From Bob's Cluttered Desk

A recent article in the Houston Chronicle likely provides a glimpse at what an element of workers' comp will look like in the not too distant future. The subject concerned the use of what is called the ConciergeCLAIM Nurse program run by Travelers Insurance. Travelers touts it as a program that has both lowered cost…

A looming 60 day statute of limitations appears to have prompted the filing of what is no doubt the first of several complaints regarding the SAIF termination of former CEO John Plotkin. Plotkin's attorneys Monday filed a motion for injunctive relief with the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon, Marion County, seeking to void…

When it comes to employment issues, bad news, it seems, is everywhere these days. Immigration, health care reform, improper terminations, unemployment, rising disability roles, and more – we read about these challenges daily. That is why it was so refreshing to stumble across a “feel good” employment story, and I felt compelled to share it…

It has been a busy week for the people of SAIF, where the Plotkin termination scandal continues to wreak havoc while the dedicated employees and staff struggle to maintain their professionalism and commitment, just working through every day. Tuesday was the company's 100 year anniversary, and it hosted a celebration at the Salem Convention Center.…

The topic of workers’ compensation and employer responsibility has found its way into the Texas Governors race, and it presents some interesting philosophical questions for our industry. The Texas Tribune reported Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is running for governor, has indicated he wants to maintain the current ability of employers to opt-out of workers’…

In our ongoing effort to help improve employer effectiveness, we offer today’s lesson in the Domestic Employer category. People looking for someone to live in their home and care for their children should probably not hire people they find on Craigslist to perform those tasks. A couple in California thought they had found the ideal…

I am supposed to be in Portland, Oregon this morning. I should be having breakfast in my hotel, the Hyatt Place Portland Airport/Cascade Station, and then getting in my rental car and driving to Salem, where I would have the opportunity to lunch with SAIF employees as well as John and Kim Plotkin. Yes, I…

I’ve made reference previously comparing the Plotkin/SAIF saga to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The fundamentals for those persecutions were eerily similar to those in the termination debacle that has unfolded in the Oregon city of that name. It was probably, in retrospect, an unfair comparison. The witches, after all, actually got a trial…

I will likely be publishing more documents Monday related to the termination of John Plotkin, and I am speculating that many of you who have been following this story will not be happy with what you see. While we are still going through the latest batch, some important points are beginning to stand out: There…

We now generally know the identities of those people who complained about John Plotkin's “salty” and offensive language, and it tells a troubling tale for what is happening in that organization. Plotkin, CEO for Oregon state fund SAIF, was terminated at a contentious board meeting in May for “using inappropriate language with employees”. Over one…