Pregnant workers treated worse than drunk drivers? Discrimination case goes to Supreme Court

Workplace discrimination, in one form or another, is, unfortunately, a common occurrence for women in the workforce today.  The most recent case to make national headlines involves former United Parcel Service driver Peggy Young, who will take her pregnancy discrimination case to the Supreme Court later this week.

When Young, a resident of Maryland, became pregnant with her third child, she was instructed by her doctor not to lift more than 20 lbs. She requested light duty assignment, as was offered to her company’s employees who had been injured on the job or affected by other types of disability and work restrictions. Young was denied, and placed on unpaid leave.  She lost her health benefits and seven months of wages.  Young sued her employer for pregnancy discrimination, arguing that she should be eligible for the same accommodations afforded to non-pregnant employees with similar limitations. She lost twice, […]

Personal injury lawyer warns of 10 deadliest jobs and other unsafe work environments

Thousands of workers die from injuries inflicted at work each year. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), 4,405 workers died on the job in 2013. Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA said that “making a living shouldn’t have to cost you your life. Safe jobs happen because employers make the choice to fulfill their responsibilities to protect their workers.”

MSN News recently published America’s 10 Deadliest Jobs. The job with the highest fatality rate according to that list is Loggers. This is the 2nd year that loggers have topped the list of fatal jobs.

Here is the complete list of America’s 10 Deadliest Jobs, 2013
1. Logging Workers
2. Fishers And Related Fishing Workers
3. Aircraft Pilots And Flight Engineers
4. Roofers
5. Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors
6. […]

OSHA tightens standards on workplace injury reporting

Last month, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) strengthened the rules that required businesses to report serious workplace injuries and fatalities. Their goal is to uncover workplace hazards faster and fix problems sooner by requiring companies to report more on-the-job injuries to federal regulators.

According to OSHAs revised safety rule, effective January 1, 2015, companies will be required to report all work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and eye losses within 24 hours. Current laws only require employers to report in-patient hospitalizations if three or more employees are affected, and amputations and eye losses do not have to be reported. Remaining unchanged is the requirement that employers report work-related fatalities within eight hours.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary 2013 workplace fatality data found that 4,405 workers were killed on the job in the US in 2013. That translates to an average of 85 deaths per week or 12 deaths every day. […]

Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer warns of the health risk of shift work

The National Sleep Foundation defines as shift worker as anyone who follows a work schedule outside of the typical 9 to 5 business day. Millions of Americans are considered shift workers, including doctors and nurses, pilots, police officers, customer service reps and commercial drivers among others.

According to WebMD, there are about 8.6 million people performing shift work in the U.S., either through rotating shifts during the week, or working a night job. WebMD quoted a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School as saying that there is strong evidence that shift work is related to a number of serious health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Shift work has also been linked to ulcers and other stomach problems, as well as depression and an increased risk of accidents or injury.

One of the most serious problems shift workers face is frequent sleep disturbance that results in excessive sleepiness and fatigue. […]

Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer says untrained teens in summer jobs are an injury risk

With the end of the school year upon us, many young people are taking on summer jobs. According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Young workers, ages 14-24, are at a high risk of workplace injury because of their inexperience at work and their physical, cognitive and emotional developmental characteristics. They often hesitate to ask questions and may fail to recognize workplace dangers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 80% of high school students work at least sometime throughout the course of a year, with many working during the summer. Young workers are employed in various industries and may engage in tasks that expose them to different workplace hazards, including operating dangerous tools, machinery, and vehicles, and handling cash in settings prone to robbery. Employers many not fully understand the laws or they may not recognize that these inexperienced workers need special attention. […]