More 3M Layoffs and MN Work Comp. Benefits

News of more and more layoffs belies the harsh reality that our economy is not recovering quickly. The Pioneer Press recently reported that Maplewood, Minnesota-based 3M Company laid off 1,200 workers in the first three months of 2009, and 2,400 in the last three months of 2008. Executives said that more job cuts could be coming. Several hundred of these layoffs are from 3M locations within Minnesota.

Hopefully, the economy will start to recover, layoffs of Minnesotans will slow in the next few months and folks can start getting back to work.

While getting laid off is extremely difficult, it can be even more difficult for laid-off workers who have physical restrictions related to a work injury. Frequently, workers who are on light-duty or who have physical restrictions related to a work injury are the first to be laid off. These physical restrictions, such as lifting limitations, or limitations on the number of hours a person can work can make finding a new job incredibly difficult. Fortunately, in Minnesota, if a worker who has physical restrictions due to a work-related injury is laid off for economic reasons, that worker may be entitled to wage loss benefits, and rehabilitation assistance through workers’ compensation.

Wage loss benefits, including Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Benefits, Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) Benefits, and Permanent Total Disability (PTD) Benefits, are available to workers who are unable to work, or who are working at a wage loss due to a work-related injury.

These workers may also be entitled to the assistance of a Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant (QRC), who can provide job placement services and/or retraining.

If you’re a 3M worker, or any other worker who has been laid off for economic reasons, but you have physical restrictions for a work-related injury, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our workers’ compensation lawyers, call Meuser & Associates at 877-746-5680 or click here to send us an email. We can help you get the benefits you are entitled to.

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Dislocated Worker Grants to Help 540 Laid-off Workers in Minnesota

During these trying economic times, laid off workers in Minnesota need all the help they can get. Finding a job after being laid off is incredibly hard these days. For 540 dislocated workers, however, hopefully the transition period won’t be quite so bad, thanks to five grants from the state’s dislocated worker program.

Recently, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced five grants to help retrain workers and help them return to work. Specifically, the grants include $190,000 for 50 people laid off by Gerdau Ameristeel in St. Paul, $210,000 for 60 former commercial screen-printing workers at Ad Graphics in Hugo, $490,000 for 140 laid off Twin Cities-area health care workers, $504,000 for 140 semi-conductor employees laid off after the closing of the Entegris Chaska facility, and $570,000 for 150 former employees of Cummins Power Generation in Fridley.

In addition to the dislocated worker benefits and unemployment benefits available to these individuals, they may also be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. As we’ve previously written about, economic layoffs do not eliminate an injured workers’ entitlement to workers’ compensation wage loss benefits. If a laid-off employee has any kind of work restrictions due to a work injury, he or she may be entitled to workers’ compensation wage loss benefits, including Temporary Total Disability (TTD) while he or she is unemployed, and Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) benefits if the worker goes back to work, but earns less money.

If you’ve been laid off, but have restrictions due to a workers compensation injury, you may be entitled to wage loss benefits. Call Meuser & Associates at 877-746-5680 or click here to send us an email to schedule a free consultation.

Visit Minnesota Workers' Compensation and Personal Injury Law Firm, Meuser & Associates, P.A., at MeuserLaw.com

Recession, Unemployment, Layoffs, and Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Wage Loss Benefits

In January 2009, Minnesota lost 20,700 jobs as the nationwide and worldwide recession continues to deepen, according to figures recently released by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Job losses in January included 9,600 in manufacturing, 5,900 in professional and business services, 3,900 in government, 1,700 in other services, 1,600 in construction, and 500 in leisure and hospitality.

Under Minnesota Workers’ Compensation law, laid-off workers may be entitled to wage loss benefits, if a work injury affects their ability to find employment after being laid off. As employers lay off more and more workers, often the first to be let go are employees with work injuries.

We frequently see people who have worked for a company for many years, and who have sustained a number of work injuries over the years. When these companies cut back employees, these long-timers are often the first to go. We also frequently see individuals who are hurt at work, are under some sort of work restrictions, and are suddenly let go for “economic” reasons.

If an injured worker is laid off and he or she some kind of occupational limitations due to his or her work injuries, the injured worker is often entitled to temporary total disability benefits and the assistance of a Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant (QRC) while he or she looks for work. If those individuals find employment, but are earning less, they may be entitled to temporary partial disability benefits. Given the terrible economy, finding a new job is becoming more and more difficult, particularly if a worker has physical limitations due to a work injury.

If you have a work injury, you have physical limitations as a result of that injury, and you are laid off, you would be wise to contact a workers’ compensation attorney to ensure you receive the benefits you are entitled to. Many if not most injured workers are not aware of their rights under workers’ compensation law if they are laid off, and the employer and insurer are certainly not going to voluntarily tell the employee that they may be entitled to additional benefits. In fact, is extremely common for employers or insurers to deny ongoing benefits to an injured worker after a layoff, on the grounds that the employee was laid off for economic reasons. This in and of itself is generally not a sufficient ground to deny wage loss benefits.

Moreover, even if you sustained a work injury, but were laid off before you reported it, or you suffer from a repetitive motion injury which occurred over a long period of time as the result of your work activities, but you did not require medical treatment until after you were laid off, you may still be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.

Laying off an injured worker for economic reasons does not relieve an employer of the responsibility for paying for wage loss benefits if that injured worker has difficulty finding new employment due to physical limitations caused by the work injury.

We have successfully secured benefits on behalf of many clients who had work injuries and were subsequently laid off. By way of example, in 2007, Macy’s closed a large furniture distribution center in Minneapolis, laying off about 80 employees. Many of these employees had worked for Macy’s for 20 or more years. We were retained by several of these former Macy’s workers, who over the course of their lengthy employments with Dayton-Hudson, and then Macy’s, had sustained numerous work related injuries. Our firm successfully secured sizable settlements for these laid off workers.

If you suffer from the effects of a work-related injury, and you’ve been laid off, call Meuser & Associates at 877-746-5680 or click here to send us an email to schedule a free consultation.

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Unemployment and MN Workers' Compensation

If you are injured at work, you are fired or laid off, your doctor has released you to work with restrictions, and the insurance company denies your workers’ compensation claim, you may be able to apply for unemployment compensation.

You need to be aware, however, that you may not receive both workers’ compensation wage loss benefits and unemployment compensation for the same time periods. The idea is that you shouldn’t be able to “double-dip,” so to speak.

If you have received unemployment compensation benefits and you are subsequently awarded workers’ compensation wage loss benefits for the same periods, you are responsible for reimbursing the Department of Employment and Economic Development for the unemployment benefits you received.

This situation arises very frequently where the insurance company has denied benefits, or has terminated payment of wage loss benefits. If you have received unemployment compensation while you were unemployed following a work injury, we will put the Department of Employment and Economic Development on notice of their right to intervene when we initiate a claim on your behalf. If we are able to reach a settlement on your case, we will typically negotiate on your behalf with the Department of Employment and Economic Development to satisfy their subrogation interest.

Figuring out which benefits you are entitled to if you have a work-related injury, and how those benefits are coordinated can be very confusing. We can help. Call us at 877-746-5680 or click here to email us to schedule a free consultation with one of our workers' compensation lawyers.

Visit our workers' compensation website at MeuserLaw.com!