Any company doing business in Colorado – whether it’s a public or private entity – is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance helps protect both the employer and the employee in the case of an accident on the job. Anyone hired to perform services for pay is considered an employee by state law…. Read more »
Depression is the leading cause of disability both worldwide and in the United States, especially among those between 15 and 44. It affects more than 16 million Americans – nearly 7 percent of the population – hitting women much more frequently than men. While depression alone is not sufficient to be a compensable work injury… Read more »
The state of Colorado requires all employers with even a single employee to carry workers’ compensation insurance. It doesn’t matter if those employees are part time or full time. In fact, anyone who receives pay for services in Colorado is considered an employee, as far as workers’ compensation insurance is concerned. There are exceptions, of… Read more »
In June 2015, not long after graduating from high school, Highlands Ranch teenager Sampson Briggs was still learning the ropes at his summer roofing job. At some point during his shift, Briggs stepped back and right off the roof of his school – where he was working – and fell 30 feet to the ground… Read more »
Overall, workers’ compensation costs have been falling nationwide for more than 20 years now. In fact, the National Council on Compensation insurance has pushed for an average premium cut of nearly 13 percent for next year. Closer to home, Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s largest workers’ comp carrier, signed off on an average premium cut of 3.2… Read more »
What most employees don’t realize after they’ve been hurt on the job is that they’re entitled to more than medical benefits. If you’ve been injured at work – and have missed three shifts or three calendar days of work – you’re also entitled to compensation for a portion of the wages you’ve lost because of… Read more »
Office workers tend to have an artificially inflated sense of security when it comes to workplace safety. It’s not like the members of the buttoned-down, nine-to-five set are climbing construction scaffolding or chasing suspects down dark alleys, so what do they have to be afraid of? Plenty, since tens of thousands of office workers get… Read more »
For the last two years, Colorado has seen lower “loss costs,” primarily as a result of fewer, and less severe, worksite accidents. The Colorado Division of Insurance defines loss costs as the medical payments and lost wages paid to injured employees. “Employers in Colorado continue to do a good job of preventing workplace incidents in… Read more »
It’s been five years since voters legalized recreational pot consumption in Colorado. As a result, many employers have backed off from testing candidates and employees for drug use at a record pace. In 2014, for example, roughly 77 percent of Colorado companies featured drug-testing policies. Today, only 62 percent of businesses test for drug use,… Read more »
Other than being known for its benefits, Colorado is also a safer place to work than many other states. Colorado ranks above the national average for the amount of employee fatalities, according to an exhaustive Associated Press analysis of federal data. In fact, over the last decade Colorado has managed to drive down worker deaths… Read more »
