Committee hears broad push to strengthen protections and enforcement for injured workers

Boston — Lawmakers and a wide coalition of labor unions, legal services groups and immigrant advocates urged the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development on June 18 to advance legislation aimed at strengthening protections for workers who report injuries or seek workers’ compensation.

Supporters said H.2151/S.1310, titled “An Act to Protect Injured Workers,” would narrow gaps that allow employers to retaliate — including threats, coerced misstatements to medical providers and firing — and would give the attorney general a more active enforcement role.

The bill would, among other measures described by supporters, create a rebuttable presumption of retaliation when adverse employment action follows within 90 days of an employee exercising rights under the workers’ compensation law, expand the forms of retaliation covered, require…