From Bob's Cluttered Desk

A story that made a big impact this week on social media and elsewhere, that involves a human heart left in an airplane cargo hold and a flight rerouted to deliver it, is a lesson that perceptions can be more important than reality. The story about the misdirected heart has evolved a bit, and it is interesting…

We spend a lot of time in the workers’ compensation industry griping about jurisdictional forms. They are often complex, and some are poorly designed with fields too small to accommodate the information they demand. The biggest issue, for many people, is that no two forms are alike, even though they may require the same information…

For the many people who have been advocating a shift in our workers’ compensation claims handling philosophy the last few years, this year’s National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference in Las Vegas was not a disappointment. The “Advocacy Based Claims” movement received front and center attention this year, with conference Chair Roberto Ceniceros noting during…

  Many jobs are difficult, but some are clearly more challenging than others. Take the recent story of a drug dealer released from jail only to return within a few hours of his release. It seems the man, released from a Philadelphia jail about 6:15PM, hadn’t even made it out of the parking lot when he beat…

I had a chance some time back to speak at length with John Watts, CEO of Paradigm Outcomes, about the growth his company was undergoing as well as some of the changes we are seeing in the workers’ compensation sector. Paradigm, founded in 1991, is the nation’s leading provider of catastrophic and complex care management.…

There were a couple back to back stories this week that were not just unusual in nature; they were great examples that not all workplace activity in the air occurs inside an airplane. In one story, a skydiving instructor was found to have committed suicide by separating himself mid-dive from his student and plummeting to his…

To paraphrase an old saying, “What goes up must be covered when it falls down.” This would, apparently, be very true in the world of shifting sands that surrounds today’s independent contractor. At least a story shared recently at the SAWCA All Committee Conference would indicate that was the case. A speaker at the conference,…

Just a quick note to wish you and your family a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. Our offices will be closed mid-afternoon Wednesday through Monday. No newsletter will be sent during that time. I thought today I would tap out a quick list of the things I am thankful for at this holiday juncture: I…

A judge in England recently ruled that an airline pilot was unfairly terminated from his job after he developed a fear of flying. The former pilot for Flybe Airlines won his unfair dismissal claim against the carrier after he was fired following several failed attempts to address his condition. He had been employed by the airline for seven…

During a panel discussion last week at the SAWCA All Committee Conference in Colorado Springs, Georgia State Workers’ Compensation Board Chairman Frank McKay told the room that his agency had just received a request from the Social Security Administration. They are asking for the states claim data so that they may cross index it with…