The U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently denied an employer’s motion to vacate a jury’s award of punitive damages to a former employee of an iron-casting company who claimed he was terminated for reporting alleged safety...

Department of Labor opinion letter : Issued April 29, the opinion letter https://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/FLSA/2019/2019_04_29_06_FLSA.pdf addresses whether a service provider for a virtual marketplace company is an employee of the company or an independent contractor under the FLSA. It concludes that the...

Employers looking to boost the bottom line would be smart to closely examine the costs of their health and safety incidents. While high-profile disruptions such as cyber-attacks, IT outages, or extreme weather get more attention, health and safety incidents are the leading...

With a national opioid crisis that defies holistic solutions, the legalization of medicinal marijuana in more than 30 states and recreational marijuana in 10 states, increases in deadly overdoses in the workplace, changing state laws, confusion over OSHA’s anti-retaliatory drug...

The 2018 World Series left in its wake memories of clutch hits, gutsy pitching, and ballet-like leaping catches. But the one memory that also stands out took place even before the first pitch was thrown, when Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts posted his...

Form 300A posting deadline February 1, 2019 Electronic rule making update Form 300A electronic submission deadline: March 2, 2019 How the data is being used: Site-Specific Targeting Initiative This month, all employers required to keep Form 300, the Injury and...

The possibilities of telemedicine in workers’ comp While more and more insurers are offering telehealth as part of their health plans, the highly regulated workers’ comp industry is just getting it’s feet wet. Telemedicine is the use of electronic communication...

The USG + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index (CCI) https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/cci_2018_q3_9-06_release.pdf is a quarterly economic index designed to gauge the outlook for, and resulting confidence in, the commercial construction industry. While earlier reports indicated that the shortage of skilled...

Even employers who have carefully researched the options, involved employees in the selection of PPE, and ensured that it is comfortable, attractive, and fits properly, still struggle to get workers to use it. Training often focuses on how to properly...

The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) examined the impact of opioid prescriptions on the duration of temporary disability benefits for workers with lower back injuries. The conclusion: long-term opioid prescriptions lead to temporary disability durations more than three times longer...