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News Notes: Workers’ Comp Release Bars Harassment Suit

Renae Kohler filed a workers’ comp claim and a harassment lawsuit against her employer, Interstate Brands, based on alleged physical and verbal harassment by her supervisor. Kohler later signed a workers’ comp compromise and release agreement for a $4,000 settlement, which released the employer from “all claims and causes of action” arising from the injury. […]

PPACA Foe Proposes Repeal and Replacement with Market-driven Tools

Critics say health reform is part of a disturbing trend of the government displacing free markets, and they note that it looks unlikely to curtail spiraling health costs. Well, now Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) – a freshman House member – has introduced a bill that would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) […]

News Notes: New Ergonomic Guidelines Available For Comment

OSHA has developed the first draft set of industry-specific ergonomic guidelines—Guidelines for Nursing Homes—as part of its comprehensive plan to reduce workplace ergonomic injuries. The guidelines address management practices, worksite analysis and control methods, and include examples of best practices in the nursing home industry.

San Francisco Launches Sweeping New Health Care Program

San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom has signed into law the San Francisco Health Access Program, which is designed to provide health care access to all city residents by 2007. The plan is expected to cover 82,000 uninsured in San Francisco, at a cost of approximately $200 million per year. Part of the cost of the […]

Do Your Business Manners Stack Up?

Too Much Information Is Simply Too Much Information: Be polite, express interest in the basic elements of your co-workers’ lives, but never share too much—and never pry. Keep Your Workplace Clean and Uncluttered: Keeping things order ensures you’ll never crucial lose information or get bogged down looking for something. Prioritize: Decide what is most important […]

News Notes: Need To Relocate Child Doesn’t Qualify For Family And Medical Leave

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that time spent moving a family member because of concern for the person’s well-being does not fall under the family and medical leave laws. Fe Castro Marchisheck submitted an emergency request for time off from her medical technician job at San Mateo General Hospital so she could take […]

News Notes: Court Expands Coverage of Federal Anti-Bias Law

Soo Cheol Kang, a U.S. citizen of Korean national origin, sued his employer, U. Lim America Inc. for national origin discrimination and harassment under Title VII, the federal anti-bias law. The company argued that it wasn’t covered by Title VII because it only had six employees, rather than the statutory minimum of 15 employees. But […]

E-Alert Item: Workers’ Compensation: Ratings Bureau Says Industry Is Severely Under-Reserved

Over the past year, many employers have seen a huge jump in their workers’ comp premiums—and even bigger hikes may be on the way. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau has just reported that the California workers’ compensation insurance industry is under-reserved by a startling $13.7 billion. The WCIRB attributes the deficit to, among other […]