Workers' Compensation: Search results for federalization

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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Illinois Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Clean Air Act Violations Involving Asbestos

The EPA was directed to set standards for radi...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Duane “Butch” O’Malley, 59, of Bourbonnais, Ill., who was convicted by a federal jury on September 26, 2011, for the illegal removal, handling and disposal of asbestos from a Kankakee building in August 2009, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Federal District Court Judge Michael McCuskey. O’Malley was also ordered to pay restitution of $47,086 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) related to the clean-up of illegally disposed asbestos and ordered to pay a fine of $15,000. Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been used commonly in a variety of building construction materials. When asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed by repair, remodeling or demolition activities, microscopic fibers become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs, where they can cause serious health problems, including lung cancer and mesothelioma.

“Asbestos must be removed in a safe and legal way in order to protect people's health and reduce the risk of exposure,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The defendant’s actions endangered the health of his workers and the surrounding community and the sentence shows that those who violate critical environmental safeguards will be prosecuted.”

“To increase his profits, a jury found that O’Malley knowingly disregarded federal environmental laws that require asbestos-containing materials be safely removed and properly disposed,” said U.S. Attorney Jim Lewis, Central District of Illinois. “This sentence is a consequence of the defendant’s flagrant disregard for his workers, the public, and the environment in exposing them to dangerous airborne asbestos fibers.”
During O’Malley’s trial, the government presented evidence that O’Malley, owner and operator of Origin Fire Protection, was hired by Michael J. Pinski in August 2009 to remove asbestos-containing insulation from pipes in a five-story building in Kankakee, Ill. that was owned by Pinski through his company, Dearborn Management, Inc. Evidence was presented that neither O’Malley nor his company was trained to perform the asbestos removal work and that O’Malley agreed to remove the asbestos insulation for an amount that was substantially less than a trained asbestos abatement contractor would have charged to perform the work. Further, O’Malley arranged for James A. Mikrut to recruit and oversee workers to remove the asbestos.

The government’s evidence showed that various provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA regulations were violated, including, failure to properly notify the EPA, failure to have trained on-site representatives present, failure to ensure the asbestos insulation was adequately wetted while it was being stripped and removed, failure to mark vehicles used to transport the asbestos containing waste material and failure to deposit the asbestos in a waste disposal site for asbestos. Instead, the asbestos insulation was stripped from the pipes while dry, and then placed in more than 100 large, unlabeled plastic garbage bags. The bags were then dumped in an open field in Hopkins Park, resulting in soil contamination and exposing the workers hired by O’Malley to dangerous asbestos-laden dust.

Under the CAA there are requirements to control the removal, handling and disposal of asbestos, a hazardous air pollutant. Any owner or operator of a renovation or demolition activity which involves removal of specified amounts of asbestos-containing material must comply with the EPA regulations.

O’Malley was charged in June 2010 with five felony violations of the CAA, along with Michael J. Pinski, 42, of Kankakee, Ill., and James A. Mikrut, 49, of Manteno, Ill. Pinski entered a plea of guilty on Aug. 19, 2011, to one count of violation of the Clean Air Act. Mikrut pleaded guilty on Aug. 24, 2011, to five counts of violation of the CAA. The sentencing hearings for Pinski and Mikrut will be scheduled at a future date.

The charges were investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund Division. Assistant United States Attorney Eugene L. Miller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Cha are prosecuting the case.

More information about EPA’s criminal enforcement program: http://www.epa.gov/oecaerth/criminal/index.html

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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injurie s.

More articles about asbestos

Unlawful Asbestos Removal Results in Criminal Charges

Jun 22, 2012

NJ Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced that two men and the demolition company they operated have been indicted by a state grand jury on charges that they unlawfully removed asbestos from the former Zurbrugg...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

National Asbestos Awareness Week - April 1 to 7 2012

Mar 19, 2012

Whereas the United States has substantially reduced its consumption of asbestos, yet continues to consume almost 1100 metric tons of the fibrous mineral for use in certain products throughout the United States;. Whereas ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Heart Disease Linked to Asbestos Exposure

Apr 06, 2012

"Objectives Asbestos is an inflammatory agent, and there is evidence that inflammatory processes are involved in the development of cardiovascular disease. Whether asbestos is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease has ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

The Great Asbestos Trial - The Call For More Criminal Prosecutions

Apr 04, 2012

Anti-asbestos campaigners have urged more criminal prosecutions against the global directors of asbestos corporations following the recent conviction of European industrialists Stephen Schmidheiny and Baron Cartier de ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A Nuclear Workers' Compensation Disaster

As Japanese nuclear energy workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant are being ordered to abandon efforts to contain the radiation emission, now at 1,000 times the safe limit, serious concern exists whether the US workers' compensation could handle a similar disaster, if not the consequences of the present event. The gut reaction in the US has been to lean on the Federal Government to bailout the ailing patch work of ailing state compensation systems. The lack of Federal preparation may not be adequate to permit an effective response this time around.

Historically The Federal government's role has been to rise to the occasion and walk further down a path to federalization. On a smaller scale than the potential consequences of the Japanesse debacle, the US was first in line in other mass disasters including: Beryllium workers, coal miners compensation, 9-11 Victims Compensation and subsequent Zadroga Fund, and the Gulf oil spill program. In the past the Feds have even prepared to help with H1N1 flu compensation and in the preparation of a Smallpox compensation program.

The Japanese model of delay and denial has proved ineffective. The victims of the Sumitomo Metal Mining uranium processing plant disaster in 1999 were summarily denied benefits for their ensuing radiation health problems.

While similar reactors in the US pose identical design problems, preparation is lacking in the US to provide an adequate response, and even integrate or utilize, the best of the state workers' compensation programs. Those systems are universally struggling to handle the delivery of benefits for occupational exposures. The Federal government has even ignored the implementation of legislation sponsored Senator Edward Markey (MA) for the prophylactic distribution of potassium iodine (KI) pills to those who are in a potential radius of exposure near nuclear reactor sites.

One would think that we would have learned from the Three Mile Island Diaster decades ago or Chernobyl (prediction of fatal cancers of 9,000 to 28,000 between 1986 and 2056). Even the warnings of leaks of similar nuclear reactors like Oyster Creek in NJ or Shoreham in NY, all close to major population centers, have not seemed to create a momentum of urgency.

Notoriously late to react in situations of latent disease has become the classic US policy. We have seen this repeated public health policy in other toxic exposures such as asbestos and tobacco. It is not that we didn't know, it is merely that the government just chose to ignore the public health issues. Unfortunately, this policy has compounded the problems for ailing workers' compensation systems, and it maybe too little and too late to prevent a meltdown of the entire system.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Adult Club Dancer Is An Employee

An adult club dancer was held to be an employee in a recent NJ workers' compensation decision. The Court relied upon both, the Right to Control Test and the Relative Nature of the Work Test in making its determination of employment status.

The Honorable E. Elaine Voyles, Judge of Compensation, held:

"Although the parties were unable to enter into any stipulations, many of the relevant facts are not disputed. The Petitioner was employed as a dancer at the time of her accident. The Respondent, is an adult club wherein Petitioner, and other dancers, entertained patrons. Both parties agreed that Petitioner was required to fill out an application (P1) and audition for her position. Both parties agreed that Petitioner's schedule changed on a weekly basis and that the dancers could set their own schedule. There was further agreement that Petitioner was not paid a salary and that she worked for tips. According to the testimony of both sides, Petitioner did not have to share her tips except for when she performed a "couch dance". The cost for a "couch dance" was $20 of which $15 was given to the dancer and five dollars was retained by the Respondent.

"Petitioner testified that once the weekly schedule was set the dancers were required to appear at their designated times. She further testified that she could not leave the facility between dances and that she was required to finish out her shift.

****

"In assessing the degree of Respondent's right to exercise control over the Petitioner, the Court must examine the arrangements made between the Petitioner and Respondent. Despite the fact that Petitioner set her own hours I find the Respondent exercised a substantial degree of control over Petitioner. Petitioner was required to converse with patrons and perform both pole and couch dances. Petitioner was not free to come and go as she pleased. Once she arrived for her shift she was required to stay until that shift was completed. Dancers were chastised if they were found not to be entertaining the patrons.

****

"The court further finds that Petitioner was economically dependent upon the Respondent. Petitioner testified that she worked an average of five shifts per week and that the shifts averaged 8- 12 hours in duration. Additionally, Petitioner testified that her only source of income at the time of her assault was the money she earned working for the Respondent. As stated previously the Court found the testimony of the petitioner to be credible.

Colvin v Coconuts 2013-16306 NJ Division of Workers' Compensation

Decided July 14, 2014 - Posted by NJ DWC September 29, 2015

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Income inequality last year rose in 15 states

Today's post was shared by Steven Greenhouse and comes from www.washingtonpost.com

The nation became more unequal last year.

The Gini Index, a measure of income inequality, was higher, in a statistically significant way, in 2013 than in 2012, rising from 0.476 to 0.481, according to a new Census Bureau report. A score of zero suggests perfect equality where all households have equal income, while a score of one suggests perfect inequality, where one household has it all, and the rest have none.
Alaska was the only state to see its Gini Index score decline, while 15 states posted increases. D.C. and the remaining 34 states saw no change. The 15 states that saw income inequality rise last year were: Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
Those results reflect a multi-year trend: Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve reported that “[o]nly families at the very top of the income distribution saw widespread income gains between 2010 and 2013.”
And income inequality can have cascading effects. In a Monday analysis, credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s concluded that income inequality acted as a drag on state tax collections.
“The findings from our research indicate that tax revenue growth slows as income inequality rises, especially for the sales tax-dependent states,” the report’s authors wrote. “This suggests to us that inequality is having a detrimental effect on economic growth.”...

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

The Great California Trade Off 2012

Rumors spread like wildfire this week as alleged secret back-room dealing continued in an effort to reform the failing California workers compensation system, yet again. The great trade-off of 2012 appears to be a major move to control and limit medical delivery and disability benefits at all cost.

Of critical importance is the fact that as goes California so goes the nation. Historically, changes made in California will slowly advance across the country and become adopted as a national wave of reform.

What has been leaked to the media, and some stakeholders, by a coalition of Labor and Industry management representatives, is yet another bandaid attempt to to control medical delivery in an effort to reduce both treatment costs, and ultimately reduce the number of cases utilizing the system.

While on the books it looks great that injured workers may get a potential increase of $700 million in increased permanent disability benefits, the trade-off is the imposition of a stringently controlled, speeded-up, and rationed medical benefits.

For employers to truly benefit from a Workers' Compensation program that works, employees need to receive the best medical treatment available to cure and relieve their work related medical conditions, and an adequate program of disability payments.

The proposed reforms limit medical choice, limit medical protocols, take away disability modifiers and impose penalties for out of network medical care in the name of expediency.

The problems facing California are not unique to that state. The entire nation, both within the workers' compensation system, and without, are facing similar issues.

One would hope that California would set a high standard for the nation, such as it attempted to do with heightened requirements for automobile emission testing and safety. However, to eliminate treatment options available to injured workers merely for the purpose reducing costs is a fast track program that ignores the need to achieve the best medical result and provide adequate compensation to injured workers.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

The Long Legacy of COVID-19 Disability

The legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic persists. There exists a continuing need for long-term treatment and disability. While state benefit systems such as workers’ compensation have made an admirable attempt in many jurisdictions to provide benefits, a significant gap and non-uniform delivery of benefits continue to exist among jurisdictions. Federal efforts are expanding to provide necessary research and treatment protocol resources.

The RICO Consequences of Managing Health Care in Workers Compensation

It is one thing to provide workers' compensation coverage to injured employers and it is another issue how involved an employer can be in managing medical care. That right was never addressed by the crafters of the workers' compensation system almost a century ago.

That dilemma is now being addressed by a Federal Judge in Colorado where a class action lawsuit pending against Wal-Mart for micro-managing and restricting medical care to injured workers. Brooks Magratten, Esq, has addressed these issues in a recently authored article. "Class Action Attacks Wal-Mart Health Care Model." 25 No. 13 WJEMP 1 (Jan. 25, 2011). The landmark action has the potential to expand workers compensation medical care into the umbrella of a national universal medical care system.

The plaintiffs in the pending action, all former and present Wal-Mart employees, are seeking treble damages against the mega-corporation, with an aggregate market value of $108.8 Billion, for interfering with medical care. Judge Robert Blackburn has denied Wal-Mart's motion to dismiss, now setting the stage for a definitive test of the workers' compensation medical system nationally.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Do I Need To File A Tax Return On My Workers Compensation?

Today's post comes from guest author Paul J. McAndrew, Jr. from Paul McAndrew Law Firm.

If you received workers’ compensation benefits, you may be wondering if you will need to report this money to the IRS and pay taxes on it. Under the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Act, money that you receive as workers’ compensation benefits is not taxable, with a few exceptions. You will have to pay taxes on your work comp benefits if:

if the benefits are retirement plan benefits (this is true even if you retired due to disability)
if part of your workers’ compensation benefit money lowers the amount you receive from your Social Security or Railroad Retirement Benefits. In that case, that the part of your workers compensation benefits is considered part of your Social Security (or RRB) and may be taxable.

If you return to work, your salary will be taxable again, as is it was before you received workers’ compensation benefits.

Exclusivity Rule Adopted in MDL Aviation Law Case

Continental Connection Bombarder Q400 operated by Colgan Air
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

In a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) case pending in New York, a Federal Court ruled that the New Jersey law governing exclusivity of claims barred an employee from proceeding with an intentional tort claim against the employer. Despite the fact that the fatal plane crash occurred in New York, the Court adopted New Jersey law since the the employer was based in New Jersey, the employee was based in New Jersey and workers' compensation benefits were being paid under New Jersey law by a New Jersey based and claims unit in New Jersey.

The Exclusivity Doctrine bars an employee from filing a claim against his or her employer outside of workers' compensation. There are some limited exceptions to that rule such as intentional actions by the employer such as concealment of medical information and gross negligence. The workers' compensation act in the overwhelming majority of claims supersedes common law actions in tort and is the exclusive remedy for an injured worker against an employer. Dudley v. Victor Lynn Lines, Inc., 32 N.J. 479, 161 A.2d 479 (1960). Kristiansen v. Morgan et al., 153 N.J. 298, 708 A.2d 1173 (1998).

The Court reasoned that under a New York conflict-of-laws analysis, the State of New Jersey, rather than New York, had a greater interest in the case. since the plaintiff failed to meet the two prong NJ test to circumvent the NJ exclusivity rule, the case was dismissed.

In re Air Crash Near Clarence Center New York on February 12, 2009 v. Colgan Air, Inc., et al., # 09-md-2085, 10CV-10078, 2012 WL 1029530 (W.D.N.Y.) March 26, 2012

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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injurie s.

More on The Exclusivity Rule

Court Rules Site of Accident Invokes Exclusivity Rule

Jun 13, 2012

Court Rules Site of Accident Invokes Exclusivity Rule. English: Motor vehicle accident following a ve... A NJ appeals court ruled that a motor vehicle accident cause by a co-worker in the emplyers' parking lot, before work had...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Willful OSHA Violation Alone Not Enough Alone to Circumvent the

Jun 27, 2012

Willful OSHA Violation Alone Not Enough Alone to Circumvent the Exclusivity Doctrine. "New Jersey's Workers' Compensation Act (the Act), N.J.S.A. 34:15-1 to -128.5, provides a prompt and efficient remedy for an employee's ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Exclusivity Doctrine Shields an Employer ...

Apr 09, 2010

A Federal Judge, who is managing the Multi-District Asbestos Litigation, has ruled that the exclusivity doctrine defeats the application of the dual capacity doctrine where the manufacturer's corporation was merged into the ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

NJ Supreme Court To Rule on Several Critical Issues

Apr 23, 2012

The Exclusivity Rule: Under the circumstances of this case, which include a finding by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that the accident was the result of a “willful violation” of its regulations, did the ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The World Trade Center Health Program Expands The Path to Federalization

Yesterday the US Congress passed and sent to the President, The World Trade Center Health Program, marking yet another advance on the path to federalize the nation's workers' compensation program. The Federally funded and administered program provides for medical evaluation and treatment of occupational medical conditions that have been neglected or ignored by other benefit programs.

The legislation specifically provides for medical monitoring and treatment to eligible emergency responders and recovery and cleanup workers, including those who are Federal employees, who responded to the September 11, 200, terrorist attacks. Furthermore, the program will provide initial health evaluations, monitoring, and treatment to residents and other building occupants and area workers in New York City who were directly impacted and adversely affected by the attacks.

H.R. 847 Health and Compensation Act of 2010
Click Here for C-Span Video http://tinyurl.com/2ax3htq

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Corporate Workers Compensation Fraud: California Targets Underground Economy

Sweep targets contractors operating in California's underground economy

Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones today announced that a statewide joint task force in the fight against California's underground economy has netted contractors allegedly operating illegally, resulting in 104 enforcement actions.

"Operation Underground took aim at the "off the books" activity of unscrupulous contractors allegedly operating illegally or without proper coverage for their workers," said Commissioner Jones. "In doing so, they not only failed to protect their employees, but they create unfair competition in California."

"Participants in the state's underground economy are harmful to everyone," said CSLB Registrar Steve Sands. "Anyone who neglects their responsibility to comply with state contracting, insurance, and payroll requirements drives up premiums. At the same time, legitimate licensed contractors are being underbid and struggle because of these illegal business practices."

Detectives from the California Department of Insurance (CDI), the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), Employment Development Department (EDD), and County District Attorneys' offices partnered for a series of sweeps at suspected illegal construction sites on June 20 and 21, 2012. Supplied with information in part from the State Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund), sweeps were conducted in 11 counties, where enforcement actions were issued for violations including failure to carry workers' compensation insurance, under-reporting the number of workers to obtain cheaper insurance premiums and to pay less payroll withholding tax, and cash payment to hide unregulated practices. Uninsured, untaxed, unlicensed, and unregulated activity is referred to as the underground economy.

Sweeps took place in cities within Alameda, Butte, El Dorado, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, and Yolo Counties. These actions resulted in 104 enforcement actions against contractors that failed to obtain the appropriate workers' compensation insurance coverage for workers, obtain the required contractor's license, or comply with payroll tax withholding requirements. Some received stop orders for the workers' compensation violations, which means they are not allowed to use employee labor until they obtained a policy for their workers and submit proof of that coverage to CSLB.

Highlights of the two-day operation, by county, are as follows:

Investigators issued two citations for workers' comp violations and stop orders in Pleasanton. One of them also faces contracting without a license charges. In Dublin, one was cited for workers' comp violations and received a stop order (Alameda County).
Investigators in Chico opened one insurance investigation; and two contracting citations are pending in Paradise (Butte County).
Six citations were issued for workers' comp violations, and three investigations and audits were opened in South Lake Tahoe (El Dorado County).
In Bakersfield, two insurance investigations and two EDD investigations were opened (Kern County).
One contractor caught in Inglewood and another in Santa Clarita will face tax audits (Los Angeles County).
One insurance investigation was opened in Salinas and four insurance investigations were opened in Monterey County; three were cited for workers' comp violations in Pebble Beach; one was cited in Carmel for contracting without a license and illegal advertising; and two were cited for workers' comp violations and received stop orders (Monterey County).
Two contractors caught in Riverside face EDD audits, along with one in Temecula (Riverside County). One contractor caught in Ontario received a citation for workers' comp violations and faces an EDD audit; one caught in Chino Hills faces an EDD audit; one contractor at a Fontana jobsite received a citation for aiding and abetting a non-licensee who was cited for contracting without a license and failure to carry workers' comp; and one EDD audit was opened in Upland (San Bernardino County).
Sixteen EDD audits were opened and one person was cited for workers' comp violations in San Jose; and one EDD audit was opened in Campbell (Santa Clara County).
In Woodland, investigators issued six stop orders for workers' comp violations and opened six investigations for insurance and tax fraud (Yolo County).

"This enforcement activity is a result of the partnership under the Joint Enforcement Strike Force which is made up of various state agencies including CDI, CSLB and EDD to aggressively combat the underground economy," said Jones. "Legitimate businesses that play by the rules are often forced to close their doors because illegal businesses are cheating the system."

Commissioner Jones offers the following tips for consumers when hiring a contractor:
Call the Contractors State License Board at 800-321-2752 or visit their Web site at www.cslb.ca.gov to check a contractor's license number or get further information on home and property repairs.

Deal only with licensed contractors. Ask to see the contractor's "pocket license," together with other identification. If the person claims to be representing a contractor, but can't show you a contractor's license or home improvement salesperson registration card, call the contractor and find out if the person is authorized to act on the contractor's behalf.
Do not do business with a contractor who does not carry the appropriate insurance coverage. If the contractor is not insured, you may be liable for accidents that occur on your property. Ask the contractor if he/she carries general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Request a certificate of insurance (COI) from the contractor that shows the name of the insurance company, policy number and policy limits the contractor carries. Contact the insurance company directly to verify information on the COI.
Don't rush into signing a contract. Collect business cards, interview several contractors, and request multiple bids for comparison. Make sure to read the fine print on all estimates and contracts.
Obtain estimates from at least three contractors before deciding which to hire.
Beware of building contractors that encourage you to spend a lot of money on temporary repairs.
Hire local, licensed contractors when possible, as it is easier to deal with a local contractor if problems develop. However, since it may not always be possible to deal with local contractor, be particularly careful to thoroughly check references for out-of-town contractors.
Get everything the contractor discusses in writing. Also, if changes or modifications occur in the contract terms, they should be acknowledged by all parties in writing.
Never sign a contract with blanks that have not been filled in. Unscrupulous contractors may fill in the blanks later with unacceptable terms.
Never pay a contractor for the entire project in advance or before the work is completed. California law requires that the amount of the down payment for any one improvement project, other than for construction of a swimming pool, may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, excluding finance charges, whichever is less.
Be especially suspicious of door-to-door sales people who make unrealistically low estimates, refuse to leave a contract overnight, or try to sell their services by playing on your emotions.
Federal law requires a three-day "cooling off" period for unsolicited door-to-door sales of more than $25.

Consumers with questions or concerns regarding insurance, or who feel they have been a victim of insurance fraud, are urged to contact the California Department of Insurance at 800-927-HELP (4357) or online at www.insurance.ca.gov.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Sign of the Times: Fragrance Free Workplace

Credit: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety

FRAGRANCE-FREE WORKPLACE

"Allergies are common - especially in Oklahoma. Not only can people be allergic to pets, pollen, and dust, but some can also be allergic to perfumes and cologne. When visiting City Hall, please help us by not wearing perfume, cologne, or other fragrances. If you are wearing a fragrance, you will need to remain at the front of the building when visiting. Thank you for your help!

Tuttle. Oklahoma"

Scent-Free work policies for the workplace are now increasing.

Some or all of the following adverse health symptoms have been reported:

headaches
dizziness, lightheadedness
nausea
fatigue
weakness
insomnia
malaise
confusion
loss of appetite
depression
anxiety
numbness
upper respiratory symptoms
shortness of breath
difficulty with concentration
skin irritation

Related Articles:

Employee Exposed to Perfume at Work Allowed Workers

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A licensed practical nurse who suffered from preexisting pulmonary disability was permitted to recover benefits against her employer when a co-employee sprayed perfume at work. The NJ Appellate Division ruled that a ...

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Employee Sues Co-Worker Following Perfume Assault

Dec 01, 2010

An employee in Ohio who was denied a claim for workers' compensation benefits, has filed a lawsuit against her co-workers against her co-employees. With the workers' compensation claim have been rejected, the workers' ...

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Thursday, September 4, 2014

More Big Firms Shifting To High-Deductible Health Plans

Today's post was shared by Kaiser Health News and comes from www.kaiserhealthnews.org

The New York Times examines the movement among large employers towards high-deductible plans that shift more health care costs to workers. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal looks at how the ACA may affect job-based plans next year.

The New York Times: High-Deductible Health Plans Weigh Down More Employees
Just as employers replaced pensions with retirement savings plans, more large companies appear to be in the midst of a similar cost-sharing shift with health plans. Besides making workers responsible for more of their care, employers hope these plans will motivate employees to comparison-shop for medical services — an admirable goal but one that some say is hard to achieve. ... With high-deductible health plans, consumers pay for all their medical services — at the insurer's negotiated rate — until they meet their deductible. After that, consumers typically pay coinsurance, which is a percentage of each service — say 10 to 35 percent — until they reach the out-of-pocket maximum (Siegel Bernard, 9/1).

The Wall Street Journal: Get Ready For Health-Insurance Enrollment
If you get health insurance through your workplace, you'll probably have a chance this fall to make important decisions about your coverage and costs. Because many corporate health plans hold their annual open-enrollment periods in October and November, many employees can expect to get a packet of benefits, or instructions for...

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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Illinois Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Clean Air Act Violations Involving Asbestos

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A Nuclear Workers' Compensation Disaster

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Adult Club Dancer Is An Employee

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Income inequality last year rose in 15 states

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

The Great California Trade Off 2012

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

The Long Legacy of COVID-19 Disability

Friday, January 28, 2011

The RICO Consequences of Managing Health Care in Workers Compensation

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Do I Need To File A Tax Return On My Workers Compensation?

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Exclusivity Rule Adopted in MDL Aviation Law Case

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The World Trade Center Health Program Expands The Path to Federalization

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Corporate Workers Compensation Fraud: California Targets Underground Economy

Monday, July 9, 2012

Sign of the Times: Fragrance Free Workplace

Thursday, September 4, 2014

More Big Firms Shifting To High-Deductible Health Plans

Today's post was shared by Kaiser Health News and comes from www.kaiserhealthnews.org

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Today's post was shared by Kaiser Health News and comes from www.kaiserhealthnews.org

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