Seminar teaches new workers’ comp laws

Pat Secrest, director of the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation, will speak at 9 a.m. at Springfield Contractors Association, 1313 N. Nias Ave. The seminar is sponsored by the association, along with Brittney Inc., ABC Drug & Alcohol Testing and the Tri-state Area Contractors Association.

The seminar will last two hours and is free of charge for clients of any of the sponsors and $10 for all others. Reservations can be made by calling (417) 862-1313.

Changes to the laws are detailed in Senate bills 1 and 130, signed by Gov. Matt Blunt March 30.

Significant differences relate to safety rules and drug and alcohol use in the workplace.

Employee compensation will be reduced between 25 percent and 50 percent if the employee fails to use safety devices or follow safety rules provided by the employer. Current law reduces compensation 15 percent.

If an injury is sustained because an employee uses alcohol or nonprescribed controlled drugs, compensation will be reduced by 50 percent, rather than 15 percent dictated by current law.

The new laws also remove the requirement that an employee has to have knowledge of the employer’s alcohol-free and drug-free environment policy before reducing compensation. Employers no longer need to make a strong effort to inform employees of the policy.

An addition to the laws states that an employee’s use of alcohol will be considered the cause of injury if the employee’s blood alcohol content is at or above the legal limit. An employee’s refusal to take a drug or alcohol test could result in no compensation.