Attorneys David Roos and Michael McCabe met with several attendees at the HR Law & Solutions seminar last month, in a question and answer session to address specific issues from a workers’ compensation perspective. A major focus of the questions centered around the extent to which HR policies, practices, and procedures would be affected by a pending workers’ compensation claim. Questions also addressed how much control an HR manager or employer has over issues that would normally result in disciplinary actions, including termination.

Have Consistent Policies and Procedures

David and Mike explained that an employer retains the same level of control over employee conduct regardless of a pending workers’ compensation claim, and that an employer could exert that control through consistent implementation of HR practices and procedures. According to David and Mike, this would eliminate potentially expensive employment law actions such as retaliatory discharge. HR professionals need to maintain the same practices and procedures that apply to all employees, and need to keep in close contact with their insurance company adjuster and defense attorney (if one has been retained) to make sure that the employer is aware of how an HR decision affects the pending workers’ compensation claim. Understanding how HR decisions, such as termination, affect the underlying injury claim allows the employer to understand how those decisions will increase (or decrease) the costs of a workers’ compensation claim – and ultimately future insurance premium increases.

When Does Termination Affect Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Continue Reading Workers’ Compensation Update – 2015 HR Law & Solutions