One of the great things about attending an event held by the IAIABC (International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions) is the fact that you have direct access to many of the nation’s workers’ compensation regulators. This certainly was the case this past week during the annual IAIABC Spring Forum in Kansas City. As…
For What Price Walking?
What is the value of walking? More specifically, what is the value of walking for a paraplegic? That may have been the question on the mind of some attendees of the IAIABC Spring Forum in Kansas City, MO this week. The organization’s Medical Issues Committee gave a presentation that puts that question at the forefront…
Would the Person Who Stole My Identity Kindly Return It?
On the surface this discussion may not seem to be about workers’ compensation. But I assure you, it is. While the topic is identity theft; specifically, the recent theft of my identity, it is an opportunity to look at how our industry may be helping this booming criminal trend. While at work last Thursday I…
So, Marcus Lemonis, What if the Process Sucks?
There is a business reality show on cable network CNBC called “The Profit”. It follows Camping World CEO and entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, as he invests in small struggling businesses, leverages their strengths and assets, and turns them into successful, scalable operations. Well, quite often he turns them into successful, scalable businesses; if the ego of…
I Guess Walmart Was Ripped Off Twice
It’s not every day a company has an Assistant Manager shot during a robbery. It is probably even more rare when that Assistant Manager is indicted 5 years later for helping plan and participate in the robbery in which he was shot. But that is just what happened to Walmart. A former Walmart assistant manager…
At United, It Wasn’t the Beating. It was the Self-Inflicted Wounds.
Is your company prepared to respond to a public relations disaster in the information age? Or would it likely make a bad situation worse through a ham handed and tone deaf response? Unfortunately for United Airlines, we know the answer. The good news is that we can all learn from their recent abysmal performance. Of…
Yowza. Illinois Public Sector Costs Taxpayers $1 Billion a Year for Workers' Comp
It hurts just thinking about it. The Illinois Policy Institute recently issued a report that says the combined cost of workers’ comp for the various municipal and state systems in Illinois totals a whopping $1 Billion a year. That number, by the way, is calculated without being able to get full statistics from the city…
Texas' Relentless Struggle with The Opt Out Label
It was almost to the point of amusement that I read an article Friday written by our own Angela Underwood regarding a legislative bill intended to establish an Opt Out system in Arkansas. Underwood was writing about Arkansas SB 653, but my amusement was rooted in all of the quotes regarding the Texas non-subscriber system.…
A Few Comments About Comments and Other News About News
This has been a hectic few weeks here at the office. Regular visitors to the WorkersCompensation.com news area know that we launched a major redesign of the CompNewsNetwork about 3 weeks ago. The launch has been planned in phases, with the first being a complete redesign in format, along with the establishment of two new…
Driving, Drugs and Texting: High Profile Cases Should Get Employers Attention
Two prominent news items I read this week, both related to driving incidents, are potential reminders that having employees on the road can be a significant risk. They also make me hope for early adoption of autonomous driving technologies, but that is a subject for another day. Unless you were under a rock or completely…