Olympia, WA – A Shelton man who harvested and sold oysters while claiming he was too disabled to work has been sentenced to repay the state more than $32,000 and serve two months in custody. Jose Cruz Contreras Alvarez recently pleaded guilty to one count of attempted second-degree theft. The court ordered him to repay… [Read more]
Work Force & Human Resource News
AmTrust Releases 2019 Retail Risk Report
New York, NY – AmTrust recently released the first AmTrust Retail Risk Report, identifying common injuries for retail workers and the resulting lost time. AmTrust analyzed more than 20,000 workers’ compensation insurance claims from the company’s retail clients with loss payments from 2016 to 2018. The AmTrust Retail Risk Report found that the top three… [Read more]
CO Workers’ Compensation Loss Cost Decreases for 2020
Denver, CO – The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), has approved a reduction of 8.5 percent for the average “loss costs” component of workers’ compensation premiums for 2020. This will be the sixth consecutive year without an increase to this key measurement. Loss costs are the average… [Read more]
Out Front Ideas Webcast: A Conversation with Injured Workers
St. Louis, MO – Out Front Ideas with Kimberly and Mark has announced its next complimentary webinar, noting that advocacy, compassion, empathy and transparency are common conversations in workers’ compensation, but most claims programs and products are driven by process and regulation. We should also however consider how the journey of the injured worker shapes… [Read more]
NSC Announces Amazon Sponsorship to Support Women in Safety
Itasca, IL – The National Safety Council recently announced it has received a $125,000 sponsorship from Amazon to support women in safety. The sponsorship will go toward bolstering three NSC initiatives: the Council’s Marion Martin Award, Women in Safety Scholarship program and Women’s Division. Although women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, they… [Read more]
NIOSH Partners with America Achieves to Prepare Future Workforce
Atlanta, GA – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently announced that it has partnered with America Achieves, a not-for-profit organization focusing on education-to-workforce issues, to promote young worker safety and health. Through this collaboration, NIOSH and America Achieves have included materials that address foundational, workplace safety and health competencies related to… [Read more]
Ohio Caterer Convicted of Workers’ Comp Fraud
Columbus, OH – A Cincinnati woman claiming to be permanently disabled from work owes the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) nearly $41,000 after her felony conviction Oct. 24 for workers’ compensation fraud. Michelle D. Smith pleaded guilty to the fifth-degree felony in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court after BWC discovered she owned and… [Read more]
NSC: No Level of Cannabis Use Acceptable for Those Working in Safety Sensitive Positions
Itasca, IL – Recognizing that safety concerns are paramount as decriminalization of cannabis continues in states throughout the U.S., the National Safety Council recently called on employers to restrict cannabis use for those in safety sensitive positions – regardless of whether cannabis consumption is allowed by their state. In a new policy position, NSC defines… [Read more]
Owner of CA Vocational School Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud
Santa Clara, CA – The owner of a Campbell vocational training school has been charged with a kickback scheme where he illegally diverted more than $650,000 in workers’ compensation insurance money without training injured students trying to get back into the workplace. Officials estimate that out of about 100 cases, two students of Rashad Said’s… [Read more]
CA Roofer Arrested for Workers’ Comp Fraud
Sacramento, CA – Herbert Allen Kelly III of Rancho Murieta, owner of Kelly Roofing Company, was recently arrested on six felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud after allegedly underreporting his business’ payroll and number of employees resulting in a loss to his insurer of $50,000. “When business owners operate in the underground economy, they are… [Read more]