Increasing OSHA fines: the importance of meeting and maintaining compliance
OSHA fines increased 78% from 2015 to 2016, AND will continue to increase each year based on the rate of inflation. This dramatic increase further elevates the importance to meet and maintain OSHA compliance. This impact your company’s bottom line SIGNIFICANTLY! To help quantify this impact, what amount of new sales does your company need […]
Selling Safety: A Path to Driving Profit
Management has the most control over safety. Posters do not sell safety. It requires a steady commitment from management, so that is the first place to start. Just ask a worker where they think safety ranks in the company. Encourage open-minded dialogue. Various studies have shown that for every $1 invested in safety, the return […]
Worker’s Compensation: Risk Management for Independent Contractors
Significant exposure arises when an Independent Contractor is uninsured and their injured workers become the responsibility of the hiring employer. This high risk exposure can be mitigated with these practices: The hiring employer can require all ICs to sign a contract that includes insurance requirements. The hiring employer should have a dedicated employee responsible for […]
How to Hire a Minor
by Laura Pokrzywa If you are an employer planning to hire a teenager, you need to be careful to comply with federal and state child labor laws. These laws set forth specific guidelines for the hiring process, the working conditions, and the hours an underage employee may work. It is more than just putting up […]
Who are Generations X, Y, and Z and Why Should Employers Care?
by Nancy Owen, PHR Most dictionaries define a generation as “a group of people born and living around the same time as each other”. Not surprisingly, people of the same generation often have similar characteristics and values. Interestingly enough, one generation can be very different from another. Of the six generations currently living, three are […]
Are Annual Performance Reviews Becoming a Thing of the Past?
by Nancy Owen, PHR Somewhere around the middle of 2015, many large companies decided they would stop conducting annual performance reviews. These companies included Adobe, Google, Deloitte, Accenture, GE, and Red Hat; just to name a few. This change in the mindset of large employers had many other companies following suit and doing away with […]
Reference Checks: A Key Component of Your Hiring Process
by Nancy Owen, PHR There is no doubt that the interview is the most valuable piece in a hiring process, but reference checks can be a close second for many reasons. Isn’t the main goal of an interview process to confirm the person’s skills, knowledge and abilities? And what about internal reference checks? Do you […]
PPE: One Size Doesn’t Fit All
PPE: One Size Doesn’t Fit All Personal protective equipment (PPE) can be an effective way to prevent injuries to your employees, but only if it’s the right PPE for the job and the right PPE for the worker. Not sure if you’re getting the PPE strategy right at your organization? Here are three problems to […]
Storage Hacks to Save Your Back
Storage Hacks to Save Your Back “While managers look for better ways and new tools for material handling, we usually rely on the tried-and-true,” says Engineering Services Manager Sandy Smith. “Protecting workers’ backs as they manage materials in storage and in work areas involves focusing on the basics.” For example, designing your storage and material […]
A Guide for Mold Prevention
A Guide for Mold Prevention Your building is one of your biggest assets, but it can easily be the last thing on your mind when you think of loss control. Preventing mold growth in your buildings takes just one action: eliminating moisture. Easier said than done, of course, says Industrial Hygenist Steven Shaffer. But controlling […]