Association for Responsible Alternatives
to Workers' Compensation
MEMBER UPDATE
May 26, 2020
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE
Employer Protection on COVID-19 Liability Claims

From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ARAWC has taken the lead in alerting the Governor’s office, legislators and Texas employers on the potentially devastating impact COVID-19 lawsuits can have on Texas workers’ compensation and Texas injury benefit programs. Working with many trade associations and legal reform groups, ARAWC proposed specific solutions to protect Texas businesses from COVID-19 claims. ARAWC’s position recognizes the need to limit employer liability from simple negligence claims, but not as an absolute liability shield.
EXECUTIVE ORDER BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS

Governor Abbott announced on May 18th that Texas moving into the second stage of re-opening. Following that announcement he signed Executive Order GA 23, the longest EO so far related to Covid-19. GA 23 has many important updates for ARAWC members, and I would encourage each member to review to see how your business is affected. That being said, some of the most notable changes involve restaurants, retail, and office workers.
 
  • Retail services may provide pick-up, delivery by mail, or delivery to the customer’s doorstep.
  • Retail establishments may operate at up to 25% capacity
  • Dine-in restaurants may expand their occupancy to 50% as of Friday, May 22nd.
  • Bars may re-open up to 25% capacity, provided interactive games or activities remain closed.
  • Shopping malls may open at up to 25% capacity, with the exception of areas such as food courts, video arcades, and interactive displays, which must remain closed.
  • Office workers may return to work operating at up to the greater of (i) ten individuals, or (ii) 25% of the total workforce, whichever is greater; as long as appropriate social distancing is in place.
  • Manufacturing services may reopen at up to 25% of the total listed occupancy for the facility.
  • Governor Abbott also made it clear that his order does not prohibit people from engaging in safe daily activities and reiterates that no local jurisdiction can confine a person in jail for violation of his executive order.
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE UPDATE
New Research Posted to LinkedIn

The ARAWC Communications team has been hard at work in coordinating the recent COVID-19 webinar and article series, linked below. The team has also been working closely with Government Relations on COVID-19 issues concerning potential liability exposure for ARAWC members. Please be sure to follow ARAWC on LinkedIn to be informed of our latest updates. Recent posts include an interesting university study that found a 40% drop in medical payments and 80% faster return to work for Texas employers with injury benefit programs. The Communications team is also busy working on the next phase of QCARE outreach efforts. More on that in the near future! If you are interested in joining the ARAWC Communications team, please let us know!  
ARAWC COVID-19 AND TEXAS WORK INJURY CLAIMS SERIES

Read ARAWC's series of member-driven materials on COVID-19 and other topics specifically relevant to Texas injury benefit programs.
NEWEST MEMBER

ARAWC would like to welcome the newest member to the association:


Do you know someone who may be interested in joining ARAWC?   Please contact us .
NEW COST AND LAWSUIT TRACKING TOOLS FOR COVID-19

@ 2020 Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers' Compensation (ARAWC).
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