Business Tips

Who’s Watching the Claim?

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A workers comp claim can be a complicated process. At the very least, calls need to be answered promptly, similar risks at the workplace need to be addressed and interface between the injured, the employer, the insurance company and the treatment specialists needs to be established and maintained.

Employers may wish to designate a claims leader, someone on staff whose duties include claims administration. This gives all involved in a workers comp claim a point person with whom to communicate. Solid, hands-on stewardship of work comp claims builds good will and minimizes administrative setbacks.

Consider appointing a claims leader at your business who is capable of navigating claims from start to finish. We can help you get started. Give us a call.

Source: www.osha.gov

Football, Alcohol, and the Night Shift

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It’s football season, and that means that many employees come to work after watching the game with buddies. They come to stock shelves, to work late holiday hours and just to man their normal night shifts. But what about those who come to work after an afternoon or evening of football and alcohol?

Employees working while under the influence of alcohol are a major concern for employers. Here are several steps recommended by the U.S. Department of Labor to handle an employee who is suspected of being intoxicated on the job.

1. Escort the employee to a private area to inquire about the behavior.
2. If possible, call in another supervisor or manager who can serve as a reliable witness.
3. Inform the employee of your concerns and get his/her explanation.
4. Notify senior management.
5. Based upon the employee’s response, place the employee on suspension until a formal investigation is conducted.
6. Arrange for the employee to be escorted home.
It is important to proceed with caution and to document any actions you take. And remember, if the employee is in no shape to work, he or she is in no condition to drive.

Source: US Department of Labor’s elaws®

Protecting Passwords

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Data thieves are professionals. Hacking into password-protected programs is a simple practice for those eager to swipe your business’ important information.

Because passwords are your first line of defense, choose passwords that are difficult to decode. Changing them often can also prove a strong defense against intrusion. Information security experts recommend:

– Change passwords often—at least every 30 days. Never keep a password longer than 90 days.
– Never use proper names.
– Avoid any words that appear in English or foreign-language dictionaries.
– Use a blend of upper and lower case letters in combination with at least one numeral.
– To help you remember the password, use a mnemonic device like the first letter of each word in a favorite phrase or song title.
– Use password management or encryption software.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Personal Effects and Theft

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There’s no predicting what your employees will bring to work. The briefcases of today’s employees easily can contain thousands of dollars worth of electronics. It’s not hard to imagine a laptop loaded with software and business data, an iPod, an iPhone and a mini-digital camera all in one brief case. Poof! Gone! In single, sticky-finger moment, this pricey equipment and all its even more valuable data—stolen.

A standard commercial property insurance policy will extend coverage for business personal property to the personal effects and property of others. However, there are two very important limitations:

1. Coverage for the personal effects and property of others has a separate coverage limit.
Without an endorsement, the standard commercial property policy has a limit for personal effects and property of others that may be significantly less than the business personal property limit shown on the policy’s declarations page. For example, the policy may include $100,000 for business personal property coverage but limit the amount payable for personal effects and property of others to $2500.

2. Coverage for personal effects and property of others does not apply to theft. That one can hurt.

Many businesses reduce their liability risk for uncovered losses of personal property by posting signs that indicate that the business is not responsible for personal items. Others carry an endorsement on their commercial property insurance that specifically closes the gaps left by a standard policy.

Call our service team for suggestions on how to minimize your business’ risk exposure for the loss of personal items on your property.

Source: Insurance Services Office

When Employees Rent Vehicles

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Your business auto policy has limitations that can result in the denial of coverage for an employee following an accident.

One such limitation deals with employees who rent a vehicle in their own name for business purposes. The standard business auto policy grants insured status to employees while operating a vehicle covered by the business for business purposes, but employees who rent vehicles in their own names may find themselves not covered by the business’ auto policy.

Here are two common methods for closing this coverage gap:
1. Use a Personal Auto Policy
Employees who rent vehicles in their own name can seek coverage for a loss under their personal auto policy, even if the vehicle is rented for business purposes.

2. Modification or Endorsement to the Business Auto Policy
Businesses may purchase an endorsement to their business auto policy to cover this exposure, but it should be added explicitly. There is no guarantee this coverage is automatically included.

Call us if you would like to find out more about endorsements that expand your business auto policy.

Source: Florida Insurance School- Continuing Education

Playing Doctor

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When it comes to job-related illness or injury, employees and employers often believe they can determine the severity of an incident and whether treatment by a professional is needed. Making such assessments might seem, on the surface, quite straightforward, but frequently what appears to be a minor event can evolve into a series of problems. That’s when workers compensation claims arise.

Infections, allergic reactions or, in some cases, continued exposure can result in significant work loss—all of which likely could have been avoided were proper attention given immediately to the illness or injury.

Employers must understand they are responsible for directing employees in a manner consistent with state laws concerning treatment and workers compensation coverage. Employers must always be cautious of the unpredictable, long-term effects of illness and injury.

It’s not worth playing doctor, even in seemingly minor cases. Always follow your state’s workers comp reporting guidelines, and ask us if you have any questions about your coverage or carrier requirements.

Source: www.osha.gov