Lawmakers and industry experts debate the current California workers’ compensation benefits system as it pertains to professional athletes filing claims from out of state.
SB626 proposes changes to increase fairness in current California workers’ comp laws.
Healing from car accident trauma requires recognition and treatment of emotional and psychological symptoms as well as physical injuries.
Workplace trauma can take many shapes and forms — and employers are best served by being prepared to address any traumatic events that may occur on the job.
Managing workplace stress is critical for long-term health and disability prevention.
PTSD in first responders is a common workplace risk — and one that should be addressed by employers as a preemptive measure.
Workplace stress management is critical to employee productivity and well-being, especially during the hectic holiday season.
Thorough examinations from both medical doctors and psychologists are critical when it comes to catching malingerers in work comp cases.
Earlier this month, lawmakers passed a new California workers’ compensation law that stands to enact a series of changes to the current system in an effort to cut insurance costs. According to CBS News, measure SB863 was approved in the California Senate by a 68-4 vote, and in the State Assembly by a similarly lopsided margin. However, while the vote went overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, the vast majority of those involved in the decision did not have an opportunity to even so much as read the measure prior to the floor vote, which was held on the last day of the Legislature’s session. The bill’s passage has thus prompted grave concern among those affected by the legislation — including injured workers, doctors, attorneys and psychologists – who view the vote as a back-room deal enacted without proper input and review.
According to a recent report from the Stanford School of Medicine, anxiety in the workplace ranks together with depression as one of the most costly and detrimental health risks among employees. As noted in our last column, employee depression takes an incredible toll on businesses, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting a cost of $17-44 billion per year due to sick days on account of unmanageable symptoms. However, a new study conducted in Norway shows that both depression and anxiety were both predictors of employee sick leave. Not only that, the study found that “anxiety alone is a stronger risk factor for prolonged and frequent sick leave than depression alone.”
North Coastal News
