NM Workers Comp Tidbits

As a labor/employment mediator, arbitrator and ALJ, I strive to keep abreast of--and inform my readers of noteworthy labor and employment cases.  Although the Workers Comp Administration in New Mexico maintains its own stable of mediators and ALJs, I like to keep up with this area of law also, mostly because the issues that arise are so darn interesting.  Two recent cases highlight that.

Guaranteed Retirement Accounts (GRAs)

In December of last year, I wrote about public employee guaranteed benefit pension funds.  As discussed in that blog, there are serious sustainability issues with these funds and many states are increasingly requiring employees to work more years before being entitled to their benefits.  Nonetheless, economics professor Teresa Ghilarducci has recently opined that “The Solution to the Pension Crisis is More Pensions,” (emphasis added), not working more.