The Ohio Industrial Commission Statewide Hearing Officer Meeting offered some key insights for Ohio employers. Continue Reading Updates for Ohio employers from the 2023 Statewide Hearing Officer Meeting
Bureau of Workers' Compensation
Ohio updates workers’ compensation laws for remote workers
Over two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began and many employees switched from coming into a workplace to working at home, Ohio has amended the workers’ compensation laws to reflect the current work environment. Effective Sep. 21, 2022, this new legislation expands the definition of a compensable workplace injury to include some injuries sustained within the employee’s home, if certain criteria are met.
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Ohio BWC pandemic-related developments
As Ohio attempts to move forward during this pandemic, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is doing the same. For example, the BWC has resumed the scheduling of medical exams where necessary, is using alternative methods such as file reviews when possible, and has provided guidance on telemedicine resources to assist with the continuation of benefits to injured workers. The BWC is also making efforts to ease the economic impacts to businesses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are some highlights that employers, both self-insured and state-funded, should be aware of during this unprecedented time.
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Are Ohio workers’ compensation laws changing?
As we reported in June, the Ohio legislature attempted to make substantial changes to workers’ compensation laws as part of the overall budget. However, after the House and Senate could not reach an agreement on many parts of the budget, Gov. DeWine permitted the legislature additional time to reach a compromise. The actual budget submitted…
Applicants may be required to declare citizenship status when filing for Ohio workers’ compensation benefits
The Ohio House of Representatives passed a two year $645 million workers’ compensation budget on June 5, 2019. As part of the budget bill, a provision was added that requires anyone who files an application for a workers’ compensation claim through the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, to identify themselves as either a U.S. citizen,…
Workers’ compensation law changes
Recently, Gov. Kasich signed into law the workers’ compensation budget. In addition to funding the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), the bill enacted a number of substantive changes to the law. These changes are effective Sept. 29, 2017. Below are some of the significant amendments impacting Ohio employers:
- Decreases statute of limitations: For claims
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Workers’ Compensation Considerations When Purchasing a Company
When a purchase of a business takes place in Ohio, the purchaser often overlooks the fact that it will assume the sellers’ workers’ compensation claims experience either in part or in whole. The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (“BWC”) has taken a fairly strict line in combining and transferring coverage to purchasers.
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