NJ Targets Rampant Misclassification of Drywall Workers

In its second strategic enforcement initiative, focusing on the drywall industry, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) reached a first-of-its-kind enhanced compliance agreement with Donald Drywall, L.L.C. of Lakewood after investigators found the subcontractor had committed numerous wage and hour, earned sick leave, and employee misclassification violations.

United Hospital Supply Corp. faces $498K in penalties after amputation incident

An employee's first day of work at a southern New Jersey manufacturing facility ended tragically when he suffered the amputation of three fingers while operating a press brake without required safety guards, similar to violations cited by federal safety investigators at the facility in 2010 and 2015.

California Supreme Court Heard Arguments in Derivative Immunity Claim

The California Supreme Court heard oral argument on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in the matter of KUCIEMBA v. VICTORY WOODWORKS, Case: S274191. The Court had accepted the request of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to answer a question of state law regarding employers' liability in COVID claims. Briefs are now available online (See below).

NJ Industry Groups Challenge The Temporary Workers’ Rights Law

In February 2023, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a new law that would give temporary workers in the state more protections.

Is ChatGPT Ready to Write Workers’ Compensation Decisions?

Artificial intelligence (AI) programs have become an exciting new Internet phenomenon. Initially launched to generate graphics, the programs have rapidly emerged as Internet research's most significant development of the last twenty years.

Accommodating Disabled Workers Will Have Low Cost and High Impact

The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that a new report finds that nearly half of the workplace accommodations made for people with disabilities can be implemented at no cost to employers, and of those that do incur a one-time cost, the median expenditure has decreased when compared to previous reports to only $300.

The case for increased counsel fees

Long overdue legislation has been introduced in the NJ Assembly to increase workers' compensation counsel's fees for petitioner's/claimant's attorneys. The workers' compensation law field has historically been considered a legal specialty that needs to be improved in the quality of representation available to injured workers. It has hindered the ability of injured workers to seek adequate recoveries in the administrative law system.