(3/29/2005) - The Associated Press reports that the city of Scranton is requiring two policemen and two firefighters injured on the job to report to work as government “greeters” or risk losing their workers’ compensation benefits, according to officials. According to the article, the requirement would allow the city to reduce the workers’ disability payments by the amount the injured workers earn. If the workers refuse the jobs, the city would argue before a workers’ compensation judge for a reduction in their payments equal to what they would have made at the new positions.
According to AP, at least one councilman is critical of the effort if the workers are “legitimately hurt, bringing them back just to embarrass them is wrong.”