Things you should know
Proposed rule could mean stiff Medicare secondary payer penalties for insurers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a long-awaited proposed rule regarding late reporting of Medicare Secondary Payer data. While the regulation established that insurers and self-insured report the information to CMS when they accepted a medical responsibility in a workers' compensation claim or provided payment or settlement to a Medicare beneficiary report, it took 13 years to address penalties for failure to accurately report the data.
The proposed rule allows penalties of up to $1,000 per day per claim for failure to register and report Medicare secondary payer data or report with sufficient accuracy. It places a five-year statute of limitations on fines and recovery by CMS.
NLRB releases new definition of "joint employer"
As expected, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) tightened up the definition of "joint employer" in a final rule announced Feb. 25. The final rule takes effect April 27 and establishes an entity is a joint employer of a separate employer's workers only if the two employers share or codetermine the employees' essential terms or conditions of employment.
Free online training: Preventing workplace violence in retail, food service
The University of Southern Maine, in conjunction with the Maine Small Business Development Center, has launched three free online training modules intended to help employers (fewer than 250 employees) and workers in the retail and food service industries prevent workplace violence. The three modules are:
- Employer and manager (two hours)
- Employee (one hour)
- Trainer (one hour)
Each module is self-paced, allowing users to log in and resume learning when convenient.
New resources from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CRC)
- Working with solvents
- RF radiation exposure
FMCSA final rule delays compliance date for CMV driver minimum training requirements
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is delaying by two years the compliance date of its final rule on minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle drivers. The new compliance date is Feb. 7, 2022. For more information.
New video for tower workers: safety climb systems
A new video from the National Association of Tower Erectors highlights the importance of properly inspecting and using safety climb systems installed on communication towers.
State News
California
- In a unanimous decision, the state Supreme Court held that the time spent by employees waiting for and undergoing security checks of bags and other personal items is compensable, even when the policy only applies to employees who choose to bring personal items to work. However, the ruling provides a multi-factor test as to whether "onsite employer-controlled activities" must be compensated as "hours worked."
Illinois
- The Department of Human Rights (IDHR) issued guidance for employers on the requirements created by the Workplace Transparency Act (WTA), which became effective Jan.1. The guidance provides the "minimum" standards required in connection with aspects of the Act.
New York
- The New York City Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR) has released a factsheet on the anti-discrimination protections provided to individuals performing services as independent contractors and freelancers under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) that went into effect January 11, 2020.
Wisconsin
- The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the rollout of additional educational tools that will help workers, employers, and other stakeholders learn more about and connect with organizations and resources that work to advance workplace safety. These include updated publications, a new blog, and social media videos.