I met them at the Tuesday sunset reception held for attendees of NCCI’s Annual Insights Symposium. The Orlando weather was picture perfect for the outdoor dinner, perfectly fitting the evening theme, which was “Florida Nights.” A friend, a board member for a peachy southern state regulatory agency who we will call Manny (people who associate…
Maybe “The Word” Could Have Been “Grumpy”
NCCI just wrapped up their annual AIS Conference in Orlando Wednesday, and it is a pleasure to report that, after two years of virtual existence, they have not lost their touch for presenting a well-choreographed and impeccably timed event. In fact, NCCI AIS, which is the technical equivalent of Disneyland for workers’ compensation conferences, didn’t…
And The Presumption Hits Keep Coming – NY Considers Adding Lyme Disease to Workers’ Comp
When it comes to automatic presumptions, it has been a scary few years for employers and workers’ compensation insurers. A plethora of new laws mostly regarding first responders have been passed in recent years extending presumptions, rebuttable and otherwise, for a plethora of illnesses and ailments purportedly related to their job. The problem is, in…
Workers’ Comp and The Five(ish) Stages of Grief
The Five Stages of Grief are based on a theory developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross that suggests people go through five distinct stages of grief after the loss of a loved one. The five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and eventually, acceptance. While the theory was based around the loss of someone close to you, it…
Kids’ Chance, The Minister, and Those Things That Are Left Undone
Bob Clyatt, the man who started Kids’ Chance in Valdosta, GA back in 1988, can tell a compelling story. He told the audience at last week’s National Kids’ Chance Conference in Charlotte about the challenges they faced starting the organization and the fact that it almost didn’t happen at all. And his story was a…
Rumors of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Many readers will by now know that last week we announced the planned departure from my current position here at WorkersCompensation.com. The outpouring of comments and support has been overwhelming. Many people have wished me well via text, email, telephone, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I was traveling last week (and this one as well, actually) and…
The Impossibility of Fixing Stupid
Comedian Ron White has made a career out of telling people, “You can’t fix stupid.” And it seems that some people are destined to prove his point every single day. I found and shared a photo on Facebook the other day that certainly drives that point home. Rather than describe it for you, I can…
For Employer, That’s One Expensive Birthday Party
As a result of a lawsuit, a Kentucky employer must pay $450,000 to a former employee after throwing him a surprise birthday party. The man, who suffers from panic attacks, had apparently asked his employer not to throw him a surprise birthday party. It was evidently their normal practice for employees. It appears the company, Gravity…
Post-Pandemic Actuarial Cornhole, and Other Useful Return To The Office Tricks
As the Covid pandemic continues its wind down (except for in airports and airplanes where we will apparently remain permanently masked) some companies are now looking at clearing the cobwebs in the office and returning the workforce to their respective cubicles. While many businesses, including mine, have gone virtual, some simply function better when everyone…
Will California Workers’ Comp Go “Woke” With Wage Disparity Benefits?
A bill currently before the California legislature would require that workers’ compensation in the state “increase the payment of disability benefits by the percentage of disparity in earnings between genders.” What does this mean? Probably that more companies will be moving to Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. But it also means that, if signed into law,…