Five Things You Need to Know: 3/14, Tuesday Edition

1) REMINDER: Upgraded CompNewsNetwork Went Live This Week (Update your bookmarks!)

A new and improved news center went live on Monday, March 13, 2017. The upgraded news area features two new sections featuring original content and opinions. The two sections are called “Featured News” and “The Experts View." Previous features of the CompNewsNetwork, current news, Workers’ Comp Blogwire, From Bob’s Cluttered Desk, and more are still offered. The new streamlined look will be the first phase of a complete redesign for the entire website. New Premium Services require user registration in order to access content, but it remains a free service. All existing areas before the upgrade are freely available without registration. All content and articles from the current system are available in the new format. The old CompNewsNetwork area will remain accessible for a limited time. Click here to see the new site, and here to sign up!

2) TX Clerk Sues Houston Gas Station/Convenience Store Operator

Harris County woman Aquino Anders has filed a class action complaint on behalf of herself and others similarly situated against Kashmir Road Lines, LLC, alleging failure to pay overtime wages, violating workers' compensation law, writes Philip Gonzales of the Southeast Texas Record. "According to the complaint, Anders has been damaged for working for Kashmir Road as a store clerk for more than 40 hours per week without overtime compensation for all extra hours worked," writes Gonzales. "The plaintiff alleges Kashmir Road refused to properly compensate her for her overtime hours, as required by FLSA, and failed to maintain accurate time records." Anders seeks trial by jury, unpaid wages (plus liquidated wages), court costs, expenses and other just and proper relief, according to the article.

3) Kentucky: House Bill 296 Looks to Cap Benefits for First Responders

While a legislator and lawyer disagree over Kentucky State House Bill 296, some first responders have expressed negative feelings about the proposed legislation. Representing parts of both Boone and Kenton Counties, 69^th District Rep. Adam Koenig (R-Erlanger) shared his opinion on the proposed workers' compensation legislation in a March 8 editorial on Cincinnati.com, specifically calling out local Fraternal Order of Police lodges he claims are disparaging the bill. To read more, click here.

4) Constitutional Issue with Florida Workers’ Compensation Statute

Traditionally, Constitutional issues are not implicated in workers’ compensation law. The Constitution neither guarantees anyone the right to be compensated for a workplace injury, nor requires employers to provide benefits to injured workers. However, in the 1967 Supreme Court case of United Mine Workers of America, District 12 v. Illinois State Bar Association, the Court found that the First Amendment guaranteed a union “the right to hire attorneys on a salary basis to assist its members in the assertion of their legal rights.” To read more, click here.

5) Getting the Gig with Workers’ Compensation, Part II

If getting the gig does mean losing workers’ compensation, what does that look like? Last week WorkersCompensation.com reported on When Getting the Gig Means Losing Workers' Compensation, citing expert Nancy Grover's "The On-Demand Economy: A Major Disruption for the Workers' Compensation System," and other workers’ compensation experts who discussed the glitches a gig economy has caused for workers’ compensation. This week, the news center offers a positive side of on-demand employment. One example is Washington State Bill 2109, which is presently before the House of Representatives since being introduced by Jessyn Farrell (D-Washington) on Feb. 15. To read more, click here.

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