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A California Court of Appeal has ruled that a mechanic whose face was disfigured in a workplace explosion can have cosmetic surgery covered by workers’ compensation. The mechanic suffered severe burns when a welding torch ignited a fireball inside the fiber glass tank he was dismantling. The state Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board had determined that […]
A quick update on the case involving the state of Vermont’s demand for claims data from Liberty Mutual’s group health plan — the state agreed to drop its immediate demand for this information, pending the ultimate outcome of the lawsuit. The state’s health and insurance agency had issued a subpoena for this data, and Liberty […]
The California Assembly has voted in favor of a landmark health care reform measure—A.B. x1 1, the Health Care Security and Cost Reduction Act—which is backed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. If approved there and signed by the governor, the bill would then go to voters in November […]
Seasonal workers who are hurt on the job are not entitled to 12 months of continuous modified or alternative work as a replacement for vocational rehabilitation benefits, a California Court of Appeal has ruled. The case involved Jennifer Henry, a ski instructor at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. After she injured her back, Henry requested vocational […]
Newly enacted legislation, A.B. 2837, boosts penalties and fines for certain workplace safety violations, revamps Cal/OSHA’s investigation and reporting procedures and requires the agency to provide bilingual services. Here’s a summary of what to expect when the law takes effect Jan. 1, 2003.
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady BLR founder and CEO Bob Brady’s epinion in last Friday’s Advisor generated a flood of responses. A surprising number of readers jumped at the chance to put their interviewing chops to work, questioning the presidential candidates. In last Friday’s e-pinion, I suggested that if we took a standard […]
A psychiatrist suffering from attention deficit disorder has won $902,000 after suing his employer under state anti-discrimination laws for failing to accommodate his own psychological problems. Stanley Swenson Jr. worked at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for 15 years. He claimed his condition made it difficult for him to keep up with patient charts and […]
A majority of Americans agree that lifestyle choices such as smoking and exercising directly affect the cost of their health care, yet 44 percent do not think they should have to pay for health care. What gives? A recent survey revealed that employees do see a connection between their behavior and their health, and they […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a new ruling that limits the right of whistleblowers to recover a slice of the damages paid by government contractors whose violations are exposed. Engineer James Stone filed a lawsuit under the Federal False Claims Act (FCA), charging Boeing Co. made false statements regarding safety and environmental issues at […]
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has released revised rules under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), implementing changes to the nondiscrimination and affirmative action requirements of federal contractors and subcontractors. The revisions were required by the 2002 Jobs for Veterans Act, which, among other […]