There is a fascinating article on propertycasualty360.com this morning that exemplifies the widely varying challenges people in the workers’ compensation industry face. It is an interview with Brian Rodgers, the senior director of corporate risk management for Butterball LLC. It covers, in extensive detail, how his company has reinvented the process of, well, processing turkeys,…
Kids' Chance and Making a Young Girl Hurl
Ok, it was not the presentation I originally envisioned. While it was nobody’s fault, and, in reality, was another example of the sheer strength of the person we were honoring, it still was not the most desirable way to conclude the brief appearance. Perhaps I should start at the beginning. I was scheduled today, along…
Workers' Comp Improv Night at WCI Bloggers Panel
As I wrote earlier in the week, I will be at the 69th Annual WCI Conference in Orlando next week. One of the sessions I will be involved with is the traditional bloggers panel that has become a staple at many of these events. Except this year will be anything but traditional. The three bloggers…
On Social Security Number Use, Our Votes Are Revealing
We just completed a month long CompNewsNetwork Pulse Poll on the use of Social Security numbers on workers’ compensation forms. As part of my ongoing editorializing on the subject, we wanted to know how people in the industry felt about the issue. It appears, overall, that they agree with me; social security numbers should not…
At WCI, I Think Someone Lost a Bet
It is hard to believe, but next week will find several thousand of us back in Orlando, FL for the 69th Annual Workers’ Compensation Institute Conference. It is even more difficult to believe that this will be the 19th one I have attended. My very first day “on the job” in the workers’ comp industry…
Kids' Chance: Agencies and Stakeholders Make Beautiful Music
I spent Thursday traveling to and from Arkansas, for the sole purpose of emceeing the Annual Kids’ Chance of Arkansas Scholarship Awards Luncheon. It was held in the Governors’ Mansion in Little Rock. The facility was beautiful. The food was excellent. The kids were, as with all Kids’ Chance scholars, inspirational. Still, there was something…
Social Security Numbers and Workers' Comp Forms: California Here We Come
I don’t really enjoy discussing mistakes, but it is an unavoidable part of life and business. Some people will tell you that if you are not making mistakes, then you just aren’t doing anything. I take some solace in that theory, as it proves that we are at least doing things – enough to occasionally…
Rousmaniere and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Peter Rousmaniere made an excellent point last week with his column, The Stale State of Reform. In it he discussed our industry’s almost myopic focus on cost whenever legislative reform is discussed. He rightly pointed out that, not only is the focus of most reform centered on reducing costs through restricting or reducing benefits to…
Nevada's Pandemic Pot Panic
Never has the statement “Follow the money” been truer. Last week, the state of Nevada, which began allowing the sale of recreational marijuana on July 1, 2017, declared a “State of Emergency” because – wait for it – the state was running out of pot. Apparently, demand is very high, and (typical of government) the…
The Billboard Advisory: Work Injuries Hurt Entire Families
There are two billboards along Interstate 476, just south of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Both reside high on a hilltop, and are positioned on opposite sides of the highway with strong visibility for oncoming traffic. Based on a deep blue background, they contain two prominent lines. The first, a bright white pronouncement, says “Work Injuries Hurt.” The…