Roadmap to COVID-19 Blog Posts

The following is a list of links to various articles on COVID-19 and the Florida OJCC:

Blog posts re COVID-19: 

• Corona Virus COVID-19 03.10.20; 
• COVID-19 All OJCC Mediations Temporarily Telephonic 03.14.20;   
• Remotely Swearing Witnesses 03.15.20; 
• Stress in the Time of COVID 03.19.20; 
• Shifting Paradigms 03.22.20;   
• COVID-19 Update 06.06.20; 
• Six Degrees of COVID-19 04.02.20; 
• A Mistaken Motion 04.14.20; 
• We will Get Through This 04.19.20; 
• Science, Standards, and Government 04.26.20; 
• Masks Illegal? Not Generally 04.30.20; 
• A Frank Conversation of COVID-19 05.03.20; 
• Loss and Change 05.05.20; 
• COVID-19 Effect on Florida Litigation 05.07.20; 
• COVID and Workers’ Compensation 05.11.20; 
• COVID-19 Again a New Week 05.19.20; 
• COVID-19 Regressive Impact 05.24.20; 
• When We Return to Normal 05.28.20; 
• Changing Vernacular 06.02.20; 
• COVID-19 in Florida Claims 06.09.20; 
• Florida COVID-19 Litigation 06.14.20; 
• Rude Behavior only Begets Regret 06.16.20; 
• Latest Filing Volumes 06.18.20; 
• Telephonic Discretion 07.05.20; 
• Utah Redux - A COVID Statute 07.09.20; 
• Ask Three Questions Daily 07.21.20; 
• Occupational Disease and the 1918 Flu 07.23.20; 
• Florida COVID Claims June 2020 08.04.20; 
• Florida COVID-19 Litigation Update 08.06.20; 
• Desensitized to Death 08.11.20; 
• COVID Florida Filing Update August 08.13.20; 
• West Nile Disease in Comp 09.06.20; 
• Florida COVID September 09.15.20; 
• Mental Health News 09.22.20;
• Florida COVID Litigation September 09.27.20.

Mandatory Telephonic Mediation Until July 31, 2020

The Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims previously mandated telephonic mediation beginning March 14, 2020. That mandated expired May 31, 2020 and June has demonstrated some return to normalcy, but also a marked public desire for telephonic attendance. Without such a mandate, the parties to cases have been appropriately seeking permission for telephonic appearance on a case-by-case basis. That effort is demonstrably straining the workload of both practitioners and state mediators. To attempt to alleviate some level of stress, the OJCC is now mandating all state mediation to be telephonic beginning July 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020. During that time, there is no need for any party to seek permission to attend state mediation telephonically. 

Local Government Mask Requirements

Various local officials are adopting ordinances or executive orders regarding mandatory masks. All visitors to Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims facilities are required to wear masks. As practitioners travel Florida for proceedings, these local ordinances and orders may also be of interest. The following is provided for information, recognizing that the information is subject to change. Anyone with documentation of updated or contrary information, please email for consideration of adding hereto. 

Daytona

    City of Daytona Beach government page (posted June 29, 2020)

Ft. Lauderdale

    Ft. Lauderdale Emergency Order 20-12 (posted June 29, 2020)

    Ft. Lauderdale government page  (posted June 29, 2020)

Ft. Myers

    No local mask requirement found (posted June 29, 2020)

Gainesville

    Alachua County Order 2020-30 (posted June 29, 2020)

Jacksonville

   Masks required,  (posted June 30, 2020)

Lakeland

    No local requirement according to Lakelandgov.net (posted June 29, 2020)

Melbourne

    Indian River County Order 2020-15 (posted June 29, 2020)

Miami

    Miami Order 20-16

Orlando

    Orange County Order 2020-23 (posted June 29, 2020)

Panama City 

    No local mask requirement found (posted June 29, 2020)

Pensacola

    Declaration of Emergency 20-03 (posted June 29, 2020)

Port St. Lucie

    News story St. Lucie County (posted June 29, 2020)

    St. Lucie County Government 

    (Suggests limited to county buildings)

    (posted June 29, 2020)

Sarasota

    No local mask requirement found (posted June 29, 2020)

St. Petersburg

    Emergency Order 2020-26 (posted June 29, 2020)

Tallahassee

    Leon County (posted June 29, 2020)

Tampa

    Tampa Order 2020-30 (posted June 29, 2020)

West Palm Beach

    Palm Beach County EO-12 (posted June 29, 2020)

Assessment Rates for 2021

Assessment Rates for the Florida Workers' Compensation Administration Trust Fund (WCATF) and the Special Disability Trust Fund (SDTF)

The Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) issued an Informational Bulletin (DFS-03-2020). The Bulletin advises insurers, self-insurers, and other related stakeholders that Florida's Chief Financial Officer has issued an Order (Case No. 263219-WC) setting the WCATF assessment rate for Calendar Year 2021. The 2021 WCATF assessment rate has been set to remain at 0.79%. This also represents a steady decrease in the assessment rate for the WCATF in each of the preceding eight years.

The Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation issued another Informational Bulletin (DFS-02-2020). The Bulletin advises insurers, self-insurers, and other related stakeholders that Florida's Chief Financial Officer has issued an Order (Case No. 263220-WC) setting the assessment rate for the SDTF for Calendar Year 2021. The 2021 SDTF assessment rate has been set to remain at 0.40%. This also represents a steady decrease in the assessment rate for the SDTF in each of the preceding ten years.

The Informational Bulletins and Assessment Rate Orders are available on the Division's website at: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/bulletins.htm, and the assessment rates are available at: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/rates.htm.