled Historic OJCC Stats 2019, explains in…
McDonald's Employee Lawsuit Says So Much More About Our World
A group of McDonald’s employees in Chicago has filed a lawsuit against their employer, alleging that the company has failed to protect them from a pattern of violence. The workers claim in the suit that they “face the threat of physical violence every day” and that “the company needs to do a better job of…
Order to Rehire Workplace Defecator Sets Crappy Precedent
A federal judge has upheld a decision ordering the Union Pacific Railroad to rehire an engineer who defecated on the exterior platform of a train, threw soiled tissues out a window, and made obscene gestures at security cameras. Seems reasonable. At least they won’t schedule him in the dining car. I mean, it’s not like…
Is NASI Study Showing Reduced Injured Worker Benefits Seriously Flawed? Another View.
Editor’s Note: This guest column is written by Les Boden, Professor, Boston University School of Public Health and Chair, Study Panel on Workers’ Compensation Data. It is in response to a blog post that appeared in this area last week. This year marks the 22nd annual Report on workers’ compensation benefits, costs, and coverage published…