They say that money can’t buy happiness. That may be true, but a New Jersey University has figured out a way to put a price tag on it. Centenary University has announced it will now offer a “Master of Arts in Happiness Studies.” And it will only set students back a cool $17,700 to earn…
The Incredibly Lonely Journey
At the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, concluded yesterday in Colorado Springs, David “Corey” Staver presented the session “The Lonely Journey and Back Again.” Staver is an Accessibility Specialist and CEO of The David Corey Company, providing home modification services for the accommodation of people with impairment. He was the winner of a recent “CompTalks”…
What Is the True Cost of a Crappy Pallet?
Sometimes companies fail to assess the true cost of the equipment and supplies provided to employees. They look at price per unit, or some other measure of direct cost, but often fail to account for or anticipate ancillary expenses associated with an item. And the true cost may be much more than they often think.…
Colorado's Unique Regulators Roundtable
The Colorado Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference returns to an in-person venue next week, after a two-year pandemic driven hiatus. It is produced by the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation, headed by Director Paul Tauriello. The event, held at the venerable Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, draws hundreds of attendees from a variety of mostly western states. Every…
At SAIF, “Rules For Thee But Not For Me” May Be Baked Into The Recipe
It’s been quite some time since we wrote about SAIF Corporation, Oregon’s quasi-public state-owned workers’ compensation insurance company. Long time readers will recall we dedicated an article or two (or fifty-six) on the John Plotkin affair. In 2014, Plotkin, a newly installed CEO whose new and open policies were not apparently appreciated by the old…
The Workers' Compensation Malclassification Duck Walk
I did not create the word “malclassification.” It is a word used by the University of Wyoming Law Professor Michael Duff, during the recent ABA Mid-Winter Workers’ Compensation Conference in New Orleans. He was discussing the challenges of adequately providing worker protection in the gig economy, as well as other independent contractor scenarios. He discussed…
Playing the Workers' Comp Waiting Game Amid the Cost of "No"
I moderated a panel at the American Bar Association Mid-Winter Conference in New Orleans this past week. Our topic was concerning delays in treatment of compensable claims, with a look at the causes and consequences regarding both expense and outcomes for the industry. The panelists were Florida Judge David Langham, Defense Attorney Mike Fish of…
When the Wheels Come Off the Webinar Bus
There was a Hot Seat Webinar scheduled to take place yesterday. It didn’t happen. Except it did. It’s just no one saw it. At least not yet. Perhaps, as usual, I should start at the beginning. Our Hot Seat Webinar, Simple Concepts For the Complex Workers’ Compensation World, was scheduled to run at 1:00 PM…
Death by Automation
While people have been fussing and fretting about the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its almost certain and inevitable destruction of life on this earth, a new study just released shows that automation in the workplace has already been killing us. Turns out we’ve been worrying about AI for nothing. By the time Artificial Intelligence is…
How Rebuttable is a Presumption in Workers' Compensation?
Minnesota earlier this month passed legislation extending Covid workers’ compensation coverages for certain frontline workers in the state. Governor Tim Walz signed House File (H.F.) 1203, extending the presumption for workers who contract COVID-19 at work. The prior law that provided these presumptions expired on December 31, 2021. The law applies to first responders, emergency…