If you have been in business a long time eventually you hear all the stories and scenarios, still every once in a while you get blind-sided by a real doozey. The other day was just one of those days when I heard a story that reminded me of just how bad the workmen's compensation insurance issues can get. We all know that when people are hurt on the job or become disabled from an industrial accident that it is a huge problem and we would hate for anything like that to happen to us.

But what happens when someone says they were hurt on the job, but really weren't? Then what happens when a chiropractor and attorney go along with it and sue the employer? And what happens when the employer finds out the case is BS and the guy really wasn't hurt on the job, but the company's workmen's compensation insurance company is going to pay off anyway and then raise the premiums on the business, nearly doubling them?

Something like that is a huge hit, especially if the company is already paying 10-12% for workmen's compensation insurance. Such and increase could literally put the company out of business right? Sure it could and listen to this story.

A worker who had a high-school foot ball injury that caused a fractured disc in his back, latter went to work in construction, he then claimed he hurt his back lifting material to build homes and filed a claim. He was out of work and paid by his last employer and their insurance company. Then, when they stopped paying for him to sit at home and do nothing, he went to work a pizza place.

Guess what, three weeks later he claimed he hurt his back carrying frozen pizza dough. The manager and owner of the pizza place were served and sued and the workmen's compensation insurance carrier was notified. The company knew this was a BS claim and found out he was going water skiing and hired a private investigator to follow with a video camera, yep, he was skiing away on one foot doing tricks, certainly not hurt. But the chiropractor working with the attorney for the employee signed he could not work.

Long story short, it cost the insurance company to settle out to ditch the false claim, and the pizza company is now paying about $20,000 a year for its two locations in increased workmen's compensation insurance premiums. So, I ask what's fair?



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

We all know from experience that when the economy takes a turn for the worse and we head towards the bottom of the business cycle unemployment rises. As it rises we find that workers and employees are far more likely to file fraudulent, fake or questionable worker's compensation claims. Since the large insurance carriers that handle worker's compensation insurance realize this, they are raising rates now to cover their future risks of handling the onslaught of claims.

Increased costs on mandatory workmen's compensation insurance for small business means higher payroll costs and that means cutting back on employees. Since, small businesses employ 75% of our workforce and 10% of all Americans own a small business and if every business cuts one employee, well you can begin to see why this issue is so critical to our Nation's economic recovery right? Why is workmen's compensation insurance so high?

It's mostly because of abuses on the system by fraudulent or questionable claims, further promoted by employment law lawyers driving up the costs to defend and litigate. Many construction companies are paying nearly 17% of their payroll for workmen's compensation insurance now, can you imagine what it will be as it increases. And for an industry like construction which is already been hammered due to the credit crisis and real estate debacle, this could mean the death of many of the companies that are still just barely hanging on.

As if things were not bad enough on small businesses and employers many folks are going to find themselves out of work due to this problem, and many more businesses may fail, leading to further economic decay. Please consider all this.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Most people don't think of the office as being a very dangerous place, but the truth is that workplace injury is one of the most common causes of chronic pain and sickness among working individuals. Many people who spend the majority of their day at a desk or computer often experience symptoms such as migraine headaches, stiffness in their back, and soreness in their neck, which can greatly interfere with their productivity levels and overall standard of living. This is due to the fact that work stations are often not designed to adequately support workers' physical needs.

Luckily, ergonomic consultants are trained to assess work spaces and then alter them, in order to improve health and comfort while on the job. Implementing workplace injury management strategies is beneficial to both employers and staff members, because ensuring occupational health and safety helps to reduce the amount of days employees miss as a result of sickness, injury, and doctor's appointments. It also decreases the amount of money paid out by the company for workman's compensation and employee health insurance plans.

In order to decrease employees' risks of on the job injury, an ergonomics consultant will examine a particular workstation for proper equipment placement. This includes determining whether items such as the computer, keyboard, mouse, and lamp are customized according to the needs of each individual. An ergonomic consultant will also suggest alternate pieces of furniture that can be brought into the office to reduce the number of workplace injuries for each employee. Many workers are surprised at the impact that brighter lights and firmer chairs can have in an office setting after just one day!

Another important component of workplace safety is teaching employees to take frequent rest and stretch breaks. Ergonomic consultants can lead workshops and training sessions to educate employees about exercises that can help to treat and prevent chronic pain throughout the work day. They can also provide instructional materials, such as handouts and DVDs, which employees can refer to if they are experiencing discomfort. This way, employees can still have access to ergonomics tips, even when their consultant is not present.

It is in the best interest of everyone involved to do everything you can to prevent the occurrence of injury in the workplace. Ergonomic assessments are a great method of risk management, and have been proven to reduce instances of pain, absenteeism, and workman's compensation claims. Choose to make a solid investment in the success of your company today, and you'll continue to reap the benefits for years to come.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Stage

For many employers, worker's compensation insurance isn't as much of an issue because so many of their employees work at a desk. Sure, there might be some risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, but for the most part desk workers won't get seriously injured from their jobs. But what about employees who work in construction and mining, industries that are quite prevalent in Florida and West Virginia, (respectively)? For them worker's compensation insurance is a necessity.

And, when it comes to West Virginia, the mining industry has been very receptive to the issue. This is largely because in the past West Virginia offered worker's compensation through state-run programs. This made things much easier for employers.

Florida does not have the same track record. According to research done by FIU, approximately 42 percent of all construction workers do not have workman's comp. This is despite the fact that the state has legally mandated the insurance.

Why would so many construction companies skirt the law? Well, in their defense, it's not always a malicious situation. Some businessmen believe that if you hire a subcontractor you don't have to worry about workman's compensation insurance; they believe that's only a requirement for 'real' employees. However, when it comes to Florida law, subcontractors must be offered the insurance, even if a company is only working with one at a time.

So, as you can see, quite a few employers in Florida will need to get worker's compensation insurance for their employees or subcontractors. Yet, don't think that West Virginia is out of the picture. In recent times the state has decided to transition to privatized workman's comp programs. This means employers will lose some of the convenience they may have had before with the state-run policies.

But if you happen to be running a company in these states, don't fret because there are plenty of workman's comp plans that are affordable. You just have to find them, a process that isn't too hard thanks to the Internet. All you really need to do is fill out a 2-minute form. After that you will be sent a free quote within minutes.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Rahab

Employers have a legal and a moral responsibility to provide their employees safety at their workplaces. But despite the best of safety measures in place, accidents cannot be totally eliminated and they can, at best, be minimized. It is the responsibility of an employer to maintain a safe workplace, have workers compensation insurance covering his employees and protect the workers from financial hardship in the event of a workplace injury. Workers compensation insurance covers workers injured not only while they are on the job, but also if they are involved in road accidents while on business. It also covers work-related illnesses. Workers compensation insurance protects employers from lawsuits resulting from workplace accidents and to provide medical care and compensation for lost income to employees hurt in workplace accidents. Without bothering who is at fault, Workers compensation insurance provides payments to injured workers. It also provides death benefits to surviving spouses and dependents. Workers' compensation insurance protects employers and injured workers from financial costs when a worker sustains a work-related injury or health disorder.

If a business employs or engages workers whether on a regular, casual or contract basis, they are deemed to be employees and must be covered by a workers compensation insurance policy. For purposes of Workers compensation insurance, even trainees and apprentices are considered as workers. A worker will also include all persons who receive wages or commission, regardless of the number of hours they work each week, and even if they work away from the employer's premises. There are many employees - like workers lent or on hire, outworkers, mine employees, boxers, wrestlers, referees and entertainers, salespersons, canvassers, collectors, voluntary ambulance workers, rural workers etc - who are called deemed workers and these deemed workers are also to be covered by the Workers compensation insurance. Workers' compensation insurance is compulsory. As an employer, if you are not insured under the worker compensation insurance, you may be liable for fines of up to $5,000 per worker, as well as an amount equal to any avoided premiums retrospectively for five years. The law is tough and if you continue to be uninsured even after the date of your conviction, you will commit a separate and further offense for every week you are uninsured.

All proprietor or partnership companies that employ workers must take workers compensation insurance policy. But only the employees and not the sole trader and partners would be covered by this insurance. Sole traders and partnerships should consider taking out a personal accident and illness policy or an income protection policy, in case they are injured and unable to work. But this is optional and not a mandatory requirement. A private limited company must have a workers compensation insurance policy to cover all its workers. Working directors or directors undertaking employee type of duties are considered workers of the company.

Workers' compensation insurance covers workers when they are working for any trade or business and/or while acting under their employer's instructions. The insurance coverage protects the worker and the business from financial loss when a worker sustains injury or health disorder. It provides injured workers with weekly payments to cover loss of earning capacity and payment of reasonable medical and vocational rehabilitation expenses to help them recover and return to gainful employment. In extraordinary circumstances, if a worker is not be able to return to work, he may be entitled to receive specialized retraining an in some cases, workers may be entitled to lump sum settlements. It has to be borne in mind that workers' compensation insurance does not recognize injuries suffered by a worker during his journey between his residence and place of work or vice versa.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Peter

Europe's leading body for health and safety professionals, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), has suggested in new research that accidents at work can be reduced significantly by greater investment in safety professionals.

The findings discovered that a culture of safety was prevalent in firms and companies where senior management at all levels had sufficient health and safety training and could lead by example. On the other hand, where line managers lacked the training required, a pattern of slipshod practices and negligence was endemic and led to a greater number of accidents.

The research, which was primarily carried out by Glasgow Caledonian University, discovered that on average, the more qualified in health and safety the line manager in an organisation is, the lower the accident rate. Representatives opined that this shows that investing in health and safety training has an impact, benefiting employees, and helping to boost productivity by reducing the considerable disruption caused by an incident causing death or injury. They reviewed data from over 100 contractors in the construction industry who collectively employed over 200,000 workers.

Companies with line managers with higher levels of health and safety training and qualifications have the lowest accident rates. Those with less than two days training have accident rates more than eight times higher than companies with the most highly trained or qualified line managers. This is especially relevant for the UK where over 200 people are killed each year in accidents at work and over one million are injured.

The research shows the importance of training in the workplace not just at managerial level, where it should be a prerequisite, but also that employees also require training to carry out their jobs. They need to know about your policies and procedures, what part they play and how they can raise any health and safety concerns with management. Additionally, it will develop a positive health and safety culture, where safe and healthy working becomes second nature to everyone.

In the UK, Norwich Union is recommending more training to prevent transport accidents in the workplace as part of a safety campaign. Forklift trucks were singled out as being particular hazards in the workplace and lack of training, supervision and cooperation between workers and duty holders were leading to more accidents. According to the HSE, forklift trucks were responsible for just under 2,000 reportable incidents in 2006 [the latest figures available], including seven deaths.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Saurav_Dutt