State lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are touting workers' compensation reform as a win this legislative session. It was added as part of the recently approved New York State budget.
WSKG's Sarah Gager and Gabe Altieri discuss some of the big changes.
Interview Highlights:
On what workers' compensation is:
Gabe Altieri: Worker’s compensation is the insurance that employers buy to cover employees who are injured at work. It’s a big cost for businesses.
On a major change in the deal:
GA: A big change sets kind of a shorter timeline for an injured worker to heal. If he or she isn’t going to heal anymore, then that worker’s benefit would be stopped after two and a half years. But this shorter cap is good for business because it potentially limits premiums and other costs. Now, if a worker can prove he or she will eventually heal, then this particular benefit can continue.
On whether workers won any reform:
GA: The workers benefited as well. For example, for a more serious injury, you might not ever heal completely and your ability to work might be impaired. It used to be that you’d qualify for benefits if you were 80 percent impaired. Well now you can get benefits if you are 75 percent impaired.