Vol. 5, Issue 50

Find Solutions & Strategies                 December 15, 2014

Employers' Costs of Lost Productivity Due to Obesity-Related Absenteeism: 50 State Study
In This Issue
- OBESITY COSTS
- LARSON'S SPOTLIGHT: Chemical Exposure, Retaliatory Discharge, Incarceration, Psychic Injury
- NATIONAL & STATE NEWS
- eNEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
A Note From the Editor
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LexisNexis Legal & Professional Operations
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50 State Workers' Comp Legislation

Expert Analysis & Commentary

Larson's Spotlight on Cases

 

employers' costs of lost productivity due to obesity-related absenteeism

A 50 state study shows D.C. had the highest costs and South Dakota had the lowest costs

 

By Roger Rabb, J.D., Special Correspondent for the LexisNexis Workers' Compensation eNewsletter 

 

Although the annual costs of providing healthcare to Americans for conditions associated with obesity has been estimated at well over $100 billion ($147 billion in 2008), less information has been gathered about the cost to employers of lost work days attributable to overweight and obese employees. In order to provide more working data about the true economic costs of obesity in America, a new study, "State-Level Estimates of Obesity-Attributable Costs of Absenteeism," has been published in the November 2014 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. As noted in this study, the importance of this issue for the American economy in a global marketplace is evident, as "[r]educed productivity of public and private employees could lead to higher production costs and a less competitive workplace."...read more.
attention subscribers: our regular enewsletter will be on vacation for two weeks

We will return with insightful articles, news, top cases, and blog posts on January 5, 2015.

LARSON'S SPOTLIGHT ON RECENT CASES

Thomas A. Robinson, J.D., our Feature National Columnist, is a leading commentator and expert on the law of workers' compensation. 

 

New York: Causal Connection Between Rare Cancer and Employment Chemical Established. A deceased employee's ureteral cancer was causally connected to his employment exposure to a chemical, orthotoluidine....read more.

 

Illinois: Where Trier of Fact Believes Employer's Non-Pretextual Reason for Discharge, Employee Fails to Carry His or Her Burden of Proof. In a retaliatory discharge action, the burden of proof is on the discharged employee to show that the employment was terminated and that...read more.

 

Nebraska: High Court Holds Incarceration Does Not Disqualify Injured Worker From Disability Benefits. In a case of first impression, the Supreme Court of Nebraska held that absent a specific statute requiring a contrary ruling, where a workers' compensation claimant has proved a loss...read more.

 

Pennsylvania: Claimant Fails to Show Psychic Injury Resulted From Abnormal Conditions. In Pennsylvania, a claimant seeking benefits for a psychic injury must meet a higher standard for causation by proving that...read more.

national & state news

Hospital Outpatient Costs Higher Where Percent-of-Charge-Based Fee Regs, No Fee Schedules.

NCCI Develops Proof of WC Coverage App Covering 32 Jurisdictions.

EEOC Provides Guidance on Workers Comp ADA Obligations.

NIOSH Examines Latest Study on Prevention of Stress Among Healthcare Workers.

Workers' Comp Customers Dissatisfied With Billing and Payment Practices.

AK: LWD Reports Big Drop in Lost Time Injuries.

CA: DWC Posts IMR Progress Report Based on 2013 Data.

CA: DWC Posts Chronic Pain Medical Treatment Guidelines for Public Comment.

CA: WCIRB Releases Third Quarter 2014 Experience Report.

CA: 1st DCA Grants Writ of Review in Stevens v. WCAB, IMR Constitutional Challenge.

CA: OSIP Posts Analysis of Actuarial Reports Mandated by SB 863.

CA: Marsh Provides Guidance on New Temp Worker Law.

CA: Maximus Exec to Speak of Impact of Health Care Reform on Workers Comp Systems.

CA: Drobot Sued by Two Patients for Injuries Related to Spinal Surgery Hardware.

FL: Court Reverses Award Requiring Employer to Pay for Kidney Removal.

FL: DWC Amends Rule to Adopt 2014 Edition of WC Reimbursement Manual for Hospitals.

IL: Employee's Off-Duty Use of Marijuana Insufficient to Deny Unemployment Benefits.

IA: WDD Adopts New OSHA Injury Reporting Requirements.

LA: State Ranks Second-Best Nationally for Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.

MD: WCC Posts Latest Maximum/Minimum Benefit Rates.

MD: WCC Posts Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report.

ME: Court Upholds Suspension of Comp Benefits for Missing Home Depot Employee.

MI: Cost of Medical Care for Injured Workers Lower Than Most State, Slowly Rising.

MO: HB 177 Would Create Joint Committee on Missouri Division of Workers Compensation.

NE: Governor Considers Three Nominees for Workers' Comp Court.

NJ: LWD Announces Counsel Fee Threshold to Increase to $45K in 2015.

NY: WCB Posts Changes to List of Authorized Health Care Providers.

OH: HB 412 First Responder PTSD Benefits Passed by Senate, Goes to House.

OH: Dependents of OH Worker Who Lived 4.5 Hours After Fall Awarded PPD Benefits.

OH: Attorneys Get $136M in Fees Over Lawsuit Against BWC.

TX: DWC Finalizes Medical Quality Review CY 2015 Annual Audit Plan.

TX: DWC Posts Annual Change to Medical Fee Guideline Conversion Factors.

TX: Ins. Commissioner Adopts NCCI Experience Rating Plan Manual.

VT: Dept. of Labor Seeks Input on VR Rules.

VA: WCC Provides Guidance for Pre-Hearing Motions Order.

WA: Trucking Industry Injury Rates, Costs Among the Highest.

ENEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

ArchivesTake a deep dive into our past eNewsletters for 2014 and prior...warning - some links to articles may not work...report any linking problems to [email protected].

Dec. 8, 2014: Workplace Violence: Employer Strategies

Dec. 1, 2014: Predictive Analytics and Big Data in the Workplace and Beyond

Nov. 24, 2014: Specialty Drugs

Nov. 17, 2014: 2014 Workers' Compensation Emerging Issues

Nov. 10, 2014: Workers' Comp System Slammed for Poor Quality Healthcare, Failure to Innovate.

Nov. 3, 2014: Late-Term Compensation Care for Injured Workers.

ACCESS 2010-2014 ARCHIVES AND ARTICLES LIST HERE.

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