New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy today signed legislation (A3848), which prohibits an employer, during the ongoing Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency declared by the Governor in Executive Order 103, from terminating or refusing to reinstate an employee who has, or is likely to have, an infectious disease which requires the employee to miss time at work.
Showing posts with label Termination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Termination. Show all posts
Friday, March 20, 2020
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Termination and the lingering cloud over a disabled worker
Injured workers are in constant fear of losing their jobs as a result of absenteeism caused by injuries incurred at work. NJ Supreme Court Justice LaVecchia noted in a recent concurring opinion in a Law Against Discrimination (LAD) case, that termination based on absenteeism challenges the remedial social intent of the workers’ compensation act.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Norfolk Southern Railway Co. ordered by US Labor Department's OSHA to pay $1.1 million after terminating 3 workers for reporting injuries
Norfolk Southern Railway Co. has been ordered to pay $1,121,099 to three workers following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which found that the company violated the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act. Two investigations, conducted by OSHA staff in Chicago and Pittsburgh, found that three employees were wrongfully fired for reporting workplace injuries. In addition to monetary remedies, the company has been ordered to expunge the disciplinary records of the three whistleblowers, post a notice regarding employees' whistleblower protection rights under the FRSA and train workers on these rights.
Railroad carriers are subject to the FRSA, which protects employees who report violations of any federal law, rule or regulation relating to railroad safety or security, or who engage in other protected activities.
"The Labor Department continues to find serious whistleblower violations at Norfolk Southern, and we will be steadfast in our defense of a worker's right to a safe job – including his or her right to report injuries," said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris. "When workers can't report safety concerns on the job without fear of retaliation, worker safety and health suffer, which costs working families and businesses alike."
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Employee Termination Because of Facebook Comment Does Not End Workers' Compensation Benefits
An employee who was terminated because of comments made about her employer on Facebook has been allowed continuation of workers' compensation benefits.
"Lawful termination, like fraud, cuts through everything; but the reasons for
firing here are murky. And whether it's a legal termination or not isn't a
question for this forum as workers' compensation courts are not in the business
of determining whether a firing was appropriate. What is important here is
that termination from employment in and of itself does not end entitlement to
supplemental earnings benefits as set forth in the [Palmer v. Schooner ] case.
In the case at hand, [Ms. Miller] returned to work in a light duty status. She
worked for a short period of time until her termination on October 14, 2010.
She was terminated for violating a hospital policy by posting a comment on Facebook.
Pursuant to Ms. Salutillo's comments in the [CSPH] employee memorandum,
[Ms. Miller's] employment was terminated based on failure to uphold standards of
behavior. After her termination, [Ms. Miller's] treating physician took her
off work for a short period of time, but ultimately opined she could work light
duty."
BRENDA MILLER v. CHRISTUS ST. PATRICK HOSPITAL
--- So.3d ----, 2012 WL 5238000 (La.App. 3 Cir.), 2012-370 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/24/12)
Read More about Social Media and Workers' Compensation
"Lawful termination, like fraud, cuts through everything; but the reasons for
firing here are murky. And whether it's a legal termination or not isn't a
question for this forum as workers' compensation courts are not in the business
of determining whether a firing was appropriate. What is important here is
that termination from employment in and of itself does not end entitlement to
supplemental earnings benefits as set forth in the [Palmer v. Schooner ] case.
In the case at hand, [Ms. Miller] returned to work in a light duty status. She
worked for a short period of time until her termination on October 14, 2010.
She was terminated for violating a hospital policy by posting a comment on Facebook.
Pursuant to Ms. Salutillo's comments in the [CSPH] employee memorandum,
[Ms. Miller's] employment was terminated based on failure to uphold standards of
behavior. After her termination, [Ms. Miller's] treating physician took her
off work for a short period of time, but ultimately opined she could work light
duty."
BRENDA MILLER v. CHRISTUS ST. PATRICK HOSPITAL
--- So.3d ----, 2012 WL 5238000 (La.App. 3 Cir.), 2012-370 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/24/12)
Read More about Social Media and Workers' Compensation
Jul 03, 2012
An injured worker was denied benefits when an Arkansas Court admitted into evidence Facebook pictures that were posted on line showing him drinking and partying. The worker had alleged that as a result of a hernia, ...
Apr 13, 2012
Facebook's new announcement today creates even a greater problem for workers' compensation claimants. Providing even greater historical information about an unsophisticated Facebook user puts even more information, ...
May 07, 2012
The announcement of Facebook to allow for the public listing of organ donors of it social media site, albiet with good intentions, raises concerns about the privacy of workers' compensation claims as the organs could become ...
Sep 15, 2010
Social networking sites, such as Facebook, have now become informational sources that workers' compensation lawyers are now utilizing for evidentiary purposes. The question that remains unanswered is how information ...
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