Look Around HR

Remember the good ole days when fears of lawsuits were not hanging over your head on everything you do (I am only 23 so I don’t…). Now, we can only give out minimal information on things such as employment verifications. And the reason we do this is because we fear a lawsuit if you talk bad about an ex-employee and they don’t get that new job. So today’s take seems to be- as little information as possible.

Ready for the latest story that will make you scratch your head? A worker sued for workers comp because he hurt his foot at work. Sounds normal…but he hurt his foot rocking the snack machine in the break room trying to dislodge a candy bar that was stuck (h/t: HR Blunders).

This was done while on an unpaid lunch break and this is not part of his job responsibilities (although he is a maintenance worker).

The comp board ruled his claim could go forward because the event wasn’t a “recreational or social activity”. The insurance company appealed and the Court of Appeals reversed the initial decision and sent it back for further consideration. Read the case here.

The final decision has not been made yet, and we will keep you updated.

I guess we live in a world where we have to put a warning sign on the snack machine reminding employees not to shake it. I don’t know if this has more to do with frivolous lawsuits or an uneducated public.

P.S. It’s amazing the things people will do for their 75 cent candy bar.