Category
Workers Compensation
No Work Comp Immunity for Workplace Shooting
Workplace shootings create unique risks to Florida employers. Is a co-worker shooting incident covered by workers’ compensation benefits, or not? A recent case (Bottling Group v. Bastien) has wide implications for Florida employers. The court ruled that an employer cannot deny a workers’ compensation claim on the grounds that a shooting inj...
Employee Who Allowed Manager to “Pop” His Back, Denied Work Comp Benefits
An employee at a Florida Waffle House was having back complaints after working an 18 hour shift. Based on the complaints, the employer’s manager thought that “popping” (manipulating) his back might relieve some of his pain. The “popping” did not go well, and he was unable to stand up straight and had nerve pains runnin...
2024 Florida Workers’ Compensation Rates Decrease 15.1%
Effective January 1, 2024, Florida employers will receive another overall workers’ compensation rate decrease – 15.1%. In late 2023, after recommendations from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the Florida Insurance Commissioner issued a final order reducing rates in Florida. This is the seventh consecutive annual d...
Asphalt Company Wins Work Comp Case – 5 Tips You Can Use
A Florida asphalt contractor recently benefited from having effective human resource policies. It avoided paying disability benefits to an injured employee (his skid steer loader was hit by a dump truck) that refused to return to suitable work. In Florida, an injured employee is entitled to Temporary Partial Disability benefits (hereinafter TPD...
Terminating an Employee for Misconduct While They Receive Florida Workers’ Comp
We were recently asked by a client about whether or not an employee on workers’ compensation can be terminated for misconduct. I said yes, but explained that to cut off workers’ compensation benefits the “misconduct” must meet a special definition. An employee with a workplace injury is expected to follow company policy and co...
OSHA Changes Enforcement – When to Report COVID-19 Cases at Work
On May 19, OSHA updated its enforcement guidance to employers (and Compliance Officers) with respect to the recording of occupational illnesses, specifically coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. In mid-April, OSHA previously advised that most employers (except healthcare employers) did not have an obligation to analyze whether an employee’s COVI...
Non-Working Employees Payroll and Work Comp Premium Calculation
As employers are struggling to maintain business operations, or are confronting a full or partial shutdown, every cost and expense is being closely scrutinized. The organization that regulates workers’ compensation rates, NCCI, recently published some FAQs for employers and carriers about the COVID-19 situation. Individual states will app...
18 Actions to Lower Workers’ Comp Rates for Florida Contractors
From our work with Florida construction companies and specialty trades in the last ten years, we have identified 18 proven action items that will shrink the risk of costly workers’ compensation claims and lower the mod rate of Florida contractors. Here are the top four actions that will make a difference: Improve the hiring process......
Save Money with a Certified Written Safety Program
I know, how can it be December already? Every day you get wrapped up in the immediate demands of your business operation, and before you know it, we are in the last calendar month of 2019. If you are looking for a worthwhile initiative that can be fully implemented before the new year, consider adopting......
(Save thousands $$) How to Implement a Florida certified Drug Free Workplace Program
Every day Florida employers choose to establish certified drug-free workplace policies, to save money and be protected from workplace accidents that are caused by employees working under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The benefits of becoming a carrier certified drug free workplace include: (1) employees are aware of the importance of safety...
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