Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. December 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Legislation in Colorado, the District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Washington and Wisconsin. December 2022 leave law summary – CanadaFederal legislation along with legislation in […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. November 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Legislation in Colorado, New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania. November 2022 leave law summary – CanadaFederal legislation along with legislation in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. October 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Legislation in the District of Columbia and Oregon. October 2022 leave law summary – CanadaFederal legislation along with legislation in Nova Scotia and Yukon. […]

By Lisa Orr, senior human factors consultant and Laura Oslund, senior risk services consultant A core principle in risk services, one of the most effective ways to support employee safety and well-being and control workers’ compensation costs is to prevent on-the-job injuries from occurring in the first place. A population group that presents a significant challenge in this […]

By Josephine Copeland – SVP product design and strategy, Dr. Teresa Bartlett – managing director and Jason Bliss – SVP business development Staffing demands are top of mind for employers around the world and across all industries. How do we support claims examiners as case load increases, especially during a time when attracting and retaining […]

By Kimberly George – global head, innovation and product development and Shane O’Dea – head of strategic partnerships and programs, workers compensation Most personal injury and workers compensation schemes around the globe are focusing on the injured worker being at the center of everything they do. When we take a step back and look at […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. September 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Federal legislation along with legislation in California and Colorado. September 2022 leave law summary – CanadaUpdates in federal and maritime provinces. September 2022 workers’ […]

By Kathy Tazic, managing director client services Our industry will gather at National Comp in Las Vegas Oct. 19-21. We look forward to seeing our clients and partners throughout the conference and talking about some of the significant challenges and opportunities facing our industry. Here is a glimpse at what’s coming your way. Your National Comp roundup […]

by Shane O’Dea, head of strategic partnerships and programs, workers compensation During the Personal Injury & Disability National Conference, an array of stakeholders across Australia will come together to discuss outcomes and industry best practices for the motor accident, workers compensation, disability and life insurance sectors. Our own experts will take part in a session […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. August 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Legislation in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. August 2022 leave law summary – CanadaLegislation in Ontario. August 2022 workers’ comp law summary […]

By David Kessler, D.C., M.H.A. CHCQM, SVP and medical director, Sedgwick Managed Care Ohio (MCO) The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently published the findings of its study on the use of chiropractic care to treat injured workers in the United States suffering from lower back pain. As a chiropractor by training and a longtime […]

By Max Koonce, chief claims officer Workers’ compensation’s original premise, the “Grand Bargain”, has remained consistent since its inception in the early 20th century. There have been exceptions and variations to the definition of disease and injury coverage, types of benefits and to what extent they apply, and the value of the benefits. However, this original […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. July 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Legislation in District of Columbia, Michigan and Oregon. July 2022 leave law summary – CanadaFederal legislation along with legislation in Ontario. July 2022 workers’ […]

Written by David Stills, senior vice president, carrier and risk practice All eyes on workers’ compensation… and a look at what’s next Workers’ compensation is comprised of multiple state systems, each with their own unique set of rules and regulations that are in constant flux. The definition of compensability is continually evolving and benefits are […]

By Max Koonce, chief claims officer The Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI) will celebrate the 76th Annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference and the 33rd Safety & Health Conference in Orlando, Florida August 21-24. An array of stakeholders representing all facets of the industry will once again begin a dialogue and exchange ideas about how to improve […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. June 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Legislation in California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York and Puerto Rico. June 2022 leave law summary – CanadaFederal legislation […]

By Shane O’Dea, head of strategic partnerships and programs, workers compensation Grabbing breakfast on-the-go, rushing to catch public transportation, or getting stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic in order to work the traditional 9-to-5 is no longer the standard for many in the workforce in Australia and around the world. Remote, hybrid and flexible work options continue to present […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. May 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Legislation in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont along with paid family leave laws on the horizon. May 2022 leave law […]

By Shane O’Dea, head of strategic partnerships and programs, workers compensation Regardless of geographic location, when an injured worker is unfamiliar with the workers’ compensation journey it can be daunting to navigate on their own. It may lead to frustration, fear, disengagement, and further harm to their mental health. There is significant value in employers, […]

By Dr. Paul Peak, vice president, clinical pharmacy From higher prices at the gas pump to increased costs at the grocery store, we’re all feeling the effects of inflation. Many of the proposed solutions — like fixing supply chain disruptions, increasing computer-chip production, and raising interest rates — are out of our control, and we’re […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. April 2022 leave law summary – U.S.Legislation in Alabama, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington. April 2022 leave law summary – CanadaFederal legislation along with legislation […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. With COVID-19 impacting legislation, you can also visit sedgwick.com/coronavirus for information regarding Sedgwick’s preparedness and response efforts, along with our listing of expanded services to help during this crisis. March 2022 leave […]

By Bryon Bass, SVP, workforce absence, and Max Koonce, chief claims officer Long COVID is an umbrella term for cases in which people experience symptoms related to COVID-19 long after the standard expected recovery period. According to the World Health Organization definition, symptoms “generally have an impact on everyday functioning” and may come and go over […]

By Max Koonce, chief claims officer You may remember the days when claim reporting lag times, introduction of medical cost containment, and assessment of soft tissue injuries were common conversation drivers for claims professionals. Despite the host of new intricacies and nuances, the fundamental need to resolve an injury or loss as efficiently and effectively […]

By Dan Ogale, AVP, workers’ compensation, Canada Sedgwick is best known in Canada for property loss adjusting and related services, but did you know that we’re also one of the leading Canadian third party administrators (TPAs) in the workers’ compensation (WC) arena? Many of the inquiries we get about workers’ compensation in Canada come from U.S.-based employers […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. With COVID-19 impacting legislation, you can also visit sedgwick.com/coronavirus for information regarding Sedgwick’s preparedness and response efforts, along with our listing of expanded services to help during this crisis. February 2022 leave […]

By Jody Moses, managing director, public entity services Risk management is not merely a professional specialty; it’s a basic human instinct. Every day, we all naturally evaluate and aim to minimize the danger to ourselves and others in a wide range of situations: crossing the street, purchasing a home, opening an email from an unfamiliar […]

By Max Koonce, Chief claims officer and Bryon Bass, SVP workforce absence On January 13, 2022, the Supreme Court blocked the Biden Administration from implementing and enforcing a vaccine mandate on large businesses (defined as those with 100 or more employees). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is tasked with protecting workplace safety, […]

By Scott Westman, senior vice president, casualty operations The further we get from the start of the pandemic, the more permanent the changes to the world of workers’ compensation become. New industry players have been introduced, business needs have been refined and program practices have evolved. Those who found ways to pivot quickly — while […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. With COVID-19 impacting legislation, you can also visit sedgwick.com/coronavirus for information regarding Sedgwick’s preparedness and response efforts, along with our listing of expanded services to help during this time. August 2021 leave […]

By Max Koonce, chief claims officer As the battle against COVID-19 rages on, vaccinations have become a front-line conversation. The workers’ compensation implications must be addressed, as there aren’t yet any specific laws or court decisions that can guide COVID-19 vaccine-related situations like adverse reactions to this vaccine. As employers encourage or require employees to […]

By Dr. Reema Hammoud, AVP, clinical pharmacy While the COVID-19 pandemic forced its way into every aspect of our lives for the past 18 months, it is not the only major ongoing health crisis. The opioid epidemic is still a real threat to our population despite being somewhat overshadowed in the past year. In the […]

Sedgwick regularly monitors and reports on disability, leave and workers’ compensation legislation impacting our customers. Click on the links below for summaries of recent updates. With COVID-19 impacting legislation, you can also visit sedgwick.com/coronavirus for information regarding Sedgwick’s preparedness and response efforts, along with our listing of expanded services to help during this crisis. July 2021 leave […]

Written by Max Koonce, chief claims officer Today’s COVID-19 environment continues to present unique questions within the workers’ compensation industry. Initially, questions focused on compensability of what some qualify as an “ordinary disease of life.” Many states enacted presumption laws outlining specific professions or jobs that would automatically cover COVID-19 as a workers’ compensation claim, […]

Written by, Shawn Johnson, Managing Director, Absence Management Client Services Sedgwick recently hosted a webinar discussing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) compliance, in partnership with Human Resource Executive. There was a high level of interest and employers asked many thought-provoking questions – many of which shared common themes, reminiscent of the early days of […]

Written by Denise Fleury, SVP Disability and Absence Management The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) research paper on Stress in the workplace highlights the costly impact of stress and mental health issues on workplace injuries and illness, including higher risk of injury, medical treatment, lost time from work and presenteeism. We also know that mental health issues, including […]

Written by Barbara Jones, VP Client Services, Disability Administration Did you know that California is one of only five states in the nation – along with Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island – with a mandatory disability insurance program? In California, the State Disability Insurance (SDI) “State Plan” is funded by employee contributions […]