The Domestic Violence Leave Law provides job-protected leave for victims of domestic violence. This law went in to effect in 2014 and requires covered employers to provide up to 15 days of job-protected leave in a 12 month period to an employee who is a victim of domestic violence or who has a family member …
Workplace Injury Statistics
Many employers have complained about the nuisance and cost of certain workplace safety regulations. While the effectiveness of any regulation must continually be evaluated, there is no question that government regulations requiring safety compliance have reduced the number of workplace injuries and deaths. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) publishes commonly used statistics regarding …
Most Old Work Injuries Are Still Compensable
Under the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Act, an injured employee must file a claim ‘within four years from the date the employee first became aware of the causal relationship between his disability and his employment.’ M.G.L. c. 152 41. This statute of limitations provision is particularly beneficial for workers who have suffered rather ambiguous injuries, such …
Bad Care or Medical Malpractice?
Recently, in December 2014, a few Chinese surgeons and nurses took selfies with patients undergoing surgery. They claimed that the operating room was soon to be closed, and they just wanted some memorabilia. The outcome: a few clinicians lost their jobs, and the rest were reprimanded. Closer to home, in June 2015, a Virginia anesthesiologist, …
Lawsuit Seeks Safety Netting for MLB Ballparks
It’s summertime, and we are right in the middle of baseball season. The Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game just took place, and the second half of the MLB season will kick off tonight with some teams thinking about a pennant and others weighing their options for next year. Behind the scenes, however, a …
The Baseball Rule
The summer is a great time to go outside and enjoy the nice weather and sunshine, and a time when many people take advantage of the ability to be more active and participate in a variety of sports. However, people do not always consider the liability ramifications of participating in sports, or even merely being …
Are Volunteers Covered Under Worker’s Compensation Laws?
Under Massachusetts General Laws 152 which is the worker’s compensation statute, 1[4] ’employees are described as every person in the service of another under any contract of hire, expressed, or implied, oral or written excepting” As to the exceptions the key exception is that there must be an employer, employee relationship and there must be …
Are Volunteers Covered Under Worker’s Compensation Laws?Read More
OSHA Cracking Down on Fall Hazards
The construction industry is the backbone of the economy and, quite literally, has built this country from the ground up. Yet, companies continue to expose construction workers to dangerous conditions. Recently, four construction companies working on a mill renovation project in Easthampton, MA were cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violations …
