In November, the Ohio BWC approved Governor DeWine’s request to send another $5 billion in dividends to Ohio employers. The dividend payments come in the form of paper checks, which the state began mailing out to employers on December 10, 2020, or as credits to employers’ accounts for those employers with outstanding balances owed to
Changes in Ohio Workers’ Compensation Law Taking Effect in September 2020
Ohio House Bill 81, first introduced back in February of 2019, contains several significant changes regarding workers’ compensation law. Signed by Governor Mike DeWine on June 16, 2020, the bill is set to become law on September 15, 2020. The changes brought about by the bill include a reduced statute of limitations for Violations of
Construction Company Ordered to Pay for Former Employee’s Medical Cannabis
A New Jersey appellate court has ruled that a former employee’s medical cannabis must be reimbursed by his former employer. Vincent Hager was an employee of M+K Construction when he suffered a job-site injury in 2001. The injury resulted in several surgeries and chronic pain. Hager was prescribed medical cannabis in 2016, which resulted in
No Medical Marijuana in Ohio BWC’s Drug-Free Workplace
For Ohio employers who pay into the state fund for their workers’ compensation coverage, enrollment in the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s (BWC) Drug-Free Safety Program (DFSP) can provide significant savings by way of premium rebates, provided that all the requirements of the program are met. These requirements include developing a written DFSP policy, providing employee
Ohio House Adds Citizenship Question to Workers’ Compensation Budget Bill
Last week, the Ohio House of Representatives passed the proposed workers’ compensation budget for the next two years, but not before a controversial amendment was added at the last minute. The budget bill, or House Bill 80, was amended to require injured workers to identify themselves as either a U.S. citizen, non-citizen authorized worker, or
Ohio Workers’ Compensation Quick Hits
Oxycontin No Longer Covered
- In light of the major role Oxycontin has played in the opioid crisis faced by Ohio and the rest of the country, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) has removed the painkiller from its list of approved drugs it will cover for Ohio’s injured workers. Starting in July of this
Good News for Ohio’s State Fund Employers
The Board of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation at its meeting today approved an 85% premium rebate of the workers compensation premiums paid for the year ending June 30, 2017 for private sector employers and calendar year 2016 for public employers. Checks should go out to the eligible employers over several weeks in July,
Court Confirms That Staffing Agency’s Workers’ Comp Policy Shields Customer from Common Law Negligence Claims, Too
An Ohio court of appeals last week confirmed that a primary benefit of using staffing companies – the staffing company’s payment of workers’ compensation premiums covering the loaned employees – shields both the staffing company and its customer from workplace negligence claims.
Ohio’s Eighth District Court of Appeals, in Thomas v. PSC Metals, 2018-Ohio-1630
General Assembly and Governor Raid Workers’ Compensation Fund
Dangerous precedent with respect to the State’s use of Ohio employers’ money has just been set with the passing of House Bill 49, the state’s Biannual Appropriation Bill. Specifically, House Bill 49 contains a provision authorizing the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) to “raid” BWC and Industrial Commission budgets, transferring up to two
Firefighters Gain New Workers’ Compensation Rights
Since 1993, the Ohio Workers’ Compensation Act (O.R.C. §4123), has provided firefighters and police officers additional workers’ compensation benefits. Specifically, it is presumed that firefighters and police officers who suffer from cardiovascular, pulmonary, or respiratory disease after being exposed to heat, smoke, toxic gases, chemical fumes and other toxic substances during the course of their