From: Yaritza Brinker <YBrinker**At_Symbol_Here**FELE.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Who pays when a graduate student gets hurt?
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 23:18:57 +0000
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: DM6PR05MB705274129821C6FD17B0220DADED0**At_Symbol_Here**DM6PR05MB7052.namprd05.prod.outlook.com
In-Reply-To


What is happening is due to the way labor laws classify employees. Employees are either exempt (salary), non-exempt (hourly), or independent contractors. Students are classified as independent contractors. Whether or not the employer issues a W2 is irrelevant to the employee's classification.

 

Yaritza

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Jakober, Chris**At_Symbol_Here**ARB
Sent: Friday, November 6, 2020 5:00 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Who pays when a graduate student gets hurt?

 

** External Email **

Hi Neal,

 

Thanks for the clarification! 

 

Until there's improvements and greater consistency with respect to Workers Comp coverage, I think at a minimum institutions can easily do a better job of informing potential graduate students of health insurance coverage nuances and potential gaps.  Ideally with focused information tailored to how a student would be funded at said institution.    

 

Have a great weekend,

Chris

 

From: NEAL LANGERMAN <neal**At_Symbol_Here**CHEMICAL-SAFETY.COM>
Sent: Thursday, November 5, 2020 3:40 PM
Subject: Re: Who pays when a graduate student gets hurt?

 

Chris and all,

I totally agree that they should be covered.  My point is the system is broken and the prudent thing is to insure yourself so you do not become a financial victim as well as an injury victim. 

 

This is essentially the argument that is the basis of the ACS liability insurance for educators. The actual coverage is a confused mess. Why should an educator become a financial victim as the result of doing their job and their employer did not provide any or adequate liability insurance.

 

If I had my way, there would be a system of uniform WC coverage. If you get compensated for your time/service, you are fully covered for on the job injury. I also would like to see uniform student coverage. If you become ill or injured while a matriculated student, you are covered.

 

Sorry if I was not clear. The CEN article is indeed shocking. I hope it pushes some positive result.

 

Neal

 

 

Stay healthy and stay safe

NEAL LANGERMAN, Ph.D.

5340 Caminito Cachorro

San Diego 92105

+1 (619) 990-4908

neal**At_Symbol_Here**chemical-safety.com

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Jakober, Chris**At_Symbol_Here**ARB
Sent: Thursday, November 5, 2020 2:57 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Who pays when a graduate student gets hurt?

 

Hi Neal,

 

Just because they are eligible for private/personal health insurance coverage, why should that coverage be used to cover treatments for an injury in the laboratory while completing research activities?  If that's indeed the expectation, that should be relayed to graduate students in advance before they accept an institution's offer letter.

 

I'm with Debbie on this one, I was shocked when I learned just how many 'shades of grey' there are with respect to applicability of Worker's Compensation coverage for graduate students.  Especially if one obtains merit-based funding from scholarships, fellowships, and traineeships. 

 

My quick $0.02,

Chris

 

 

From: NEAL LANGERMAN <neal**At_Symbol_Here**CHEMICAL-SAFETY.COM>
Sent: Monday, November 2, 2020 5:27 PM
Subject: Re: Who pays when a graduate student gets hurt?

 

ACS does not write medical insurance. However most grad students will qualify for the Affordable Care Act coverage. 

Sent from Neal Langerman's NEXUS 6.
Standard client confidentiality terms apply.

 

On Mon, Nov 2, 2020, 16:44 Robert H. Hill, Jr. <roberth_hill**At_Symbol_Here**mindspring.com> wrote:


Maybe   this could be a topic for a symposium or a webinar or a panel discussion.  Wonder if the ACS insurance moguls would have ideas about this?

-----Original Message-----
From: Debra M Decker <
00001204b93f9a5e-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU>
Sent: Nov 2, 2020 3:56 PM
To:
DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Who pays when a graduate student gets hurt?

This is a good summary of the topic. 

 

Graduate students,  doing the heavy lifting of discovery research to support grant funding for higher education,  can sustain life-altering injuries with no remedy from workers comp for those injuries.  Student medical insurance may cover the acute treatment but chronic, ongoing treatment is not covered.  Once again, the problem is recognized but those with the power to fix it choose not to.

 

Infuriating 

 

D-

 

 

On Nov 2, 2020 3:41 AM, DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG> wrote:

The higher education press discovers this issue (again). C&EN is the reporting outlet this time.

- Ralph

Who pays when a graduate student gets hurt?
Complex policies and poor communication make workers' compensation a mess for US graduate students

https://cen.acs.org/safety/lab-safety/pays-graduate-student-hurt/98/i42

---
For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at
membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

 

Robert H. Hill, Jr., Ph.D.

Stone Mountain, GA 30087

roberth_hill**At_Symbol_Here**mindspring.com

 

RAMP for Safety: Recognize hazards, Assess risks of hazards, Minimize risk of hazards, Prepare for emergencies

 

"The Safety Ethic: I value safety, teach safety, work safely, prevent at-risk behavior, promote safety, and accept responsibility for safety." 

 

--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas




Electronic Transmission Confidentiality Notice

The information contained in this electronic transmission is private, confidential, the property of the sender, and intended for the use of the recipient(s), only. If you are not the addressee, any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of this information for any purpose is strictly prohibited. If you have received this information in error, please notify the sender, YBrinker**At_Symbol_Here**fele.com, immediately by e-mail and then delete this message. Thank you.
[FE.EN.1]

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.