Workers Comp Matters

Sensational coverage and panic drove much of the early discussion and predictions about workers comp during the beginning of the pandemic. But workers comp legal expert Emily Spieler says that early handwringing by employers and employees was overblown. That said, Spieler and host Alan Pierce discuss how the pandemic placed a spotlight on the workers' compensation system. For Spieler, the pandemic exposed how the nation's poor healthcare safety net puts tremendous pressure on workers comp because there is no other real recourse for employees who get sick and can demonstrate they were exposed at work. Without paid sick leave, workers turn to workers' compensation. Workers' comp isn't adequate for illness related to employment. That explains why there are separate federal programs for workers exposed to toxins such as silica, asbestos, and coal dust. Spieler and Pierce talk through the weaknesses of the system, particularly the nuances of compensable diseases for workers directly exposed through front-line work