Compliance Or Defiance
Closely tied to the reduction in workers compensation costs is the need to comply with the myriad of state and federal laws that impact the workers compensation claim management process. This is an extremely challenging and constantly evolving task for all claim management team members. For that reason a Human Resource Compliance Officer should be assigned to the claim management team, as well a legal advisor, to assist in this important area. The following are just a few of the laws that you confront every day:
1. The applicable state workers compensation act;
2. Key federal workers compensation and employer liability laws;
3. International workers compensation law;
4. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA);
5. The American With Disabilities Act (
6. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA);
7. State and federal laws affecting the use of illegal drugs and alcohol in the workplace;
8. Workers compensation fraud statutes;
9. Privacy laws;
10. Laws addressing the use of illegal use of drugs in the workplace;
11. OSHA recordkeeping requirements, including the OSHA log.
This laws and regulations are actually on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to human resource compliance and they are extremely challenging to apply in worker injury situations. If implemented properly, however, they actually provide a solid basis for the claim management team to control key aspects of the claim process. If performed improperly or inconsistently, however, they may result in fines and penalties for both the organization and the members of the claim management team personally.
The Resource Library within the CompEraser system is loaded with all the tools, forms and checklists you must have to comply with the myriad of state and federal human resource laws and OSHA regulations. For more information go to www.comperaser.com.
