An International Comparison of Workers' Compensation

ISBN-13: 9789401057233 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 221 str.

C. Arthur Williams; C. Arthur Williams

Opis

Until a few years ago I concentrated my attention on workers' compensa tion programs in the United States and Canada. Because the United States has 52 programs and Canada has eight, I was exposed to a diversity of approaches that caused me to believe that few other approaches existed. Since 1984 I have become more aware of what the rest of the world has been doing and discovered that my knowledge needed to be broadened significantly. The trigger action was a 1984 faculty research exchange agreement between Keio University in Tokyo and the University of Minnesota that made it possible for me to spend much of my time studying Japan's workers' compensation program and comparing it with the United States approaches. Japan's program had several features that I had not encountered in the United States or Canada. After this experience I attached considerably more value to and spent more time studying the Social Security Administration's biennial reports on Social Security Pro grams Throughout The World, which include workers' compensation programs. I also presented papers at two meetings of the International Insurance Society based on my Japanese and Social Security Adminis tration report research. Many participants urged further study in this area and offered to send me materials describing their nations' programs. The result is this study which I hope that readers will find interesting and worthwhile."

Spis treści

1 Basic Concepts and Design Characteristics of Workers’ Compensation.- National or State Programs.- Relationship to Tort Liability.- Security System.- Employees Covered.- Compensable Injuries and Diseases.- Benefits.- Security System.- Administration.- Notes.- References.- 2 Workers’ Compensation Standards.- International Labor Organization Convention 121.- ILO Recommendation 121.- ILO and U.S. National Commission Standards Compared.- Notes.- References.- 3 Workers’ Compensation Programs Throughout the World.- Nations Included in This Summary.- Exclusive Remedy or Not?.- Employees Covered.- Medical Expense Benefits.- Temporary Total Disability Benefits.- Permanent Total Disability Benefits.- Permanent Partial Disability Benefits.- Death Benefits.- Sources of Funds and Employer Cost Allocations.- Maximum Earnings Limits for Contributions.- Notes.- References.- 4 Classification of Workers’ Compensation Programs.- Employees Covered.- Medical Care Benefits.- Temporary Total Disability Benefits.- Permanent Total Disability Benefits.- Permanent Partial Disability Benefits.- Funeral Grants.- Widows’ Survivor Benefits.- Sources of Funds and Allocation of Employer Contributions.- Some Concluding Comments.- References.- 5 Workers’ Compensation Programs in 13 Nations: More Details.- Federal Republic of Germany.- United Kingdom.- The Netherlands.- New Zealand.- Switzerland.- Malaysia.- Austria.- Hungary.- Japan.- Korea (South).- Sweden.- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.- United States.- Notes.- References.- 6 Highlights and Conclusions.- Exclusive Remedy of the Employees Against the Employer.- Complete Integration into a General Social Insurance System.- Security System.- Employees Covered.- Medical Expenses Covered.- Lump Sum or Pension Disability and Death Benefits.- Earnings-Related or Flat Amount Disability and Death Benefits.- Dependents’ Benefits.- Waiting Period.- Pension Duration Limits.- Indexing Long-Term Pensions.- Funding.- Flat or Risk-Related Employer Contributions.- The Most Common Provisions.- Standards.- Variations Among Nations.- Conclusion.