COVID-19 Legal Update: Minnesota

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Workers' Compensation Administrative board/ commission

Labor and Industry

 

How does the state define an occupational disease?

176.001 - Subd. 15. Occupational disease. (a) "Occupational disease" means a mental impairment as defined in paragraph (d) or physical disease arising out of and in the course of employment peculiar to the occupation in which the employee is engaged and due to causes in excess of the hazards ordinary of employment and shall include undulant fever. Physical stimulus resulting in mental injury and mental stimulus resulting in physical injury shall remain compensable. Mental impairment is not considered a disease if it results from a disciplinary action, work evaluation, job transfer, layoff, demotion, promotion, termination, retirement, or similar action taken in good faith by the employer. Ordinary diseases of life to which the general public is equally exposed outside of employment are not compensable, except where the diseases follow as an incident of an occupational disease, or where the exposure peculiar to the occupation makes the disease an occupational disease hazard. A disease arises out of the employment only if there be a direct causal connection between the conditions under which the work is performed and if the occupational disease follows as a natural incident of the work as a result of the exposure occasioned by the nature of the employment. An employer is not liable for compensation for any occupational disease which cannot be traced to the employment as a direct and proximate cause and is not recognized as a hazard characteristic of and peculiar to the trade, occupation, process, or employment or which results from a hazard to which the worker would have been equally exposed outside of the employment.

 

COVid-19 Specific Laws, agency declarations/ press releases, or enacted regulation?

Telephonic Hearings.

Dept. of Labor & Industry Updates - multiple.

Enacted Legislation (4/7/20): Expands work comp coverage for healthcare workers, first responders and day care workers diagnosed with COVID-19.

 

Court Closures & Modified Call

Updates Related to COVID-19

 

Is the administrative court system closed or open?

Open - suspended in-person hearings until further notice.

 

Does this state have a shelter-in-place in order?

No - order was 3/27/20 to 5/18/20; phased re-opening began 5/4/20.

 

ANY STATE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ON DISABILITY, UNEMPLOYMENT, OR HEALTH BENEFITS FOR COVID-19? 

Unemployment.

 

Last Updated: 2/1/2021