AWCA Doesn't Govern Retaliation Claims for Workers Injured Before Act's Effective Date

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday maintained its position that the Administrative Workers’ Compensation Act does not govern retaliatory discharge claims by workers who were fired after the act took effect but allege the firing was done in retaliation for the pursuit of comp benefits before the act. The AWCA was created by Senate Bill 1062, which was passed in 2013. Among the many changes it wrought, the AWCA shifted Oklahoma to an administrative workers’ compensation system. Prior to the enactment of the AWCA, it was unlawful for employers to retaliate against worker...