Since the proposal of a federal Injury and Illness Prevention standard in 2010, OSHA has been busy holding meetings with stakeholders to determine the cost, benefits, and structure of such a ruling.  Issuing a white paper merely demonstrates their belief in the value of continuing with the process for the benefit of employers, workers and insurers.  OSHA’s proposed programs (already mandated by 34 states) are anticipated to reduce injuries as well as improve the workplace atmosphere, productivity and employee satisfaction.

In order to prevent potential health and hazardous threats to employees, OSHA’s rule will likely blend elements of management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification and assessment, prevention and control of hazards, training and continuous improvement.  The states already mandating I2P2s have been largely successful in reducing work-related injuries and illness’, as well as reducing the direct and indirect costs to employers.  But before OSHA can draft an rule, they will have to address which industries will be affected, under what conditions and how to implement programs at various levels.

See if your state has an existing I2P2 mandate or learn more about the White Paper visit OSHA.

Reasons to Purchase Personal Guarantee Insurance

• You, your partner(s), or a non-owner (family member, etc) signed a Personal Guarantee allowing a lender to pursue personal assets in the event of a default on a commercial loan.
• Expand your business with less risk to you or your financial backers.
• Minimize your personal risk and free up your credit…even if your business is successful.

Learn more about this new insurance product then see if you qualify for a policy designed to protect your livelihood. Click here for more information

In conjunction with managing your company total business risk, our local team of coverage experts will review all of your company’s high risk exposures to connect you to the right policy which protects your business assets for financial stability and profit in the future. Protect your accounts receivables from changes or losses that might seriously impact a company’s financial vitality. Minimizing risk to the asset opens options for leveraging cash to generate further income.

Speak with our Business Solutions experts today and get the coverage that can open doors to a better balance sheet tomorrow.

California Labor Code 2810.5 deems that at the time of hire, employers must provide a written notice to each new employee stating:

• The employee’s rate(s) of pay by hour, day, salary, commision, etc, including any overtime rates.
• The regular pay date or pay schedule by employer
• The name or names of the employer, including address and telephone information.
• The employer’s workers compensation insurance carrier
• And any additional information deemed necessary by the Labor Commission of CA

Details were given as what information employers were required to communicate to new hires, however the Labor Commissioner of California failed to issue a standard template which complies with its requirements before the January 1 enforcement date.

Be advised that the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) has created a template and it is available for download in both Word and PDF formats on the departments Industrial Relations’ website, here.

The template issued by the Labor Commissioner also asks for more detailed information than previously stated, such as, the nature of the employer’s business, workers compensation policy numbers and whether the employment agreement was written or oral.  While the DLSE FAQ page states that employers may use their own form, it is safest to include all the information request on the DLSE template.

Colony West is offering both the 2012 California and Federal Employment Notices poster and new NLRA Supplement poster to you for free!

Don’t have a policy with us, but still want to get your employment poster free? We are going to make it available to you as well. Simply fill out the form below to receive your free poster.

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a series of bills aimed at reducing workers’ comp costs to the industry and state businesses while vetoing several other proposed bills which could possible raise costs. Of note, AB 378 will bring compound drugs under the pharmacy fee schedule and SB 684 will protect California employers from costly out of state disputes with workers’ comp insurers. These two bills were supported by a wide coalition of employers, insurers and labor unions whereas the vetoed bills were greatly feared to raise costs and induce litigation for business and insurers.

Jose Solorio, a Democrat from Santa Ana, authored AB 378 which removes the financial incentives to unnecessarily prescribe expensive and possibly dangerous compound medications to injured workers. Compound medications, being a combination of other medications, are often untested and more expensive than comparable commercially available drugs approved by the FDA. Governor Brown’s approval of the bill means these drugs will now come under regulated fee rates. SB 684, authored by Ellen Corbett, a Democrat from San Leandro, rewrites dispute resolution and arbitration agreements to protect California employers from being dragged into expensive out-of-state disputes without prior written disclosure.

The Governor vetoed Solorio’s bill AB 947, which would have increased temporary disability benefits in cases where surgery occurred after the 104 week cap. Although Governor Brown agreed that injured workers need to be adequately compensated, he believed the possible tens of millions of dollars the extensions would cost employers to be too great for the workers’ comp system to bare. The Governor also vetoed a bill authored by Luis Alejo, Democrat from Salinas, which would prohibit appointment decisions based on race, sex, gender, age, etc. Most in the industry agree that AB 1155 not only duplicated existing California non-discrimination laws, but would enact costly new litigation and raise cost to employers.

Clearly, the Governor of California is dedicated to maintain current cost levels with balanced changes as they continue to negotiate a permanent increase in workers’ comp benefits for next year.

Reasons to Purchase Travel Insurance

• Flight cancellations due to weather, strike, natural disaster or security threat
• Lost or stolen Passport, wallet, credit card – emergency replacement
• Lost luggage
• Emergency prescription refills or replacement of lost medication
• Medical Emergencies in a foreign country
• Financial default of travel carriers

You can’t prevent storms or strikes, but you can do something to help cover your investment and bring you peace of mind.

To speak with a Colony-West agent, call (800) 485-5554 today!!!

Until recently, WCIRB and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones had the responsibility of passing and implementing a nearly 40% increase in the state’s advisory pure premium rate amidst an already strained and sluggish economy. But with some creative measurement changes, the WCIRB of California is now recommending a 1.8% decrease. A decrease may appear attractive…so why won’t the the WCIRB nor California Department of Insurance (CDI) reveal the details and data for their new methodology? And how will the new process affect Employers, Legislators and Insurers?

Out with the Old and in with the New

We know that the WCIRB has implied the methodology for determining changes in workers’ comp rates is in need of improvements. So the 40% rate increase may still be consequential. The CDI and the bureau are effectively changing the benchmark for rate recommendations from a static number – the last approved pure premium rate, to a dynamic number – the ever-changing average pure premium rate filed by carriers’.

In the old system, the rate recommendation was measured against the pure premium rate at the time of the last review. Changes can be clearly monitored as a percentage higher or lower from the previous recommendation. This allows legislators and public monitors to easily assess data for considering changes to the system.

But the new system will be calibrated against the most current rates actually files by carriers’ to more effectively reflect the realities of the current market. Should carriers’ quickly file increases in response to rising costs, the benchmark would be reset at a higher rate, then the percentage increase in the bureau’s recommendation will be lower.

However, the CDI insists the benchmark is calculated by the WCIRB and the WCIRB refuses to provide the methods of calculation upon request. It will be difficult for insurers, employers, legislators or any other concerned parties to know what is really going on in the industry without a chance to analyse and test the data, to reflect on possible changes or to clearly understand how the pure premium rate recommendations are now being derived. As for employers, while their renewal rates may reflect the new WCIRB recommendation change, the rising growth of frictional costs – an expenditure not going to injured workers – as a percentage of their own may still feel like a 40% increase.

In the end, it’s plain to see that there is some disconnect in the understanding of transparency between the WCIRB, the California Department of Insurance and the pubic.

In order for OSHA to empower the agency, employers and workers to identify hazards in high-risk work sites, its has proposed revisions to its recordkeeping and reporting rules.  The changes will allow OSHA to “more effectively target occupational safety and health hazards, preventing additional injuries and fatalities,” says Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Dr. David Michaels.

Changes in Reporting Requirements:

• Report to OSHA within 8 hours all work-related inpatient hospitalizations. (Currently, employers are only required to report events in which at least 3 workers are hospitalized.)
• Report within 24 hours all work-related amputations. (A new requirement)

All recordkeeping rules will be adjusted to adhere to the North American Industry Classification System, which replace the Standard Industrial Classification System in 1997.

The changes may partially exempt 119,000 new establishments, which would not be required to keep OSHA injury and illness records unless the government specifically requests them.  However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics may require they keep records to participate in BLS annual surveys on workplace illnesses and injuries for all industries.

Since the changes may cost affected businesses between $50 and $100, OSHA is seeking public comments until September 20 (2011).

For more info visit the Workers Compensation Forum

• Recognize that workers’ comp is a manageable cost so the real drivers of high costs may be addressed
• Set the right culture by letting your employees know you care about their health and safety
• Hire the right people who can physically perform the job and are not potential abusers of the system
• Commit to safety with a comprehensive program built around employee participation and accountability
• Train and educate your employees and supervisors on how to perform safely in your work environment
• Use pre-qualified workers’ comp medical specialists for injured workers
• Handle all claims quickly and properly within 24 hours and follow up with all partners in a timely manner
• Implement a quick return-to-work program to get workers back on the job and reduce long-term pays-outs
• Review claims on a regular basis with your insurance agent to analyze your losses for cutting future costs
• Demand more from your to establish a complete workers’ comp system

Colony West is a leading provider of Workers’ Compensation Insurance.  With the greatest representation of carriers available in the market, our agents and account managers will shop each and every year for the best competitive policies to find the right policy for your business.  Your service team will contact you each year prior to renewal to ensure all underwriting information is up to date, and we also provide an experienced Registered Nurse claim review.

Colony West professionals can provide your business with a comprehensive risk management program proven to reduce your worker’s comp costs.  Let us focus on managing your experience modification rate (EMR) to reduce your workers’ compensation insurance premiums so you can get back to running your business.

Click here to chat with an agent online, or call us today, 800-485-5554