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workers’ compensation. A properly constituted Safety Committee builds employee buy-in by design and holds both the employees and employer accountable for meeting safety-focused goals. Does your organization support light duty? Many employers resist this, wishing to avoid the appearance of creating “busy work.” But consider the statistics: After 12 weeks off, the chances of an employee returning to work are only 50/50. And the longer an absence drags on, the greater the chances of an attorney becoming involved, to say nothing of the cost of training someone new if a worker doesn’t come back. A recent study shows that the employees of companies with a light duty program average 5.1 weeks to maximum medical improvement, compared to 13 weeks for those without. That in itself should motivate you to get a light duty plan in place. The medical marijuana situation has changed, is changing, and will continue to change. What won’t change is the best way to deal with workers’ compensation claims: Have systems in place that lay the groundwork for preventing them in the first place and minimizing the impact to both employee and company when they do occur.
-Jo sh H. Marvel
CIC, AAI, CAWC Commercial Risk Advisor Consolidated Insurance + Risk Management jmarvel@consolidatedinsurance.com (443) 738-2746
This column is intended to provide educational material only and is not intended to provide legal advice. Before proceeding with or defending any claim, you should carefully evaluate your contract and related legal rights and seek the direct counsel of a construction attorney.
If you want to learn more skills and tips about avoiding construction claim pitfalls, you can receive a free copy of my book, “The Subcontractor’s Roadmap to Getting Paid for Extra Work” by emailing me at jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com.
-Jeremy Wyatt
jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com
www.HarrisonLawGroup.com
(410) 832-0000
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