What happens when you cross an idiot weather person with a Chinese television station? You get a terrific video of safety “China style”. Actually, that is not fair. I’ve seen far worse in this country. Perhaps I should explain. We’ve all seen the TV weatherman giving a live remote from the beach during a hurricane.…
Who Will Be Changing My Diaper?
I read disturbing news last week. Very disturbing news. Birth rates in this nation have dropped to their lowest level in over 25 years. While we were once the envy of the world, maintaining a “replacement perfect” rate of 2.1 births per woman in this country, we have in recent years slipped to an unimpressive…
A Workers' Comp Cost Containment Webinar – What a Concept!
I have often lamented that employers do not understand that workers' comp is a controllable cost. Too often they treat it as a necessary evil that they must simply contend with, and never really pay attention to the fact that they have influence over costs; through both prevention and effective claims management. That is why…
The "Just a Claims Guy" Fallacy
I think claims people in workers' comp do not get a fair shake from the industry. I have heard a few people over the years use the phrase “he's just a claims guy”, or “they are only in claims”, when talking about some person who happens to work in that area within the workers' compensation…
My Blogs First Birthday – A Top Ten Favorite List
August 9th represents the one year anniversary of this blog, “From Bob’s Cluttered Desk”. When I launched it, I really had no idea what I would use it for, or how often I would post. When I announced the blog, I wrote at the time that I hoped to post with more reliability than a…
Leading From Behind in Assessing Reputational Risk and Social Media
Last week I wrote about a corporate CFO and Treasurer who torpedoed his own career by videotaping himself ripping a drive thru cashier at Chick-Fil-A over the beliefs of her company’s president. While this simpleton proved that you don’t need to possess intelligence or common sense to attain high positional status, that was not that…
NFL Offensive Lineman Loses Offensive California Claim in Court Decision
Yesterday a federal court stopped Tennessee Titans offensive line coach Bruce Matthews attempts to receive workers’ compensation in the state of California. The three-judge 9th Circuit court upheld an arbitration award barring the former offensive lineman from attempting to get benefits under workers’ compensation law in California. Mathews spent 19 years playing football for the…
Professionalism Matters When You Stick the Landing On Your Face
Ok, I have to confess. It is Sunday night. I am sitting in a bar at Harrah’s in St. Louis, MO, preparing to attend a conference to learn all about MSA’s, MSP’s and any other acronyms I cannot think of at the moment (more on that at a later date). As I sit here I…
VIDEO: Exec Videotapes His Own Career Destruction While Bullying Chick-Fil-A Worker
An executive who posted a YouTube video of himself berating a poor Chick-Fil-A drive thru worker over her company president's position on gays really proved a point this week. He proved that you can get fired for doing something pointless and stupid. Adam Smith was CFO and treasurer of Tucson, AZ based medical supplies manufacturer…
Neutering Your Workers Comp Watchdog the Chicago Way
An Executive Inspector General hired by the city of Chicago to look into any complaints of fiscal mismanagement by the city, has been denied access to records of the city’s $100 million, self-managed, self-insured workers compensation program. The denial comes from the city who hired him in the first place. Way to keep things honest…