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| | Fresno, A Work Comp Paradise
By Robert Warne - January 13, 2003With benefits increases associated with workers’ compensation going out across the state, for Fresno city workers, this is nothing new because for over a decade they’ve benefited from a higher compensation scale than the average employee.
This is because injured city employees currently pull in 85 percent of their pay when they’re home recovering. And because the benefits aren’t taxed, city workers actually get a raise when they are off work from a work related illness or accident. Though they’re grossing less, their checks yield more in the way of take home pay.
The city’s openhandedness to compensate workers’ wages above the state’s industrial disability leave minimum of 66.7 percent is a result of labor negotiations and ends up costing Fresno taxpayers an extra $700,000 annually.
A representative from the local transit union described the city’s approach to workers’ comp as “cutting edge,” according to the Fresno Bee.
But others don’t like how deep this cutting edge is cutting into the city budget.
Council Member Jerry Duncan attributes a 230 percent increase in work comp absenteeism by bus drivers since 1992 to the superior benefits the city offers.
He told city officials that, “Certainly the purpose of the [workers comp] payment was intended to help an employee when they are hurt and cannot work, but to pay them a higher salary to be hurt and not working ... is so ridiculous it is laughable," reported the Bee.
Duncan is pushing to get the pay rate tied to the state’s standard, especially in these tight budget times no matter how loud the unions scream.
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