Compensation Telephone Seminars

Wage and Hour Update: Overtime Concerns With Mobile Devices ...emote work hours. Recent litigation trends also show that compensation for time worked away from the office during nontraditional hours is coming under increased legal scrutiny. This has put employers at greater risk for litigation involving employee use of handheld electronic devices, home computers, cell phones and pagers for performing their work duties. This live audio conference is  more...

Environmental Issues and Agriculture ...Act; Clean Air Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Toxic Substances Control Act; Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; Endangered Species Act; and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. While historically agriculture has benefited from exemptions from some of these regulations, frequent  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation ...tsThis live audio conference 'Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation,' presented by John W. Valente, Esq., will discuss some of the solutions and strategies used by employers to both prevent and control common workplace injury claims. A review of common injuries employers face every day in the workplace injury realm, ranging from slip and fall claims to back injuries from lifting, and other  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation ...tsThis live audio conference 'Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation,' presented by John W. Valente, Esq., will discuss some of the solutions and strategies used by employers to both prevent and control common workplace injury claims. A review of common injuries employers face every day in the workplace injury realm, ranging from slip and fall claims to back injuries from lifting, and other  more...

Medicare Secondary Payer Act: Protecting Medicare's Interest In Insurance Settlements ...or can reasonably be expected to be made under a workers' compensation law or plan of the United States or a state, or under an automobile or liability insurance policy or plan (including a self-insured plan), or under no fault insurance. By law, Medicare has a priority right of recovery from the primary payer as well as from parties in receipt of third-party payments, such as a beneficiary,  more...

Workers' Compensation Benefits: Who is Eligible, How are They Calculated, When and How Can They be Settled ...compensation benefits are a continuing and significant expense to employers. This live audio conference will address who is eligible for workers' compensation benefits, how these benefits are calculated and what employee benefits may be offset with the payments of workers' compensation, and most important, how to resolve or settle a claim without creating additional liability for the employer.  more...

Unrelated Business Income Tax ...ansparency, abusive tax avoidance transactions, executive compensation, tax-exempt hospitals and community benefit, and the current ongoing initiative involving colleges and universities, have securely placed the spotlight on this sector. The Internal Revenue Service has become more sophisticated and active in the arena of unrelated business income tax. The result of noncompliance can be  more...

Workers' Compensation: Return to Work Issues ...scrimination against health conditions and state workers' compensation laws, you will learn strategies to make the most of functional capacity evaluations and rehabilitation programs. This live audio conference will help you comply with state and federal laws, manage injury claims more efficiently, and get workers back on the job sooner. This live audio conference is designed for human  more...

OSHA's Cranes and Derricks Standards Update: The Litigators' Perspective BenefitsDefense of crane litigation is inherently risky given the typical stakes in an accident scenario, whether involving personal injury (typically catastrophic in nature) or property damage. This live audio conference will orient those who defend crane litigation, whether manufacturers, architects, engineers, maintainers, lessors or otherwise to understand the new OSHA standards, what they  more...

Employment Law Compliance: Disciplining or Terminating a Workers' Comp Claimant ...iscipline or terminate an employee who is also a workers' compensation claimant. The program will cover the core concepts underpinning workers' compensation statutes and the primary types of anti-retaliation provisions found in workers' compensation statutes. The live audio conference will then examine the steps you can take when disciplining or terminating a workers' compensation claimant to  more...

Considering Medicare's Interest in Future Medical Expenses While Avoiding MSA Overfunding ... conference will focus on Medicare compliance in workers' compensation and liability cases in which future medical expenses are likely to be incurred. We will explore the legal obligations of injured persons, insurers, and employers in compliance with the Medicare Secondary Payer Act when settling workers' compensation and liability cases. Explore alternatives to submission for CMS approval as  more...

Contractor Guidance on Avoiding OSHA and Other Legal Problems BenefitsConstruction employment is at a record low and yet construction employers make up over 60% of the employers cited by OSHA and account for an even higher percentage of the unlucky employers placed on the OSHA Severe Violators Enforcement Program List. Even those contractors with national recognized safety management programs find themselves exposed to costly 'repeat' citations and unusual  more...

How to Develop an Effective Mentoring Program BenefitsCreating a structured mentoring program is a powerful way to support the personal growth and career development of employees. Mentoring also enhances the stability and productivity of an organization through employee retention, succession planning, transfer of knowledge, and leadership development. The problem is that many businesses believe that mentoring consists of just 'putting two  more...

Tax Consequences of Gifts, Prizes, Fringe Benefits, Business Expenses, and Other Payments To Employees ...enses, that employers provide as part of employee's total compensation. Particularly in difficult economic times, employers are looking to provide such benefits to employees with the least cost, both to themselves and employees. Failure to understand the tax consequences of such benefits can cause unintended and unwanted tax consequences. This live audio conference will explain the tax  more...

Everything You Wanted to Know About Drug and Alcohol Testing but Were Afraid to Ask ...ded benefit to companies is a reduction in their workers' compensation insurance premiums. What makes an effective program? What kind of safeguards should there be to ensure accuracy? What does a drug test really measure? What is the best sample: urine, hair or oral fluid? Are there products used to beat a drug test? Dr. Taylor answers these and many more questions relating to establishing and  more...

Rules and Responsibilities Regarding Abandoned Wages ... employment checks whether it be wages, bonuses, deferred compensation, employee commissions, etc., it is your responsibility to ensure that your company is holding unclaimed wages properly and in accordance with the law. It is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of businesses currently comply with unclaimed property laws. However, many companies are not aware of their reporting responsibilities  more...

Writing Job Descriptions ...efitsA frequent challenge for many employers in launching compensation initiatives, or completing organizational re-design, is a general difficulty in collecting and delivering accurate and timely job documentation. The focus of this live audio conference is to reinforce the importance of proper job documentation and provide strategies on how to build and maintain a library of accurate job  more...

Tips for Calculating a Regular Rate of Pay For Your Employees ... covered employers understand that they must pay overtime compensation at the rate of 'time and a half' to nonexempt employees. But time and a half of what? Under the FLSA and most state counterparts, time and a half is based upon an employee's 'regular rate' of pay. Thus, determining the 'regular rate' of pay is critical to calculating the amount of overtime pay an employee is owed. Getting  more...

Workers' Compensation Issues for the Construction Industry ...compensation topics that includes several cost-savings ideas often overlooked by employers and insurance agents. This live audio conference includes a detailed discussion on experience modification factors (EMRs) and provides a simple explanation to both understand them, spot simple and the most frequent errors in their calculation, as well as the role of the EMR in safety and in the bidding  more...

Workers' Compensation Metrics: Assessing and Reporting on the Success of Your Program BenefitsEmployers struggle with finding a way to measure the effectiveness of their occupational health programs and crafting reporting packages that are relevant and action-focused. Often data is difficult to collect, or overwhelmingly detailed. Vendor-supplied reports are generally focused on tactics, not strategy outcomes. This leaves many employers unable to answer some of the most critical  more...

Managing Employees' Pre-Existing Conditions: Strategies for Reducing Injury Losses ...scrimination against health conditions and state workers' compensation laws, you will learn the nuances of distinguishing between pre-existing conditions and new work-related injuries. You will also obtain practical resources and strategies for managing workplace injury claims of employees with pre-existing health conditions. This audio conference will help you comply with state and federal  more...

Legal Causation and Disability in Workers' Compensation ...d for everyone who needs an understanding of the workers' compensation system, and what is required of employers and their insurers. We will provide an overview of the issues and what steps you can take to minimize your workers' compensation expenses. We will discuss what injuries are covered by workers' compensation and what benefits employees receive under the workers' compensation system.  more...

HR Time Lines: The Complex Integration of FMLA, WC, Disability and COBRA ...compensation, FMLA, disability and COBRA laws work - together, independently or concurrently? What can run together? What cannot? When can we cancel the health plan, for what reason and is it a COBRA qualifying event? During this audio conference we will pull all of these together to explain the employer's liability. When can coverage be canceled? What laws protect employee benefits? Many  more...

Phased Retirement in The New Economy BenefitsThe concept of phased retirement first gained popularity in the 2000s, primarily based upon the shrinking labor force and employers' concerns regarding the loss of valuable talent to retirement. As a result, Congress enacted certain legislative and regulatory rules regarding phased retirement arrangements. These rules seek to provide flexibility for older workers desiring to take part in a  more...

Complying With OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements BenefitsMany companies do not understand the scope or complexity of the various recordkeeping obligations under OSHA's laws and regulations. This audio conference will provide guidance as to OSHA's recordkeeping requirements, including pending regulatory changes and trends. Learn about OSHA's new penalty policy, as well as the pending OSHA Reform Bill hidden in the Miner Safety and Health Act.  more...

Workers' Compensation Handbook Best Practices ...compensation abuse and controlling the costs of legitimate claims is a daunting task. In this difficult economy, it is essential you take every step you can to reduce your workers' compensation exposure and costs. This 90-minute audio conference is geared to provide you with the best handbook practices - policies, procedures and techniques - for staying in control of your workers' compensation  more...

Illinois Leave Laws: Navigating a Minefield BenefitsAlthough the economy may have been stagnate, the legislature has not. Over the past couple of years, Illinois has passed or expanded numerous leave laws presenting even more obligations for employers. The interaction of these laws can be complex and difficult to institute. This teleconference will assist you in understanding their obligations in implementation and compliance. Leaves  more...

Texas Nonsubscriber Claims 101: Perspectives From Employees and Employers ...n the union that permits employers to opt-out of worker's compensation insurance. Employers who opt-out are known as nonsubscribers. Some nonsubscriber employers purchase insurance products that pay for medical care, lost wages and indemnify the employer if a claim is filed. Other employers self-insure and handle claims in-house or send them to third-party claim administrators. Different than  more...

How to Save Millions in Claims Through Ergonomics and Injury Prevention ...orks to prevent the onset of injuries leading to workers' compensation claims and rising costs. The teleconference also explains the benefits of using an ergonomics process to prevent injuries and the multiple strategies available to launch your ergonomics process to effectively drive down claims and costs. From engaging upper management and employees, to holding supervisors and employees  more...

Code Section 409A ...employers one last chance to fix their plan documents and compensation agreements for Code Section 409A. However, the IRS has also announced some new interpretations of Section 409A provisions that will require most employers to make changes to their plans and agreements. Employers that make these changes before January 1, 2011, can avoid IRS penalties, in most cases. In 2010, the IRS issued  more...

Developing a Policy for Employee Use of Mobile Devices ...the rash of claims under the personal injury and workers' compensation laws. It will also address the many ways that both employers and employees frequently misuse mobile devices and the ramifications for doing so. This teleconference is critical for employers who need to know the limitations of their employees' privacy rights in the workplace and how to avoid liability for monitoring their  more...

The FLSA Comp Time Controversy ...specific award and use of comp time in place of financial compensation. Comp Time should not be confused with flex time and this teleconference will eliminate any confusion on this topic. The old rule for comp time was that the employee had the right to use accrued compensatory time as the employee saw fit subject only to the limited right of the employer to deny an unduly disruptive request.  more...

How to Set Pay Ranges That Are Fair and Effective ...t effective systems in place and data available, employee compensation can run counter to efficiency and performance objectives set by the organization. The implementation of market-based pay structures is increasingly necessary in order for organizations to remain competitive, administer compensation fairly and easily, and allocate limited financial resources where they are most needed. This  more...

Easement Valuations: Common Pitfalls and Principles ...valuing these easements to insure they are receiving just compensation. Further, condemnors are increasingly recharacterizing temporary construction easements as noneasements to avoid paying compensation. Property owners and their attorneys need to know if compensation is required. This teleconference will aid understanding of temporary construction and preservation easements in the context  more...

Low Back Claims: From Injury to MMI ... the low back account for up to one-third of all workers' compensation costs. Additionally, occupationally-induced low back disorders can lead to loss of an employee, lost time, diminished productivity, and the cost of hiring and training replacement workers. This teleconference will help you understand the medical dynamics of low back disorders, including appropriate treatment. Awareness of  more...

Rewards Transformation: A Unique Approach to Total Rewards Strategy and Design in the Current Economy BenefitsIn the current economic environment, organizations are concerned with reducing costs while retaining top talent. Total rewards costs can often exceed 40 percent of company's revenue and in many cases it is difficult to demonstrate ROI. This teleconference presents a unique approach to total rewards strategy, design and cost management called rewards transformation. Rewards transformation  more...

Return on Investment for Wellness Programs ...keeping health insurance premiums down, reducing workers' compensation costs, and by increasing productivity and decreasing lost time. Implementing a plan takes time, attention and deserves a well thought-out strategy to ensure it is effective for the long-term health of your employees and your bottom line. Human resource, benefits and compensation staff members are all too familiar with the  more...

Bankruptcy Retention and Disclosures: Knowing When and What to Say ...quirements may have significant consequences that may bar compensation or recovery on your claims, or may even result in sanctions or criminal charges. This teleconference will discuss the need for disclosure, the contents of any disclosures and the consequences of that disclosure or failure to disclose. This teleconference is critical for those who are beginning to find themselves involved in  more...

Easement Valuations: Common Pitfalls and Principles ...valuing these easements to insure they are receiving just compensation. Further, condemnors are increasingly recharacterizing temporary construction easements as noneasements to avoid paying compensation. Property owners and their attorneys need to know if compensation is required. This teleconference will aid understanding of temporary construction and preservation easements in the context  more...

Unique Workers' Compensation Aspects of Independent Contractors and Traveling Employees BenefitsHear experienced attorneys discuss the complex issues that arise when dealing with independent contractors and traveling employees. Take advantage of this opportunity to gain professional knowledge and advanced insight on this important workers' compensation issue. Workers' compensation administrators, human resource managers, benefits professionals, safety and compliance managers,  more...

Best Practices in Commission Pay Plans BenefitsThere are few management tools that work as well in recruiting, directing, motivating and retaining sales people as a strong commission plan. This is critical because sales people are often highly paid, remote from headquarters and entrusted with customer relationships (very valuable assets). A properly designed commission plan clearly and personally communicates the strategy of the  more...

Strategies for Reducing Unemployment Claims Costs ...ntion to defending against the ex-employee's unemployment compensation claim. Those employers, albeit mistakenly, believe the ex-employee will be awarded unemployment compensation benefits no matter what they do - so why bother? Not so. This teleconference will assist you in defending against unemployment compensation claims, thereby reducing your costs. In doing so, you will learn the  more...

The Interrelationship Between Social Security Disability, Medicare and Workers' Compensation Settlements ...covers the two most important federal aspects of workers' compensation practice: Social Security disability offsets and the Medicare secondary payer statute. Anyone who represents claimants, employers or insurers in workers' compensation claims must understand the interrelationship between Social Security disability, Medicare and workers' compensation settlements. You will learn the necessary  more...

Employee Engagement in Troubled Times ... staffing levels and increased workloads, and constrained compensation budgets. Nonetheless, there is opportunity amid the economic uncertainty. Careful attention to positioning individuals and teams to succeed will not only allow organizations to weather the storm, but also to emerge from the downturn in a stronger competitive position. This teleconference will first review the challenges  more...

Pay-for-Performance Redefined ...ia attention continues to change the environment in which compensation committees operate. The pace and direction of change is volatile and while committees focus their attention on design efficacy and business results, the landscape is such that the historical pay-for-performance perspective is no longer sufficient. This teleconference will explore how pay-and-performance needs to be managed  more...

The Claims Process on Federal Government Contracts - Maximizing the Return on Your Investment ...ese contractors do not understand how to effectively seek compensation for these additional costs. This teleconference will help you understand the types of costs you can recover, the circumstances under which certain costs may be recovered and how to go about recovering these costs. This teleconference also explains the claims process under federal procurements as well as the options  more...

Employee Wages: Administration of Caps, Freezes, Reductions and Furloughs ...he pressure to manage costs is relentless. Adjustments to compensation and to working time can be viable alternatives to job cuts, but they are not without legal risk. This teleconference will address the legal and business cases for compensation adjustments and provide a road map for implementing wage cuts, caps and freezes so that employers can realize their goal of cost savings without  more...

Claims Management Techniques in Workers' Compensation Cases BenefitsThe aftermath of a workplace accident produces difficult and costly ramifications for management personnel in all business and industries. Many parties are involved in every aspect of a claim, including your insurance carrier or servicing agent and counsel, but each of them has to be dealt with in a very different manner. You will learn how to successfully investigate an accident and use  more...

Developing Safety Incentive Programs to Reduce Workers' Compensation Claims ...e of preventable costs is losses associated with Workers' Compensation insurance claims, and their related expenses. Safety incentive programs are a commonly used technique to obtain a step-level improvement in outcomes. Join us for this examination of safety incentive programs, as we examine the underlying premises, the common features, and caveats facing those considering implementation or  more...

Preparing for an Unemployment Compensation Hearing ...compensation claims, an unemployment compensation proceeding is often the first confrontation with a future litigant. How the defense of unemployment claims is handled can often have a significant impact on the success of future litigation, and even whether such litigation occurs. This teleconference is designed to give employers a better understanding of the importance of defending  more...

Uncovering Workers' Compensation Fraud ...ies in the cost of goods and services each year. Workers' compensation fraud impacts legitimate business owners. Workers' compensation premiums are based on numerous factors, and as a result, filing fraudulent claims drives up premiums for all businesses. Additionally, businesses that don't have workers' compensation or report inaccurate payrolls are potentially able to under-bid legitimate  more...

Taxation and Accounting Methods of Executive and Employee Bonuses ...tion 409A of the Internal Revenue Code governing deferred compensation. However, many employers are not aware of the broad coverage of Section 409A and the fact that some normal payroll practices, such as bonus payments, may be covered by the new rules or the accounting issues that are raised by these programs. This teleconference will help you determine whether your bonus program is subject to  more...

Return-to-Work Compliance When Jobs Are Gone ... to return to work after a leave of absence. The workers' compensation laws, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act are just a few of the laws that govern this difficult minefield that must be navigated by employers. Failing to comply with these and other employment laws can expose you and your organization to significant legal  more...

Total Compensation Statements as a Tool to Communicate Total Value ...ary increases are low or nonexistent, creating customized compensation statements for your organization can be a valuable communication tool. Generally, total compensation ranges from 30 to 50 percent above base compensation for an organization and most employees are unaware of the benefit. This teleconference will help you understand the value of creating total compensation statements as well  more...

Avoiding Reinjuries in Workers' Compensation Claimants BenefitsHave you ever had an employee return to work from a work related or non-work related injury, only to reinjure themselves? In this teleconference you will learn how to identify the potential factors for reinjury and what you can do to reduce the overall risk. Additionally, you will learn skills to help you interact more effectively with engineers, production managers, supervisors/foremen,  more...

Preventing Workers' Compensation Abuse ...compensation abuse costs the insurance industry billions of dollars each year. It is sometimes called "The Hidden Tax" because each of us absorbs these monies in the costs of goods and services each year. This teleconference will give you a better understanding of workers' compensation abuse, keys to a successful investigation and how to avoid claim pitfalls. This teleconference also explains  more...

Presenteeism: Measurement and Intervention Issues for Employers and Health Plans ... that approximately 6 percent of a global company's total compensation (salaries, wages and all benefit costs) were lost due to presenteeism. Work site wellness programs can potentially make many important contributions to the measurement and reduction of productivity losses associated with presenteeism. This teleconference will cover a working definition of presenteeism, the major  more...

Successful Strategies for Controlling Workers' Compensation Costs ...compensation insurance is a necessary cost of business, but how do you stop the costs from spinning out of control? An effective workers' compensation program will utilize the available remedies to achieve the goals of reducing injuries, reducing benefit payment and reducing unsuccessful litigation results. This 90-minute teleconference will review the myths and misconceptions about workers'  more...

Managing And Disciplining Unsafe Employees - A Cornerstone Of An Effective Safety Program nThis teleconference will examine the importance of managing and disciplining unsafe employees on the success of any business. Part of the discussion will examine the potential detrimental impact of ignoring unsafe employees can have on a company and the possible civil and criminal liability that can occur. This teleconference will examine the policies and procedures that need to be in place to  more...

Managed Care Contracting and Fee Schedule Review nMany practice administrators are charged with the task of negotiating managed care contracts for their practices. This responsibility is generally an inherited function from their predecessor. Most do not understand how to compute an equitable fee schedule or track contract performance. This teleconference will help you understand methods for tracking to performance and how first to establish a  more...

Workers' Compensation Settlements nSometimes a workers' compensation case is litigated until conclusion, but many times the parties prefer settlement. This comprehensive teleconference will provide a summary of the do's and don'ts of settlements, what to consider, what to avoid, and how to most effectively ensure that you have considered every issue and have minimized your loss prior to signing on the dotted line.  more...

Retirement Benefit Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations and Government Entities nNonprofit organizations face many of the same issues regarding use of retirement benefits to attract and retain employees and executives as for-profit companies, but the tools available to them are often more limited. This teleconference will explore both broad-based retirement programs and executive deferred compensation available to nonprofit organizations. It will highlight new rules for  more...

Share-Based Compensation - Impact of Recent Events on the Use of Equity Compensation ...compensation continues to be a hot topic across many industries. Recent changes in share-based compensation rules, principally the changes to Financial Accounting Standards 123(R) [FAS 123(R)], and market uncertainty and declines have led to significant changes in how companies and executives view the role and the value of equity as part of an overall compensation package. Join our accounting  more...

Hot Topics for 501(c)(3) Organizations nThere has been a lot of talk about the revised Form 990 and it's finally here! Whether you love it or loathe it, you can't put it off any longer. We will spend a majority of the time talking about some of the hot-button issues that the new form raises both in terms of simple compliance and in communicating with and involving your board. But wait, there's more! After this teleconference, you'll  more...

What the New Ledbetter Pay Act Means for Employers nOn January 29, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, effectively changing the landscape of the statute of limitations for equal pay discrimination claims. The act greatly expands the amount of time that employees have to bring claims of discriminatory pay practices, which could have a substantial impact on employers. This teleconference will help the  more...

Using Medical Certifications to Minimize Employer Liability: FMLA, ADA and Workers' Comp ... Family and Medical Leave Act of 1994, and state workers' compensation statutes. But the legal landscape for managing employee health issues has had many changes in recent months. Amendments to the ADA took effect January 1, 2009. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act also takes effect in 2009. Employers are subject to new regulations under HIPAA for their wellness programs, and new  more...

Alternatives to Reductions in Force nLayoffs spawn headlines, adverse publicity and labor relations challenges. While the economic crisis has caused numerous companies to consider restructurings in response to a turbulent business environment, there are compelling business and legal reasons to consider alternatives to layoffs. This teleconference will address the legal and business cases for considering alternatives to layoffs and  more...

Occupational Noise Induced Hearing Loss nThis teleconference will bring you up to speed on issues related to hazardous occupational noise. Understand the intricacies of the effects noise exposure have on hearing. Get a handle on complicated issues surrounding the calculation of hearing impairment. Avoid problems down the road by getting to know state-specific workers' compensation issues. You'll gain the practical insight you need to  more...

Curbing Unauthorized Overtime Benefits Year after year, one of the most challenging tasks employers face is keeping track of the hours their nonexempt employees work and correctly paying any required overtime premium. When unauthorized overtime occurs, labor costs skyrocket, and businesses face a budgeting nightmare. And when employees perform compensable work off the clock, the potential overtime liability for an employer  more...