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…
Biting the Hand (Off) That Feeds You
In what had to be a most memorable airboat tour of the Florida Everglades, an Indiana family was treated to a rare and special event, when their tour boat operator demonstrated how not to entice an alligator to leap. Then they got to see him drive an airboat with one hand. Then they got to…
I Am a Giant AASCIFFER
It is time for a true confession. I am a committed fan of one of the best kept conference secrets in our industry. I am a giant AASCIFFER. As regular readers will know, I spent last week at the annual AASCIF (pronounced ass-kiff) conference, AASCIF 2012. It was the fourth one I have attended. AASCIF…
Obesity: A Big Fat Problem We Must Weigh In On
The most telling part of Todd Whitthorne’s presentation at AASCIF 2012 in Portland this week was not what he said. It was the empty chairs to which he said it. Whitthorne, CEO of the Cooper Center in Texas, was there to describe why corporate America cannot afford to ignore the impact of increasing obesity and…