I received a question earlier this week via email that represented a profound reality for the workers’ compensation industry. It was related to Kids’ Chance, the organization that provides scholarships and education opportunities to children of a parent who has been seriously injured or killed on the job. The question came from one of the…
Miracle Medical Men
I must begin this missive with a warning. Sometimes companies or organizations see fit to share my articles via their internal newsletters or other communication systems. While I am flattered that they would do so, I occasionally hear from some of those organizations after one or more of their members or employees end up offended…
Impaired and Invisible
I spent part of this weekend doing repair projects around the house. When we get knee deep into these tasks, it is easier to drive to one of several fast food restaurants nearby to grab lunch for my wife and me than it is to stop and prepare something at home. In fact, these weekend…
On the Hot Seat in September, Adversarial Workers' Compensation Systems
We just opened registration for the 10th episode of our webinar series, The Hot Seat. This one, as previous Hot Seat webinars this year, will focus on a topic identified as an “Imperative Issue” at the 2016 Workers Comp Summit meetings, also known as the National Conversation. This time we will be discussing adversarial workers’ compensation…
What Irritates You in the Office?
We just came across a survey that was conducted of 1,000 people last year that disclosed what the top ten irritants tend to be for people in the workplace. It turns out that the primary irritant for people on the job is other people on the job. Beyond that, it broke down in the following manner…
In Misguided Subrogation Conversation, Outcomes Are What Matters
An item crossed the Cluttered Desk last week that provided a terrific example of the oft misguided focus that we see in the workers’ compensation industry. It is a distraction that can waste our time, cost us money, and, worst of all, further harm already injured workers. It started with a court challenge and then…
Epic Axe Throwing and Other Dubious Conference Activities
I’m just back from the 74th Annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference produced by the Workers’ Compensation Institute. Held every year in Orlando, FL, it is without a doubt the biggest conference of the year. How big is it? Almost nine thousand people flock to the Orlando World Center Marriott, a 2,100-room hotel with a mammoth conference…
At WCI? Don’t Forget the Kids' Chance Volunteer Reception
It is that time of year again, where the great throng of workers’ compensation professionals converge on Orlando for days of meetings, sessions, and just a bit more than their fair share of fun. This is the 74thAnnual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, produced by the Workers’ Compensation Institute. Thousands of people from “coast to coast”…
Well, A Grilled Cheese Sandwich Seemed Reasonable At The Time
It’s nice when co-workers who make an error involving one of their brethren try to mend their ways with an offering of some sort. If someone accidentally drinks their fellow employees last soda from the break room refrigerator, they could immediately offer a replacement, or perhaps two. If they accidentally break a co-worker’s favorite mug,…
The Problem with Scumbags is Their Consistency
There is one gigantic problem with scumbags. Well, there are two problems, but one of them is blatantly obvious. The fact that a person is a scumbag is indeed a problem that is usually easily recognized. The lesser recognized problem is that they are so darn consistent with their scumbaggery. In the world of workers’…