March 30, 2020
Information for employers: Injuries while working from homeWith more employees working from home due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, many policyholders have turned to SFM for answers on liability questions concerning the home office.
March 25, 2020
Cumulative injury coverage under workers' compensationSome work injuries don’t occur at a specific time, but rather they are the result of a degenerative process that takes place over months or years.
March 18, 2020
Even unpaid interns may be eligible for workers’ compIf your organization offers internships, be aware that even unpaid interns could be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
June 25, 2019
Tips for a smooth premium auditRead our premium audit tips to make sure yours goes smoothly, and understand why your annual workers' compensation premium audit is so important.
May 29, 2019
Are employee injuries at parties and wellness events eligible for workers' comp benefits?Typically, an injury sustained in an activity that is truly voluntary is not compensable. But if the employee is encouraged or required to participate, or the company benefits from the participation in some way, it could be.
May 9, 2019
Workers' compensation and home office telecommutingEmployees who are injured while taking a short break from work can be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. What happens when the injury occurs while the employee is working from home?
July 25, 2018
"Ban the Box" doesn't prevent criminal background check"Ban the box" is a national movement that prevents employers from asking about criminal history prior to interviewing applicants. In some cases, criminal background checks can be a useful hiring tool.
July 11, 2018
What the 'gig economy' means for worker protectionsA growing gig economy might leave some workers with gaps in workers' compensation and other protections.
June 13, 2018
Are your workers independent contractors or employees?Employers' workers' compensation requirements differ for workers considered employees versus those considered independent contractors.
March 1, 2018
Wisconsin law makes workers’ compensation ‘exclusive remedy’ for temp worker injuriesWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill into law on February 28 that prevents temporary employees who sustain work injuries from suing their employers, rather than going through workers’ compensation.
November 15, 2017
Are injuries at a work holiday party compensable?Although in most cases injuries that occur during a work holiday party would not be compensable, there are some exceptions.
June 30, 2017
Do volunteers qualify for workers' compensation?Volunteers generally aren’t eligible for workers' compensation benefits, but there are exceptions, and state laws can differ.
April 19, 2017
What Iowa’s new workers’ compensation changes meanIowa’s workers’ compensation system will see some significant changes on July 1, 2017, under a bill signed into law by Gov. Terry Branstad in March.
August 4, 2016
Wisconsin medical board adopts opioid prescribing guidelinesThe Wisconsin Medical Examining Board adopted new guidelines for prescribing opioid painkillers aimed at combating heroin use.
July 30, 2015
Minnesota implements new rules for prescribing opioid painkillersTo prevent injured workers from ending up with painkiller addictions, the state of Minnesota has adopted stronger requirements for prescribing physicians.
July 13, 2015
Nebraska Supreme Court reverses workers’ comp rulingThis 2015 ruling from the Nebraska Supreme court reversed a lower court’s ruling on the workers’ compensation case.
June 17, 2015
Iowa Supreme Court says workers’ compensation surveillance footage need not be disclosed before depositionThe Iowa Supreme Court ruled that employers do not need to provide surveillance footage to workers’ compensation claimants before they are deposed.
January 13, 2015
The four most effective tactics to avoid workers' compensation litigationOn-the-job injuries can cost your company time, productivity, money and even employee morale — costs that are compounded when you become engaged in a legal battle.
September 30, 2014
What your employee handbook should say about workers' compensationIncorporating workers' compensation into your employee handbook shows your staff that you take work injuries seriously.
June 16, 2014
How to discipline employees who’ve experienced work injuriesSimply because an employee sustained a work injury does not excuse that employee from performing the duties and expected standards of the job.
March 7, 2014
Minnesota Supreme Court maintains status quo for PTSD claimsThe Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed that an employee’s post-traumatic stress disorder was a non-compensable mental injury under the law in effect at the time of injury.
January 3, 2014
Minnesota Supreme Court reverses appeals court's Dykhoff decisionThe 2013 Dykhoff decision provides insight into what it means for an injury to “arise out of” employment, making it eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
August 26, 2013
Police officer’s mental injury might have been compensable under amended Minnesota workers’ compensation lawMinnesota law previously did not allow workers' compensation benefits for mental injuries unless they caused or were accompanied by physical injuries.
August 14, 2013
First ‘GINA’ lawsuit settled by EEOCThe U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) settled the first lawsuit it had filed under the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).
May 27, 2013
Summer can increase schools' workers' comp exposureAt schools, the summer months can present high potential for workers' compensation exposure, because wage-loss benefits can drag out longer than they would otherwise.
