From Bob's Cluttered Desk

If there was a common theme to the responses in our recent survey on Minimum State Standards for Workers’ Compensation, it was that the majority of respondents would like to see them; but not from the federal level. For this unscientific survey, which closed last week, we asked five basic questions of our audience: Do…

I would be the last person to describe one of my presentations as “art”, but, always one to be looking for a catchy title, I thought “Why Injured Workers Hire Attorneys and Life Imitating My Presentation” was a less than stellar opening. But, that is sort of what happened to me last week. This past…

I had just finished my weight routine at the gym Saturday morning when I sat down in the lobby area to wait for my wife, who was finishing up in a fitness class. I had my earphones on, listening to music, and pulled out my phone to busy myself by checking email and then moving…

It is once again that time of year, where I dust off my crystal ball and gaze into the not so distant future to determine and predict what lies ahead for the workers’ compensation industry. My (less than annually produced) predictions for the coming year have become legendary (mostly in my own mind) if for…

It was my very first thought when I read the headline. I sue dead people. The headline was featured in our news center, and was authored by Liz Carey. It read, “NC Goes After Dead Employees for Overpayments on Benefits.” I’ve heard of financial claw backs, but never where they had to use an actual…

We were about 50 minutes into last Friday’s program when the discussion turned to potential solutions for the problems we had discussed, and a great idea was offered. The program was our new webinar, The Hot Seat, sponsored by Sharpline Allocations, and the topic was “Violating Trust: Ethical Conundrums in Workers’ Compensation.” The great idea…

I returned home to Florida last evening after a few days visiting family in New Mexico and Colorado, only to find that the extreme cold gripping the nation has found its way deep in to the Sunshine State. As I sit here basking in the glow of electric heat pump generated warmth (I’d build a…

I’ve probably been doing this too long, but I suppose it is human nature to compare personal events to hypothetical situations within your professional life. Many years ago, in “another life”, as they say, I worked extensively in the food service and hospitality industry. My parents bought a motel, restaurant and lounge when I was…

We were exhibiting at a conference years ago when I encountered a doctor who provided a truly enlightening moment for me. He was an older gentleman, old enough to have safely assumed he could be retired. He was not; but he no longer maintained a practice with regular patients. Instead, he focused solely on Independent…

Bob has posted this holiday message every year since it was originally published on 12/23/2011. This year the atmosphere of “political correctness” continues to evolve in the post 2016 election period, and the phrase “Merry Christmas” once again seems to be an acceptable part of the country’s vernacular. However, different cultures and beliefs need to…