Comp Proposed for California Essential Workers With Covid-19

A new California legislative proposal seeks to make all essential workers with Covid-19 eligible for workers’ compensation if they contracted the coronavirus while working.

Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D) is planning to amend an existing bill with language that presumes that an essential worker with Covid-19 caught the disease at their workplace.

The measure would allow workers to be compensated for their hospital stay, medical treatment, disability indemnity, or surgery, and would disburse death benefits if the disease is fatal.

“We owe it to all of our essential workers, who are at a severely heightened risk of getting sick on the ...