What authorization was used to make the change?
The State of Oregon’s independent advocate to help injured workers
navigate the workers’ compensation system is changing its name from
Ombudsman for Injured Workers to the Ombuds Office for Oregon
Workers.
The 1987 Legislature created the
Office of the Ombudsman
for Injured Workers as an independent advocate for injured workers
under
ORS 656.709.
That statute authorizes the Director of the
Department of Consumer and Business Services to terminate the
ombudsman, but there is no authorization to change the focus adding
workplace safety and health for all workers, nor does it authorize a
name change without legislation.
The statute directs the ombudsman to “act as an advocate for injured
workers by accepting, investigating, and attempting to resolve
complaints concerning matters related to workers’ compensation".
The work proved valuable and the Legislature increased the staff in 1990.
Legislation passed in 2003 clarified the supervision and control of
ombudsman services and required that quarterly reports be submitted
to the governor.
The office consists of the ombudsman and five staff
members. Since 2003, the office has helped from 7,500 to 9,000 injured workers per
year.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
It is now the Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers. It has expanded its
role to help Oregon workers with workplace safety and health issues,
and help workers protect their rights under Oregon OSHA’s laws and
rules. Are these the same rules the Governor called for with COVID and
vaccine mandates?
“We are continuing to serve injured workers in the workers’
compensation system,†said Ombuds for Oregon Workers Jennifer
Flood. “We are just expanding to include all Oregon workers.†Since they were working at capacity, will this be another agency in the news for failure to serve and looking to the legislature to bail them out with more staff?
What Oregonians should be asking is what authorization was used to
make a change against the laws they operate under.
--Donna Bleiler| Post Date: 2022-01-30 11:07:33 | Last Update: 2022-01-30 11:26:48 |
