From Bob's Cluttered Desk

The Workers’ Compensation Institute announced this week that they will offer a “stress reduction” Puppy & Kitten Cuddle Zone at their annual Workers’ Compensation Education Conference in Orlando this December. It will be offered through the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando and is another element of WCI’s community support initiatives.  I don’t know about you, but my…

When you want to go into a fancy affair with a bold statement reflecting your personal agenda, there is nothing quite as effective as wearing a designer dress with a bold “Tax the Rich” message emblazoned on it; especially when that dress is worn at an event chock full of upper crust elites. Certainly, Congressional…

There are times when pondering in this blog takes a circuitous route, meandering in thought and occasionally ending up back right where it started. Today is likely one of those days. It is Friday, after all, and there is no better day for a little circular logic. If not circular, it is certainly a “train…

A large part of the federal push announced last week to assure that all Americans are vaccinated against Covid-19 is centered around medical facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid payments. All employees at these facilities will need to be vaccinated in order to remain employed. This particular directive was an expansion of an earlier order…

People in my organization have been strongly suggesting that we start a podcast to discuss whatever is hot in workers’ compensation. Apparently, podcasts are the latest thing, and we, according to the marketing department, should always be doing the latest thing. We have acceded to their knowledge on the subject and are in the process…

Editors Note: Bob originally wrote this article on November 18, 2013 while on a flight from Tampa, FL to Las Vegas, NV. It has been republished a couple of times to commemorate Memorial Day, and again today in honor of the 13 men and women lost during the chaotic and ignominious ending of the Afghanistan…

This is a difficult time for companies trying to navigate the conference scene these days. Several conferences have been canceled or converted to virtual events in response to rising Covid counts around the country. People and companies have been reluctant to commit financial resources in the event a planned event does not come off. This…

Last week was certainly one to remember. My brother passed away a little over a week ago, on Friday, August 13th. Then, this past Friday, August 20th, two good friends both passed after valiant fights with different diseases. The differences of how the three lived, and more importantly how they died, is stark. It is…

There is another Hot Seat Webinar coming up this Thursday, entitled Beating Workplace Violence in the Era of Covid. It is sponsored by Safety National. Co-host Judge David Langham and I will welcome guests Valerie Horton Rakes and Dr. Geralyn Datz. Horton Rakes is the Risk Manager for the City of Tampa Department of Human Resources-Risk…

I’ve been doing interviews the past couple of weeks as part of the “vetting” process for the upcoming Comp Laude Awards program, which will be held in November. I’ve done this before, as well as serving on the nominating committee and working as a final judge. It can be an inspirational endeavor. Comp Laude, founded by…