I spoke in Michigan in October on the subject of “Breaking the Cycle of Entitlement: How Do We Get Better?” The focus of the presentation to the Michigan Self Insurers Association was centered on improving the claims handling mindset of the industry; to move from one of “Process and Close” to that of “Recover and…
He Must Have Been Packing a Really Big Weapon
There is a renewed legal debate going on in Alabama about allowing employees to have a gun at their workplace, despite any restrictions on such items by their employers. While the debate there rages between the right to bear arms and the rights of property owners, a simple assault case in Maine shows us that…
You Are a Thought Leader When Dilbert Says You Are
I am not comfortable with much of the new “corporate speak” that is invading our business vernacular. I do not like the phrase “thought leader”, and am tired of hearing about “paradigm shifts”. Sometime over the last decade managers became “leaders”. I was probably in the bathroom and missed that moment. “Visionary” is vastly overused…
When Your Highway Safety Chief is a Crappy Driver
Let's say that you have an employee that has a driving record that includes seven accidents, four speeding violations, and two failures to stop for a police officer. Now let's say that this employee not only must drive as a part of their job, but is actually responsible for highway safety in your state. Could…
Welcoming Heather Schwartz to the Blogwire
I would like to take a quick moment to welcome the newest contributor to our Workers’ Comp Blogwire, Ms. Heather Schwartz. Heather is Corporate Counsel for PMSI Settlement Solutions. Her primary responsibility with PMSI is the education and assistance of compliance with the Medicare Secondary Payer Act. She has lectured on this topic to the…
The Road to Hell Part 2 – More Unintended Consequences of Workers Comp Reform
Who could have seen this coming? The state of Pennsylvania last year passed a law requiring insurers to cover certain cancers deemed work related in firefighters. Specifically, the law “provides that firefighters can receive workers’ compensation if they develop cancer and can establish it was caused by direct exposure to carcinogens at a fire or…
Sex in the CIArcus: Send Out the Clowns
I have a simple question. If you are head of the CIA, and you can’t keep your own extramarital affair secret, how safe are our country’s other secrets? For those of you who have been under a rock, detained at Guantanamo, or simply trying to navigate security at O'Hare the last couple weeks, there is…
If You Fake an Accident, But No One is there to See It, Is It Still a Crime?
It was announced this week that a Sarasota, FL police officer who was under investigation for workers' compensation fraud resigned to avoid being fired by the department. I don't know the particulars of his case, but living in Sarasota I can tell you it must be serious. It takes an act of God in this…
From Bob's Flustered Wife
Editors Note: The following is a first ever “Guest Editorial” for “Bob’s Cluttered Desk”, and is in direct response to his recent article “Basic Rules for Marital Bliss When Dealing with Boblivious Behavior“ To those of you who think Boblivion sounds like a blissful place to live, let me introduce myself. I live with Bob’s…
Feeding the Disability Beast
As has been fairly well publicized, I recently had the opportunity to sit on a bloggers panel at the National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference in Las Vegas. Much of the discussion surrounded the nature of workers comp in today’s environment, and what we would like to see changed in the system. One thing that…