Have you heard that old saying, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'? It definitely makes my heart go pitter-patter. I absolutely love supporting leaders and solving the nuisances in the absence and disability management space. Conversely, ask any people leader, and I'm sure that you will get a mixed bag of emotions because this is a challenging area to navigate.

This year's dearth of enacted COVID-19 legislation that would affect workers compensation is an indication that lawmakers have lost their appetite for measures to address the pandemic's effect on worker infections, insurance experts say.

Workers' Compensation, as an industry, has a marketing problem. It is probably better described as a messaging problem. It has long been true that the industry has been broadly defined by the negative stories that find their way into local and national press publications and media outlets.

All carriers and brokers encourage their insureds to read and understand their policies. Claims resolution relies on all the work after that. At best, when a claim occurs it is swiftly paid and insureds understand their policy language and feel protected by it.

As California lawmakers for the second year consider reducing the amount of time allowed for workers compensation claims administrators to investigate the compensability of occupational injury or illness claims, an analysis by the California Workers' Compensation Institute shows how the changes could affect acceptance of more complex claims.

Earlier this month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a new initiative to conduct surprise safety inspections for fall hazards. A day later, the agency announced $32,113 in fines for a Florida construction company where a 19-year-old worker died after falling from a clubhouse roof.

Empathy is a concept so needed in the workers' compensation space and yet we have not invested the time, talent, and resources to further examine and develop this concept. Empathy: a core fundamental to build connection and trust.

Payouts for workers' compensation claims are on the rise after a bill passed earlier this year by the Georgia General Assembly took effect July 1.

The result is an increase in costs for employers and carriers handling the claims, but an Atlanta workers' comp attorney says he doesn't think the change will impact most cases.

A federal jury in the District of Massachusetts has found that a Massachusetts employer and his company retaliated against an immigrant employee who reported an on-the-job injury.

Are you a lifelong learner looking for a claims professional designation? Do you need professional development engagement? Are you ready to take the next step in your claims career?

Move over policemen and firefighters. Driving for Uber and Lyft is now America's most dangerous occupation.

Oft forgotten when we think of first responders are the people at the other end of the 9-1-1 call who dispatch services to the emergency callers. Not only responsible for gathering information and sending police, ambulances or otherwise to the correct locations, dispatchers are also the first point of contact a scared individual speaks to for help.

Oftentimes, these callers are distraught, requiring a gentle but firm voice on the other end of the line.

Several cars of an Amtrak train traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago derailed Monday afternoon after it struck a dump truck at a crossing in northern Missouri, Amtrak announced. More than 200 people were on board the train at the time of the crash, which was first reported about 12:43 p.m. near Mendon, Missouri, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

California's top state court has agreed to decide whether employers can be held liable under state law when their workers contract COVID-19 on the job and spread it to their relatives.

A former electrician who was claiming benefits for a 2013 injury evidently forgot the internet era's first rule of disability fraud -- don't let anyone post anything about you on social media ever.