Are Work Comp Claims Related To COVID -19 Compensable Under Work Comp Laws?

by | Apr 4, 2020 | Workers Comp, Workers' Compensation Insurance

We are getting asked this question often now- which is certainly understandable.  Here is what one of our main work comp solution carriers told us:

Any claims made for COVID-19 (aka coronavirus) will have to be considered based on their specific circumstances and the jurisdictional statutes and case law for communicable or infectious diseases. In general, COVID-19 is considered as an “ordinary disease of life” since the general public is equally exposed to this illness outside of work (just like the flu or a cold). In most cases, any claim for exposure or illness would likely be denied.

However, in the event that a claim is filed for COVID-19 by an employee who may have a workplace that created an increased risk/hazard for exposure to the disease (such as a healthcare worker who treated a patient who is known to have the COVID-19 virus), this may be considered an occupational disease and may be compensable.

If a healthcare worker has not treated a patient known to have COVID-19, then this would likely revert back to being considered an ordinary disease of life since the source of infection is unknown. Again, all cases will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and compensability will be determined by jurisdictional rule and likely with input from defense counsel based on the circumstances of the case.

https://www.ncci.com/Articles/Pages/Insights-COVID19-WorkersComp.aspx

Please let us know if you have additional questions about staffing work comp in this very challenging time. Always feel free to contact us at david@StaffingCompSolutions.com, or 202-302-1212, or visit us at www.StaffingCompSolutions.com.

Finally please be safe, and we will all get through this pandemic together.

All the best

David Schek
President
StaffingCompSolutions.com

What Does The Coronavirus Mean To Your Employees, and the Implications For Your Work Comp Policy?

by | Mar 19, 2020 | Workers Comp, Workers' Compensation Insurance

As we are all trying our best to manage the impact of this “black swan” event on our industry, I came across a very good short article about work comp and the impact of the Coronavirus. This article also discusses the virus’s impact on your G/L policy as well.

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/coronavirus-factors-insurance-industry-to-consider-part-3-liability-and-workers

If you are like us at Work Comp Staffing Solutions, we are keeping our ears to the ground and reading as much new information on a daily basis as possible about the impact this virus is having on the US in general, and our industry specifically.

Finally, if you are a member of the American Staffing Association (which we highly recommend,) it has developed some excellent web casts about how best to manage your staffing organization with respect to the virus.

Please visit our web site at www.StaffingCompSolutions.com, call us at 202-302-1212, or email us at david@StaffingCompSolutions.com for more information about the virus, or if you would like to chat about all our staffing and workers’ comp program offerings.

All the best

David Schek
President
StaffingCompSolutions.com

Have You Heard The One About The Crazy Work Comp Claim?

by | Feb 27, 2020 | Workers Comp, Workers' Compensation Insurance

While no one likes to see employees get hurt on the job, sometimes workers comp claims can make you chuckle a little as to how unpredictable life can be. Below is a link to a few stories about some very odd, yet humorous and true, work comp claims.

https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.138/u3u.f39.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Crazy-Claims-Edition_2019.pdf

Before any of these situations happen to your employees, please visit our web site at www.StaffingCompSolutions.com, call us at 202-302-1212, or email us at david@StaffingCompSolutions.com for more

All the best

David Schek
President
StaffingCompSolutions.com

 

 

 

 

Why Are Work Comp Rates Higher For Staffing Firms Than Non Staffing Firms?

by | Feb 13, 2020 | Staffing Company, Workers Comp, Workers' Compensation Insurance

OSHA published a report recently that answers this question. Simply put, temporary workers  have a higher overall injury rate than permanent workers in the same occupations.

The differences in injury rates for temporary and permanent workers were most pronounced in 3 industries-agriculture, construction, and transportation. The main causes of  injuries included contact with objects and equipment, and exposure to harmful substances or environments.

Also the report found that temporary workers who became injured were younger and had less time in their jobs, (sometimes less than a year,) than permanent workers. Interestingly, temporary workers had higher injury rates, but lower lost-time and medical costs. Injured temporary workers also were more likely to be male.

Work Comp Staffing Solutions has many innovative work comp programs to address high work comp rates since we have exclusively specialized in work comp insurance for staffing firms for nearly 50 years. Please contact us at david@StaffingCompSolutions.com. Or visit us at www.StaffingCompSolutions.com or please feel free to call us any time at 202-302-1212.

All the best
David
President
StaffingCompSolutions.com

 

Industries With The Most Work Comp Accidents

by | Feb 6, 2020 | Workers Comp, Workers' Compensation Insurance

We are often asked what industries have the largest workers compensation risks.  Below is a list that we have work comp programs for, but are usually harder to find coverage for because of their higher risk profiles.  In fact, transportation has the most fatalities while nursing home care has the most comp accidents. This information is based on the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  1. Nursing care and residential care facilities
  2. Animal production
  3. Couriers
  4. Wood product manufacturing
  5. Transportation

To find out about all our Work Comp Staffing Solutions work comp programs for staffing agencies, please contact us at david@StaffingCompSolutions.com, or visit our web site  www.StaffingCompSolutions.com. You can always call us at 202-302-1212.

Are You Ready For Your Next Work Comp Audit?

by | Dec 12, 2019 | State Funds, State Workers Comp Fund, Workers Comp, Workers' Compensation Insurance

Most Work Comp Staffing Solutions staffing clients use “pay as you go” work comp programs, so they are not audited. But if you use a State Fund or private carrier, here are some things to
keep an eye on during your audits:

  1. Workers’ comp audits take a retroactive look at a business’s payroll. Audits can happen after the first 3-6 months and then usually annually after that.
  2. Auditors will closely examine employee job classifications, and may visit your clients to confirm exactly what your employees did at your client’s site.
  3. Post audit bills by the carrier are not unusual because of misclassifications and disagreements regarding light/heavy industrial codes.
  4. Carriers will project future payrolls based on your first audit, and as a result, may require additional premium deposits– due within 30 days.

If you find you need to switch to a “pay as you go” program because an audit resulted in your policy termination, please contact us — we can help.

Please visit our web site at www.StaffingCompSolutions.com, call us at 202-302-1212, or email us at david@StaffingCompSolutions.com for more information about all our staffing and workers’ comp program offerings.