There were two sessions on “Opt Out” at the 32nd WCRI Annual Issues & Research Conference held in Boston last week. I will be writing some more on those sessions, but there is a major point I feel compelled to discuss first and foremost. It is a singular, critical point that was generally omitted by…
Defining the Path: WCRI Injured Workers' Outcome Study is a Good Start
It is said that to know where you are going, you must first know where you currently are. In the world of injured worker outcomes, that advice could not prove to be more salient. Don't get me wrong, we talk a great deal about outcomes. We actually talk and talk and talk some more about…
WCRI and the Path Home
Well, the 2016 WCRI Annual Conference is behind us, and as I wait for my flight home to the Sunshine State it is time to let the massive amount of data provided coalesce and cogitate within the deep dank recesses of my mind. Most of that info will likely be lost in there for the…
My Reprieve: Out Front Ideas Webinar on Developing an Advocacy-Based Claims Model for Workers' Compensation
Earlier this week I had to delay my trip to Boston, missing an important session put on by the newly formed Alliance of Women in Workers' Compensation. The program, a pre-conference event to the annual WCRI Conference that starts today, was called Creating an Advocacy-Based Claims Model for Workers’ Compensation. I arrived in Boston late…
Using Social Media to Make a Good Experience Better
The fact that social media has cemented its influence within our society is evidenced in many ways, but none more so than in the realm of corporate public relations and customer service. Stories abound concerning angry consumers taking to Twitter or Facebook to vent their frustrations from a particularly poor consumer experience. Savvy companies have…
My Apologies to the Women of Workers' Comp
Really, it was nothing I said. At least not this time. I really needed to title this post “My Apologies to the Alliance of Women in Workers' Compensation”, but it seemed a bit too long for the purpose. But I extend my regrets all the same. I am supposed to be flying to Boston today…
Deliberating the What; Will Oklahoma Supremes Uphold the Workers' Comp Commission on Opt Out?
It is a question no doubt running through the minds of legal professionals all across this land. The Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission, in a decision that is landmark not just for what it is but also for who decided it, declared the Oklahoma Opt Out law “unconstitutional and unenforceable” almost two weeks ago. The case,…
A Message to My Fellow Workers' Comp Bloggers
Greetings, fellow bloggers. I do not know if you are aware of it or not, but my company earlier this week launched a “Best Blogs” competition to recognize those of you in the workers' compensation community who provide top quality, cutting edge, informative content. Or to at least find those of you who can spell…
Friends With Zenefits
I must admit, sometimes it feels as though the world is upside down. Imagine if you were a person waking today from a 20-year long coma. The Twin Towers are gone. Bill Cosby is an accused rapist. Bruce Jenner is woman of the year. The country is polarized, the middle east is consumed in conflict,…
Unconstitutional: Dillard's Opt Out Plan Colored Dullard by OK Court
I am tempted to say “I told you so”, or use the ever more cerebral phrase, “I warned you thusly”. I am also tempted to point out what a tremendous difference one simple letter can make; the difference between the letters “i” and “u”. When combined with a couple D's, two L's, an A and…