January 29, 2008
Independent Contractors: New Hampshire Defines, FedEx Whines
New Hampshire has come up with their own 12 step program to determine whether contractors are truly independent or just employees. Meanwhile, the IRS has come down hard on FedEx, hitting the company with a $319 million fine for misclassifying drivers as independent contractors. Let's start in New Hampshire. The state has come up with 12 criteria for determining independence,...July 25, 2007
Trouble in Truckin': Court Limits Hours Behind the Wheel
A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down the Bush administration's rules that increased the number of hours a trucker can spend behind the wheel. In an article by Stephen Labaton in the New York Times, we read that the Bush approach increased weekly hours to 77 from 60 over 7 consecutive days, and to 88 hours from 70 over...May 2, 2007
Keeping up with RIMS from the sidelines
The Risk and Insurance Management Society's annual meeting - the insurance industry's equivalent of Woodstock - is currently in progress in New Orleans. For those of you who are sidelining things this year, our colleague Joe Paduda is blogging the event, so you might tune in to Managed Care Matters this week to get his perspective on things. And if...March 6, 2007
Will Comp Reform Cross the Delaware?
Workers Compensation in Delaware is expensive. According to the Oregon rankings, Delaware has moved from the seventh highest cost state in 2005 to number three in 2006. With reforms well under way in the second highest cost state of California, the only obstacle between Delaware and a (dubious) number one ranking is Alaska. Oh well, they're almost # 1! You...November 29, 2006
Judge Opens Floodgates for Katrina Victims
Judge Stanwood R. Duval Jr of the Federal District Court in New Orleans has opened the door to payments for homeowners whose homes were destroyed by Katrina. Or has he? We read in the New York Times that some insurers must pay for damage because the flooding in New Orleans was due to human error - specifically, the failure of...October 9, 2006
The Pain Conundrum
Workers comp is about workplace injuries and injuries almost always involve pain. So it's no surprise to see painkillers at the top of the leader board for medicines prescribed in the comp system. The Hartford has published the latest rankings, which is still dominated by powerful and exotic drugs. Oxycontin is still number one, for reasons that defy logic but...February 28, 2006
The Feds and the Phantom Miners
Today the Insider looks at seemingly divergent issues which converge in a striking manner: federal involvement in mine safety (MSHA enforcement), federal prosecution for workers comp fraud, and the ongoing saga of work in the mines. It's a complex picture, but one which resolves into a single focus: the exploitation of the people who work in mines. MSHA and the...February 2, 2006
"Open House" at Business Insurance this month
Business Insurance has a free access "open house" at their site from now through February 28th. The open house allows full access to current issues as well as access to archived material since 1996. For those who aren't familiar with the publication, it's a well-respected and established industry trade issued weekly by Crain Communications. In its own words: "Business Insurance...November 10, 2005
Workers Compensation and Disability Conference
Do any of you folks plan to be at the Workers Compensation & Disability Conference in Chicago next week? I'll be there for a few days, and I understand that our colleague and fellow-blogger Joe Paduda will be there, too. If you plan to attend, let me know - I'd love to meet some readers! Drop a line to communicationsATlynchryan.com...October 6, 2005
Reducing firefighter injuries - free online symposium
This week is Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend, a time to salute the brave people who sacrificed their lives to make the world a safer place for you and me. Firefighters are out there on the front lines every day, risking injury and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 100 firefighters die at work each year. At...September 26, 2005
Are TRIA renewal prospects getting a boost?
The Hill is reporting that insurance lobbyists have been working overtime since Katrina to extend passage of the Terrorism Risk & Insurance Act (TRIA), the federal backstop for insurers that is scheduled to expire on December 31. Many lawmakers think that the voluntary market should be developing alternatives to cover any terrorism risk, but the hard hit that the reinsurance...April 28, 2005
Today is Worker Memorial Day 2005
According to the BLS, there were 5,559 workplace deaths due to traumatic injuries in 2003, a slight increase from the number of deaths in 2002, when 5,534 workplace deaths were reported. The AFL-CIO released its 14th annual death on the job report. Access the full 154-page report -- Death on the Job, The Toll of Neglect (PDF) -- or read...April 25, 2005
RIMS report: notes from Philly
I spent last week at the annual Risk & Insurance Management Society annual meeting in Philadelphia last week. This is one of the single largest events in the property and casualty industry, attracting thousands of attendees and exhibitors. A quick snapshot of the show reflects an industry in turmoil. When I reflect the first RIMS I attended in Orlando more...April 18, 2005
Noteworthy: Workers Memorial Day April 28 2005
Every year health and safety activists and unions around the globe set aside a day to remember the thousands of workers who are killed an injured on the job each year. Jordan Barab, a fellow blogger and a tireless and impassioned advocate of worker safety, suggests that the day should a time to "recharge our batteries" and rededicate our commitment...March 30, 2005
Older Workers : Protection for a Growing Majority
We recently blogged the increasing reliance on older workers among some of the nation's largest retail chains. While we welcome the inclusion of older workers into the workforce, we caution employers about the potential impact on workers compensation. The older you get, the more likely it is that you have pre-existing conditions that may impact your ability to do the...March 7, 2005
World Congress of Safety & Health at Work to be held in U.S.
This year marks the first time that the World Congress of Safety & Health at Work will convene in the U.S. The event is scheduled for Sept. 18-22 in Orlando with a theme of "Prevention in a Globalized World - Success through Partnerships." This is a triennial event - the last Congress met in Vienna in 2002. Dupont has been...February 8, 2005
February is workplace eye safety month
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has declared February as Workplace Eye Safety Month and they’ve compiled some resources to help drive home the point that 90 percent of all work-related eye injuries are preventable. We didn't bring you the news sooner because last year this observance occurred in March. We were alerted of the change in months by several...October 5, 2004
Applications being accepted for John Jones Scholar in Workers' Compensation Research
Are you a researcher with an interest in workers compensation? If so, you may want to submit an application to the John Jones Scholar in Workers’ Compensation Research by February 1, 2005 for a $10,000 research grant. This award was created by the Workers' Compensation Research Institute’s (WCRI) Board of Directors to recognize the many contributions of John Jones, one...May 23, 2004
May is labor history month
To commemorate labor history month, take a tour of Labor Arts, a virtual museum that gathers, identifies, and displays historic images of working people and their organizations. The site states that its mission is "to present powerful images that help us understand the past and present lives of working people." Some of the many fascinating exhibits and collections include: Labor...March 5, 2004
March is workplace eye safety month
"In observance of March as Workplace Eye Safety Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Eye M.D. Association, and Eye M.D.s across the nation want to alert Americans to the possibility of eye injuries in the workplace. According to Prevent Blindness America, each working day in the United States more than 2,000 employees sustain job-related eye injuries, making workplace injury...February 19, 2004
Is RIMS on your agenda?
If you are planning to attend the RIMS 2004 Annual Conference & Exhibition in San Diego from April 18-22, 2004, get your reservations in now. The deadline for early bird registrations looms. Take advantage of the $100 savings by getting your reservations in by tomorrow, February 20, 2004. Here's the RIMS Conference overview if you'd like a quick preview. Drop...September 17, 2003
