Workers' Compensation Board to close service centers

NORWICH, N.Y. -- Governor Paterson recently requested all state agencies to come up with cost reduction measures. In response to that, the New York State Workers' Compensation Board decided to close 11 of its 30 service centers between by early next year. That includes one in Norwich, which handles workers' compensation and disability issues and hearings. The employees will have the option of traveling to a consolidated center within a 50-mile radius. Representatives say this action will help them save more than a million dollars a year. "The Norwich service has two full-time employees, it holds hearing on average, only 4 days a month which is about less than one-half of 1% of all hearings the board does statewide,” said Brian Keegan, NYS Workers' Compensation... [read full story]