With deadlines fast approaching for a proposal to be given to the legislature, the WCAC met once again on Wednesday to discuss the proposed amendments to the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Act. Many of the same changes that were discussed at the prior meeting were brought up again. However, this was first time some of the more radical changes were put into a proposal for the legislation.
In addition to the items I discussed in my prior posts, the WCAC has included in the new round of proposed amendments language concerning the following:
- Dispute Resolution
- Division Separation
- Occupational Injury Leave Act (Workers’ Compensation Collaborative)
As I wrote about earlier, Commissioner Sviggum and the WCAC are proposing various changes to the current workers’ compensation system. Some of the proposed changes will drastically cut into injured workers’ entitlement to benefits.
An incentive not to hire a lawyer
For example, employees who resolve their claims within 30 days without hiring an attorney would be entitled to a 10% bonus.
This looks nice on the surface, but looks can be deceiving.
Employees may think they are getting more, but it is very likely that unrepresented employees will be taken advantage of by the employer and insurer. With the 10% bonus, it may be that much easier to persuade injured employees to take less than they should for a claim.
The Minnesota Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council (WCAC), which advises the commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry about workers’ compensation matters, met yesterday to discuss proposed changes to the workers’ compensation statutes.
At the meeting, DOLI Commissioner Steve Sviggum and the committee members handed out a 47-page booklet outlining various recommendations concerning the Minnesota workers’ compensation system.
Commissioner Sviggum said he wants “comprehensive balance” in the system. He also said the system was “more confrontational than need be.” He said his main concern was balancing the interest of the injured worker and the employer while being “responsive to the injured worker.”
What he proposes is to eliminate benefits for undocumented workers. Commissioner Sviggum intends to hold a vote at the next WCAC meeting on January 14, 2009. Read on for more on the proposed changes.
