Federal Comp Program Adopts COVID-19 Presumption for High-Risk Workers

The federal workers' compensation program has adopted a presumption that workers in high-risk jobs should receive benefits if they develop the COVID-19 illness. The Division of Federal Employees' Compensation late last week posted a notice that federal workers who have close interactions with the public, such as federal law officers, first responders and frontline medical personnel, will be considered to be in “high-risk” jobs. “In such cases, there is an implicit recognition that a higher likelihood exists of infection due to high-risk employment,” the bullet...