Identifying Permanently Disabled Workers with Disproportionate Earnings Losses for Supplemental Payments

Seth A. Seabury ; Ethan Scherer

RAND Corporation

RAND Corporation

关键词: California;    Workers' Compensation;    Occupational Health and Safety;    Wages and Compensation;    Students;   

DOI  :  10.7249/RR425
RP-ID  :  RR-425-CHSWC

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

美国|英语

来源: RAND Corporation Published Research

【 摘 要 】

California workers with permanently disabling workplace injuries have traditionally had high earnings losses, poor return to work outcomes, and a low percentage of earnings losses replaced by workers' compensation benefits. In September 2012, California adopted legislation that includes changes in the calculation of permanent disability ratings, increases in permanent disability compensation, and a program to provide supplemental payments to injured workers whose permanent disability benefits are disproportionately low in comparison to their earnings loss. However, the language in the statute does not expressly define "disproportionately low." This report makes several recommendations about the design and implementation of this program: Payments can be targeted to workers whose actual measured earnings after the disability award are below what would be expected based on the severity of their disability.