Steps and Requirements to file a Workers Compensation Claim in California

If you experience an injury at your work place, it is important for you to file a worker’s compensation claim in order to receive justice from your employer. Typically there are three fundamental eligibility requirements that you must have: You must be an employee, your employer must carry workers compensation insurance, and you must have…

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The Fight for $15 and its Policy Impact with Labor Law Enforcement

As cities and states experiment with increases in minimum wage, enforcement strategies are evolving to meet the challenges of this labor equality movement. Since the end of 2012, workers and labor organizations have been fighting to raise minimum wage across the nation to reverse growing wage inequality. Their efforts fought heavily in the public eye,…

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Wage, Labor and Hour Disputes in a Struggling Job Force: Are You a victim?

As the old saying goes, “work smarter, not harder.” While some working professionals consider it to be wise work ethic advice, others prefer the traditional method of working hard to reap the rewards. However, what happens when an employee’s overtime hours are not compensated for by the employer?    Working overtime is not uncommon for…

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The New Online Qualified Medical Evaluation Form

The new online QME Panel request form 106 is most definitely the easiest form to fill out that the Division of Workers’ Compensation has created. This form was made available on October 1, 2015, after a press release in July announced that the paper format will no longer be accepted. For all intents and purposes,…

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Can I see my private doctor for my workers’ compensation injury?

The short answer is maybe.  However, it is only when an employee has pre-designated his or her private doctor, and the pre-designation occurred prior to the workers’ compensation injury.  There are additional requirements that must be met before an injured worker can see his/her private doctor and remain under the care of one’s private doctor…

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Medical Treatment Disputes in Workers’ Compensation Claims

California Workers’ Compensation Laws provide certain benefits to employees injured on the job, including medical treatment for the industrial injury. At the initial evaluation, the workers’ compensation doctor will create a treatment plan which may include consultations with specialists, conservative medical treatment, diagnostic testing, and/or surgery. This means that the injured worker will be entitled…

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What Are Your Options if You’re Pregnant

Pregnancy should be a celebrated event. However, for many expectant parents, the fear of how an employer will react introduces anxiety to otherwise happy news. Parents are likely to worry about their income when the mother needs to take time off of work due to the pregnancy and what will happen if the father wants…

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Is the California Paid Sick Leave Law a Step Backward?

Beginning January 1, 2015, California’s new paid sick leave law takes effect. This new law mandates that California employers must allow its employees to accrue and use paid sick time. However, while this new paid sick leave law aims to benefit employees and is seemingly a leap forward for employees’ workplace rights, some believe this…

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Workers’ Compensation: Defining Industrial Injury

In California, employers are required to have workers’ compensation insurance to cover employee injuries, also called industrial injuries.  How can an employer or employee identify when an industrial injury has occurred through occupational labor?  Sometimes it is easy to identify an industrial injury (ex: office worker slips and falls, construction worker falls off a ladder,…

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