If you have a post-injury response program for your business, you probably know that it both slashes Workers Comp costs drastically and helps get employees back on the job — quickly.
The more injuries your workers suffer on the job, and the longer they’re off, the more you’ll pay for Comp coverage (not to mention their lost productivity). However, according to a recent insurance trade press report, an effective program that focuses on containing costs after work injuries can cut these expenses in half.
The report recommends that a post-injury program should include a promise that an injured employee will receive the best medical care available and will return to the job only after they’re cleared to do so. What’s more, says the report, the program must be applied consistently, deal with every injury, and list “who reports injuries, who an injury is reported to, who transports the employee to medical providers, and how medical restrictions are obtained.” The plan should be in a format that’s easy for managers, supervisors, and employees to understand.
A post-injury program might also include creating a transitional-duty job to help an injured employee ease back into the swing of things. There are many other steps involved in creating and carrying out a successful plan.
To learn how you can avoid becoming another Workers Comp horror story, contact our insurance professionals at Scurich Insurance Services today. To learn more about Scurich Insurance Services, follow us on Twitter.
Read more
The American melting pot is fast becoming a smorgasbord of distinctive cultures. During the past 10 years, more than half (51%) of new entrants into the U.S. workforce have been minorities. The next 10 years will see a dramatic increase in minority workers, many of whom might lack English proficiency and familiarity with basic workplace safety precautions. To help you meet the safety needs of an increasingly diverse workforce — especially where language barriers are an issue — we’d recommend these guidelines:
- Speak slowly, explain fully, and repeat important points several times.
- Choose simple words and avoid technical jargon (whenever possible).
- Use a translator with groups of employees who have only minimal English skills.
- Team up non-English-speaking employees with English-speaking employees.
- Provide handouts in the language(s) that trainees speak and read.
- Make sure that workers are able to understand written materials. Don’t assume that they can read forms, signs, written directions, etc.
- Stress the importance of following safety regulations and policies.
- Show employees how to use safety protections and explain why they’re important.
- Demonstrate while you speak and use pictures, diagrams, props, etc., to supplement your words.
- Follow up on the job to make sure that employees properly apply what they’ve learned in training.
All of the helpful and friendly agents at Scurich Insurance Service care that your business has the best California Worker’s Compensation Policy available. Contact any of our agents at Scurich Insurance, located in Watsonville, to have your questions answered regarding your Worker’s Compensation Policy!
[formidable id=15 title=true]
Read more
One of the true values of Workers Compensation law is the “exclusive remedy” provision to the employer. Basically, in return for providing coverage for injuries arising from the job, this provision protects you from being sued by the employee for the injury, regardless of who has been negligent. Thus, the benefits provided automatically by Workers Compensation become the “exclusive remedy” for the injury.
However, there’s one way to bypass this barrier to employer liability. It’s called “third party over.” Let’s say that an employee is injured when the scaffolding on which he’s standing collapses. Workers Compensation pays the claim, so he can’t sue the employer. However he chooses to sue the scaffolding company, alleging improper equipment and installation. He wins a judgment, which leads the scaffolding company to sue the employer/contractor, claiming improper usage of the scaffolding. In effect, the employer/contractor is being sued for damages arising from injury to its own employee — just what Workers Compensation is designed to prevent.
Is such a suit legal? Yes. Because the scaffolding company isn’t the injured person’s employer, there’s no prohibition against his suing them — and Workers Compensation law clearly can’t prohibit the scaffolding company from claiming against the contractor, either contractually or by alleging negligence.
If you face such a situation, would your Workers Compensation coverage protect you (because the claim originated from an injury to an employee)? Or would you have to turn to your General Liability coverage, as you would when sued by an outside party? The answer: Either policy might cover this situation, depending on the basis of the suit. For truly comprehensive protection, you need to carry several types of insurance. No one policy does it all. A claim that might fall just outside the purview of one policy can be either a disaster, or simply a hand-off to another type of coverage.
Keeping your entire umbrella of insurance protection current and coordinated might seem complicated — but that’s where Scurich Insurance Services, located in California, comes in. When it comes to risk management and insurance, helping you focus on what you do best is what we do best.
Read more
As seen in: Property Casualty 360 9/19/2012 By Arthur D. Postal
With the signing and passing last week of the new California Workers’ Compensation Reform by Governor Jerry Brown. While it is widely known that California’s Workers’ Compensation System is know for being the most complicated system out of them all, then next steps in the process regarding carrying out the new regulations will determine the success of this reform.
Governor Brown, signed the bill in a family owned print shop in San Diego, California and promoted this new legislation Walt Disney Co. studio in Burbank, California. The Governor’s office released a statement saying that the need for this reform was great because the amount the cost for Workers’ Compensation has risen to. The new Legislation passed will increase benefits to workers and allow increased benefits to those who are on long term disability. It is being said that if the system is made more efficient and limiting the legislation that in the long run it will save businesses about $1 billion and provide increased payments to those workers out on disability.
Contact any of the helpful and friendly agents at Scurich Insurance Service, located in California, with any questions regarding your Workers’ Compensation policy and how this new legislation will effect your policy. All of us at Scurich Insurance Service would like to invite you to connect with us on Facebook.
Content first stated by: http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2012/09/19/california-workers-comp-reforms-signed-insurers-re?ref=hp
Scurich Insurance Services did not originally write this content.
Read more
Scurich Insurance Services, located in Northern California, has been serving the Monterey Bay Area since 1924. We understand that each state has its own workers’ compensation laws that handle claims from employees who are injured while working and those laws make it difficult to understand what is and is not covered. Fill out the form below to complete our simple Request Form and an agent from Scurich Insurance will respond within 24 hours regarding your workers’ compensation policy.
If you’re looking for better service, lower prices or just need a change, we are easy to find.
Not sure if you’re covered enough? We can help find fatal gaps in your current policy and avoid potential disaster.
We look forward to offering you great service!
[formidable id=15 title=true]
Read more
Born in New York, transplanted as a 5 year old to sunny California, Kim grew up in San Jose, attended Piedmont Hills High School, continued her education at San Jose City College and graduated from San Jose State University in 1975. She is married with one college age daughter. Kim has worked for Scurich Insurance, located in Watsonville, for almost 8 years. Some of her passions are walking at the beach, especially Seacliff Beach, biking and swimming. She also enjoys gardening, home improvement (Kim prefers receiving tools instead of jewelry as a gift), stained glass and sewing. She belongs to Holy Eucharist Catholic Church and enjoys serving at the Salvation Army on Monday nights along with many others from Holy Eucharist Church.
Contact any of our helpful and friendly agents at Scurich Insurance Services with any questions regarding your commercial insurance policy with us. All of us at Scurich Insurance would like to invite you to follow us on Twitter!
Read more
