FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IR #2006-16
Monday, April 17, 2006

CONTACT:
Susan Gard
510-286-7049
Internet: http://www.dir.ca.gov

State Division of Workers' Compensation to hold free Spanish-language seminar on workers' compensation benefits and laws in Salinas

Oakland - The California Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) will conduct a free Spanish-language seminar on workers' compensation benefits and laws in Salinas on Apr. 26. The seminar is set up for employees that have recently filed a workers' compensation claim with their employer, but any worker can benefit from attending and anyone can attend.

"We're reaching out to help the state's Spanish-speaking workforce understand its rights," said DWC Acting Administrative Director Carrie Nevans.

At the seminar employees will get information on medical treatment, disability payments, returning to work after an injury and resolving a disagreement over a claim. The workshop will take place in Salinas on:

Wednesday, Apr. 26, 2006
6-7 p.m.
Salinas Community Center
940 N. Main Street
Salinas CA

The seminar coincides with restaurant inspections conducted by Cal/OSHA, the state's occupational safety and health agency, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) and the Employment Development Department (EDD).

"During recent inspections of restaurants in other areas of the state, Cal/OSHA found 96 percent of employers they visited were violating at least one of the state's safety laws," said Nevans. "Those figures show this workforce is vulnerable to injury, so it's vital that we advise them about their rights."

The one-hour program includes a structured presentation followed by a question and answer session, and is conducted by the DWC Information and Assistance Unit. The Information and Assistance Unit plays a major role in resolving disagreements over workers' compensation benefits and is the state's main information source for injured workers.

The Salinas Spanish-language workshop is the fourth in a series the DWC plans to conduct in various locations around the state.

The DWC also conducts English-language workshops on a monthly basis at 23 local DWC offices. A listing of workshop days and times can be found on DWC's Web site at www.dir.ca.gov/dwc. Injured workers can also call 1-800-736-7401 to find the workshop near them and hear other recorded information. To go directly to workshop locations in English, workers should press 7, then 7 again, then 1 after dialing the 800 number. Spanish-speaking workers may call 1-800-736-7401 and press 2 for details.

The division has also produced posters and flyers in Spanish and English to promote the workshops. Community based organizations and others who'd like to download the flyer for distribution to workers may do so by clicking the link "Injured on the job? Need to know your rights?" from the DWC home page at www.dir.ca.gov/dwc. Posters are available by calling 510.286.7076.

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