Tag Archives: workers comp

Employee Drug Testing: OSHA’S View & The Impact on Workers Compensation Benefits

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Employee drug testing programs continue to be a hot topic and are essential for most businesses—the restaurant and hospitality industry is no exception. Are they legal? Do employers have to have an employee drug testing policy? Or what if you own multiple businesses in different states? Do the rules change? Below we cover some of the most common questions surrounding employee drug testing and workers’ compensation benefits.

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How to Prevent Burns in the Kitchen

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Restaurants are fast paced environments with many opportunities for an employee to receive a burn injury. The Burn Foundation estimates that 12,000 burns occur annually in the Food Service Industry. A third-degree burn can be produced from a temperature of 150⁰ F with one second of exposure and many items in a common kitchen are well in excess of 150⁰ F. Burns can leave a business shorthanded while an employee is healing and lead to increased workers compensation or liability costs. Care should be taken to ensure the safety of employees.

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24/7 Nurse Triage Program for Workplace Injuries

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While protecting the health of your employees is the number one priority of every business, no business is injury-proof. Accidents can happen even with the proper safety procedures and training in place. Sometimes workplace injuries require a trip to the emergency room. However, in non-emergency situations, a nurse triage program is a valuable resource to help achieve the best possible outcome for everyone involved. (more…)

Insurance Case Study: Recovering from Property Damage & Employee Injury

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Society’s insurance case studies are real-life stories, explaining complex business situations from start to finish. These stories detail how business owners and insurance companies work together to overcome unique and unexpected challenges.

In this case study, an accident caused by a customer resulted in serious employee injuries and significant property damage.
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Insurance Cost: Calculating Workers Compensation Premium

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This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Premium Audit

Remember when you couldn’t wait to turn 16 and obtain the freedom that comes with a driver’s license? Then the anticipation of turning 18, becoming an adult and being able to vote. And having your first cocktail at 21. For me, the next hugely anticipated milestone was 25 – the age when my car insurance premiums would go down!

Okay, maybe that was just me.

So, why am I talking about car insurance? Well, it’s because most people understand car insurance. We know, for example, that a 16‐year‐old boy driving a sports car typically pays higher premiums than a middle‐aged married woman in a minivan, right? Statistically, teenage boys are more likely to cause accidents, report claims, and cost insurers more money than middle‐aged women. As a result, their premiums are higher. This is how insurance works: the greater the loss potential, the higher the premium. (more…)

6 Construction Job Site Safety Tips

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Let’s face it; working in construction is dangerous. In 2015, one in five worker fatalities occurred in construction. Is it any wonder why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted almost four times as many inspections and issued over twice as many penalties for the construction industry compared to the next closest industry classification? By the numbers, that’s 11,869 inspections, 29,777 citations and nearly $72 million in fines from October 2015 through September 2016. (more…)

Workers Compensation: Employee or Independent Contractor?

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In the world of workers compensation, the subject of employee vs. self-employed independent contractor is complex. Employers are not required to provide workers compensation coverage for independent contractors. Likewise, employers are not responsible for payroll taxes and other legal obligations that are necessary for employees. However, there are consequences for misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor, so it’s important to understand the difference. (more…)

Case Study: Workers Compensation and Subrogation – Recovering Money and Lowering Insurance Premiums

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Handling workers compensation claims is no easy task. Some cases are very complicated, as well as very expensive. And every state’s laws regarding the payment of workers compensation claims is different. To add to that challenge, each state’s laws also differ somewhat as to how an insurance company may recoup some or all of the benefits paid. It is sometimes possible to recover money through the process of subrogation when the work-related injury was the fault of an independent responsible third party. (more…)

Case Study: Timely Reporting of Workers Compensation Claims

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This entry is part 4 of 7 in the series Claims Reporting

Society Insurance is a servicing carrier in the Wisconsin Workers Compensation Insurance Pool. As such, we see extreme cases and injuries. We treat these businesses just like every other Society policyholder. This case study provides strong evidence for the importance of prompt claims reporting. (more…)

Tips for Reporting Insurance Claims

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This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series Claims Reporting

The easiest way to control your claim cost is with prompt reporting. Studies show that claims cost more when reporting is delayed. The sooner a claim is reported, the sooner it can begin to be managed and brought to resolution.

Key types of claims that should be reported as soon as possible: (more…)