Five Things to Catch Up On: 5/6, Weekend Edition

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -

1) WCRI Releases New Study on CA’s Cost Per Work Comp Claim (FRIDAY)

“The average total cost per workers’ compensation claim in California remained stable since the enactment of comprehensive reforms five years ago, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI),” per a release written by WCRI Communications Director Andrew Kenneally. “…The system reforms were contained in Senate Bill 863 (SB 863), which took effect in 2013. The legislation was designed to increase permanent disability benefits for injured workers while also creating cost savings and improving the efficiency of the workers’ compensation process, where possible.” The study, by Rebecca (Rui) Yang, compares stats in 18 states total, including CA. Another important conclusion to note: “…The average total cost per workers’ compensation claim in California was higher than most study states for 2014 injuries with an average of 36 months of experience post-reform, “ according the release.  

2) CA Looks to Protect Hotel Workers with Panic Buttons (THURSDAY)

“The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has approved an Ordinance requiring hotel and motel operators in Sacramento County to provide employees with a panic button or notification device that can be used to call for help when an employee reasonably believes sexual harassment activity is occurring in the employee’s presence,” according to the CA Workplace Blog Law Blog, featured in Lexology. The article was written by Kaitlyn Lavaroni and Cary Palmer of Jackson Lewis PC. “The panic button is designed to be used in emergency situations to summon hotel security or other appropriate staff to the employee’s location.” AB 1761, introduced this year, would also require the panic button in all CA hotels, and would “…require a hotel employer to compile and maintain a list of guests who have been alleged to have committed an act of violence or harassment against employees at that hotel, and to decline service to any person on that list for a period of three years.” The Bill was passed in the state’s Labor and Employment Committee this week, and was “…Re-referred to Com. on JUD (Committee on Judiciary),” according to CA’s Legislative Information website. 

3) Is China Really Monitoring the Brainwaves of its Workers? (WEDNESDAY)

It seems more like a sci-fi novel than news fodder, but Hangzhou Zhongheng Electric, among other companies in China, have been utilizing “…government-sponsored technologies to monitor the brain activity of employees while they’re on the job, the Post reports,” according to a Motherboard (VICE) article written by Samantha Cole. Hats and helmets have been given to some factory and production line workers to monitor emotions and productivity with AI algorithms. What else is scary? “…the basic dystopian conceit here — that your employer would force you to wear a mind-reading device so it could increase productivity — is not impossible,” according to the article, noting recent patents and inventions that track productivity, including smart watch apps. It’s also important to note: “…Whatever changes an employer makes to the workforce based on behavioral data might be overthinking problems that a much simple solution — like better benefits, paid leave, or increased wages or flexibility — might fix.”

4) FDA Regulators to Meet in June Regarding CBD Oil, Could Mean Changes in Access for Certain States (TUESDAY)

Many states, including Idaho, with a hazy future in medical marijuana, might be one step closer to utilizing Cannabidiol (CBD oil), as “…An FDA advisory panel voted unanimously in favor of the experimental medication known as Epidiolex, a drug derived from the cannabis plant, but contains no traces of THC or the compound that gets you high in marijuana,” writes Dean Johnson of KTVB. “…FDA regulators will meet in June to decide whether or not to approve the drug. If the FDA follows the panel’s recommendation, Epidiolex would become the first drug derived from the cannabis plant to win federal approval.” Idaho began to look into CBD oil in its Expanded Access Program, with a study that started in 2015 including 40 children. 

5) GA: Family Doctor Charged with Three Counts of Making Alleged Threats, False Imprisonment (MONDAY)

The police were called to the business of Valdosta area family doctor Marian Antoinette Patterson early spring 2018, after threatening to cut her employees’ throats, use their heads to roll down a hallway, then show it to their children, writes Nicole Darrah of Fox News. “…The doctor allegedly grabbed at least one employee and threw a catalog, reflex hammer and prescription bottles, along with trying to throw a large potted plant. Patterson also tossed water on two employees, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office,” per the article. The doctor’s medical license is under temporary suspension, and it has also been noted she may have been intoxicated on the clock for multiple occasions. “…Patterson has been charged with three counts of terroristic threats and false imprisonment, according to reports. She turned herself in last week and has since been released on bail,” writes Darrah.

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