Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1014902
SITTING: A New Growth Industry in Liability? BY STEVE BARRETT W ITH E X TENDED PERIOD S of sitting being associated with a range of health issues, healthcare facilities may risk future liability if they do not provide options that get more employees on their feet. Researchers at Drexel University argue that permitting employees to have a cause of action in connection with sedentary work environments will force employers to minimize potential harm related to remaining seated for too long. The group studied how some government agencies and private companies promote healthful lifestyles. Many encourage a range of healthy practices — from health coaching to various screenings. Others more directly address their sedentary environments by making treks to coff ee stations longer, for example, or making it convenient to play basketball on-site. The authors also found that in limited cases, courts have appeared open to the idea that employees can meet the legal threshold required to establish that a sedentary workplace may be the cause of a harm that merits compensation. "Forcing the employer to incorporate the full cost of employment, including the cost of injury or disease precipitated by a workplace that is designed for sitting for the majority of the day, will incentivize employers to change their workplace design as necessary in order to avoid liability," co-author Natalie Pedersen, JD, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies, stated in a news release. The study is slated for publication in the Lewis & Clark Law Review. n CORE WHETHER IT'S A TORN LABRUM, A TORN ROTATOR CUFF OR JUST A DISLOCATION, WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. When possible, our board certified shoulder surgeons offer a conservative, non-operative approach to treatment. When necessary, we offer minimally invasive surgical treatments like arthroscopic surgery for rotator cuff tears. And while you might think being second isn't a big deal, it is when you're the second hospital in the world to perform an FDA-approved, computer navigated, reverse total shoulder replacement. No wonder St. Charles is the perfect joint for your shoulder. WHEN YOU DO AS MANY SHOULDER SURGERIES AS WE DO, To learn more call (631) 474 - 6797 or visit stcharlesorthopedics.com M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S L O N G I S L A N D ■ 2 018 P R A C T I C E M A N A G E M E N T ❰❰❰❰❰ 1 3