I am currently in New Orleans for the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network’s summer seminar. Today, during a session discussing a “think outside the box” strategy, Attorney and NWCDN member Will Ross offered up a few salient ideas, including this provocative thought: In an adversarial claim where a claimant is being prescribed narcotics as part…
Welcome John D'Alusio to the Workers' Comp Blogwire
I am once again privileged to announce a great new contributor to the Workers’ Comp Blogwire on WorkersCompensation.com. John D'Alusio has over 30 years experience in P/C insurance with executive management positions in administration, field operations, and claim technical areas. In his career, John has worked in claims leadership positions at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company,…
Trash Talking With My Fellow Bloggers at the National Workers' Comp Conference
The agenda for the 21st Annual National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference & Expo has been released, and I am pleased to say I managed to worm my way onto it once again. I will be appearing in a Thursday afternoon session featuring the industry’s best known bloggers entitled “Front and Center: Bloggers Speak Out…
A Request for Help: Your Opinion Needed on Critical Utilization Management Survey
Health Strategy Associates is conducting a very important survey on utilization management/utilization review, and we have been asked to invite our readers to provide their valuable input. Please take a few moments of your time to help everyone better understand the part that UM/UR currently plays in the industry. It is exercises such as this that…
Judge’s Decision on 3rd Party Texting Saves Risk Managers from Sleepless Nights – For Now
Picture this scenario: Your employee sends a text message to a customer. The customer happens to be driving when they get that message. While reading that message, they have an accident and injure someone. Could your company be liable for causing the accident? A case tested that theory in New Jersey this month, but the…
When Urine Trouble With the IT Guy – Attraction Stains Employee Relations
It's not as if a corporate risk manager has enough to worry about. Now comes a story about an Iowa company's employee urinating in the empty seats of those female co-workers he found attractive. I've heard of marking your territory, but this is ridiculous. At least he waited until they were out of their chairs….…
Management by Wandering Around; A Workers' Comp Lesson from an Undercover Boss
I just saw an episode of the television show “Undercover Boss” that offered a good lesson for employers everywhere. For those of you who are not familiar with it, “Undercover Boss” is a CBS show where an oblivious CEO who is completely unaware of what actually happens within their company, dons a cheap and unconvincing…
Florida Physician Dispensing Bill to Return, Buy Your Legislator Early
Physician Dispensing will again be before the Florida legislature next year, and word is that legislators may be in short supply. In accordance with established tradition on this subject, I am recommending that Florida employers buy their legislator now, and avoid the post holiday rush. I had the opportunity last week to listen to Florida…
Welcoming Terry Bogyo to the Blogwire
I would like to take a quick moment to welcome a new contributor to our Workers’ Comp Blogwire, Mr. Terry Bogyo. Terry is the Director of Corporate Planning and Development for WorkSafeBC. His current responsibilities include environmental scanning, strategic planning and inter-jurisdictional comparisons. He joined the organization in 1980 as a Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant. Over…
Yes Virginia, There Is A Sanity Clause
Although I would occasionally write an article or opinion piece for our website over the years, it was not until August of last year that I “officially” opened my own blog, “From Bob's Cluttered Desk”. It is hard to believe that it has only been nine months. Over that short time I have poked fun…