Ex-firefighter loses workers’ compensation claim that alleged his job led to cancer
The Commonwealth Court ruled against a veteran firefighter’s appeal of his workers’ compensation claim that argued his occupation caused his prostate cancer. Gerald Cantz, a Philadelphia man, worked as a firefighter from 1977 to 2007 before retiring. In December 2009 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Cantz filed a claim in April 2012, alleging he […]
New Jersey state employee injured in crash denied special pension
A New Jersey Department of Education employee who was injured when driving to work on a snowy day because she was not aware a meeting had been canceled will not receive a full disability pension. Ursula Cargill had appealed a Board of Trustees of the Public Employees’ Retirement System ruling. Cargill applied for benefits due […]
The effect of mental distress on the risk of women’s work injuries
The role of gender in work injuries was the subject of a new study conducted by the Colorado School of Health’s Center for Health, Work and Environment on the Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The researchers discovered that psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, can cause women to be more susceptible to work injuries than men. […]
The perils of the workplace for restaurant workers
Generally, when referring to workplace hazards and dangers, we think of those workers who are employed in industries such as construction and manufacturing. However, people who work in the restaurant industry are also susceptible to the risk of injury and illness in the workplace. Restaurant employers have a legal duty to ensure the safety of […]
Judge rules employer does not have to permit employee’s marijuana use
A federal judge ruled a Bridgeton glass factory can indefinitely suspend a worker because he uses medical marijuana. The worker, Daniel Cotto Jr., sued Ardagh Glass after the employer did not allow him to return to his job as a forklift operator after a workplace accident in November of 2016. Court documents show Cotto hit […]
New Jersey Attorney General files brief in support of workers in employee classification case
In the interest of protecting New Jersey workers and the enforcement of the state’s labor laws, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal filed a brief in federal court arguing New Jersey’s test for deciding whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor is not preempted by federal law. The amicus brief was filed on behalf of […]
OSHA penalizes construction firm for exposing workers to hazardous conditions
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a construction firm in Philadelphia for exposure of employees to hazardous conditions in the workplace. OSHA has recommended penalties in the amount of $222,152. OSHA’s response to a grievance expressing impending danger at a company occurred in October 2017. OSHA cited the company, Hua Da Construction, […]
Proposed bill offers workers’ compensation protection to freelancers
An increasing number of New Jersey residents are opting to work for companies as freelancers. State legislators have responded by recommending a new set of labor laws to help make certain that freelancers are treated justly and are compensated in a timely manner. In a measure that was sanctioned by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, agreements […]
The duty of an employer to its injured employees
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) forbids discrimination in the workplace. Even though the NJLAD does not clearly address reasonable accommodation, New Jersey courts have ruled that the law mandates that employers reasonably accommodate employees’ disabilities. Additionally, the Department of Law and Public Safety regulations require that employers reasonably accommodate the limitations of an […]
Potential loss of unemployment benefits for workers who change jobs
Last year the New Jersey Supreme Court said it would hear the state’s appeal in the matter of a worker who was awarded unemployment benefits after she left one job for another that offered greater compensation, only to later discover that the second job was no longer available. As the New Jersey Law Journal reported, […]