Workers' compensation: notices.

Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of his or her employment. Existing law establishes, in the Department of Industrial Relations, the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation. Existing law requires that specified notices be provided to injured employees and prescribes the contents of notices that are required to be posted, given to, or mailed to an employee. Existing law provides for specified procedures to be used in notifying employees regarding benefits and required actions in pursuing a workers' compensation claim. This bill would require the administrative director, in consultation with the commission, to prescribe reasonable rules and regulations for serving certain notices on an employee. This bill would require the administrative director, in consultation with the commission, to develop, make fully accessible on the department's Internet Web site, and make available at district offices informational material written in plain language that describes the overall workers' compensation claims process. This bill would require each notice to be written in plain language and to reference the informational material to enable employees to understand the context of the notices. This bill would modify provisions required to be in, and procedures for, specified notices, and would delete a requirement for notice by certified mail, and would make conforming changes.