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... upon their first entering into employment and at least annually thereafter. Whenever an employer plans to stop doing business, and there is no successor employer to receive and maintain these records, the employer must notify employees of their right of access to records at least three months before the employer ceases to do business. When OSHA standards require the employer to measure exposure to harmful substances, the employee (or representative) has the right to observe the testing and to examine the records of the results. If the exposure levels are above the limit set by the standard, the employer must tell employees what will be done to bring the exposure down. OSHA Inspections OSHA encourages employers and employees to work together to remove hazards. Employees should discuss safety and health problems with the employer, other workers, and union representatives (if there is a union) . As a last resort, if a hazard cannot be corrected, an employee should contact the nearest OSHA area office. If necessary, the OSHA area director can order an inspection if the employee is willing to submit a formal complaint. Discrimination for Using Rights Although there is nothing in the OSHA law which gives an employee the right to refuse to perform an unsafe or unhealthful job assignment, OSHA's regulations, which have been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, provide that an employee may refuse to work when faced with an imminent danger of death or serious injury. The conditions necessary to justify a work refusal are very stringent, however, and a work refusal should be an action taken only as a last resort. If time permits, ...

...n, you may experience resistance. Unions may see telecommuting as a way for em...

...tured for the special interest of unions and employees, and executives who are...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Access To Employee Exposure And Medical Records 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. INFORMATION DATE 19891017 DESCRIPTION USDOL Program Highlights-Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records SUBJECT Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records U.S. Department of Labor Program Highlights Fact Sheet No. OSHA 89-29 ACCESS TO EMPLOYEE EXPOSURE AND MEDICAL RECORDS SCOPE-Employers in general industry, the maritime, and construction industries must provide records access to all employees exposed to toxic substances and harmful physical agents, their union representatives, health personnel, and OSHA. The rule does not require creation of any records, only preservation. Access means the right to examine and copy records. ACCESS RULES-Records requests need not be in writing except where trade secrets are involved. Union and health professionals must have specific written consent to gain access to employees' personal medical records but may examine exposure records without such consent. However, they must state the specific record needed and the occupational health need for requesting the information. Health professionals include physicians, occupational health nurses, industrial hygienists, toxicologists, and epidemiologists who provide medical or other occupational health services to exposed employees. Employees have automatic access to their own exposure and medical records except where a physician representing the employer believes that direct employee access to certain information in the record could be detrimental to the employee's health. However, they have access to exposure records of others when these exposures represent their past or present exposure, or exposures represent their past or present exposure, or exposure where an employee is being assigned or transferred. Employers must provide records ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Phone Courtesy Revisited 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Preston Diamond This content has not been rated yet. Good service over the phone means putting common courtesy into common practice. All it takes is practice, practice — and more practice. Follow these 10 tips from Preston Diamond to improve your phone manners. When Alexander Graham Bell first invented the telephone (Greek for "far sound") in 1876, financiers weren't eager to invest in it. His Bell Telephone Company was so desperate for cash that it offered to sell all patents to Western Union for $100,000. However, Western Union considered the telephone an "electrical toy" and refused. Imagine this scenario: The phone is ringing at Alexander Graham Bell's office. "Ring, ring." Voice: "You've reached A.G. Bell's office. If you know A.G. s extension, enter it now. If you want Watson, press 3, if you're using a rotary dial phone, hang on, we'll be right with you." If this had been going on since 1876, would we be used to it? Would you like it any more? I usually answer the phone "Pres Diamond." One time, there was silence. When I said, "Pres Diamond, how may I help you?" The voice on the other end finally replied, "I was looking for a diamond to press on my keypad. I couldn't find one, so I didn't know what to do." Hmmm. But, now to 10 tips on ...

... prepackaged training programs to unions or trade groups, or hold brief traini...

... nonmembers, as many do. Trade Unions and Employee Groups If your employ...e action on common goals. Many trade unions have safety and health expertise t...

...gainst insurance agencies, credit unions, etc., in which an employee pulled th...

... insurance contract is the PPO. A PPO is a health care delivery system for individuals and groups that is essentially a cost-containment system. In those states that have enabled and regulate PPOs, those that offer services to the general public must be owned or managed by a legal reserve Life and Health insurance company. Unlike HMOs, PPOs must not respond to any federal regulations, but are subject to state regulation. PPOs operate similarly to HMOs in that they provide care through a series of providers under contract. Dental plans, usually written in a contract separate from the Health insurance plan, are becoming increasingly popular as part of an overall Health insurance plan, particularly in Group plans. These plans had their origin in 1954, when longshoremen won dental plan benefits from the West Coast shipping industry in a union agreement. The union asked dental societies in West Coast states to help implement the program, and the first dental service corporation came into being. Commonly called Delta Plans, ' these service corporations are generally nonprofit and administer Dental plans. The success of the longshoremen's program proved the feasibility of underwriting dental care costs. Dental prepayment plans became a sound marketing reality, and in the early 1970s, insurance companies began embracing the idea of marketing insured Dental plans. Today, about half the insured population is covered by some form of Health plan (individual or group) sold by agents for a commission or by companies (without the use of agents) for a profit. More than 1,000 insurance companies (exclusive of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, HMOs, and so on) offer ...

... — which would review break-even loss ratios, profit margins, combined ratio trends, expense and investment ratios, NWP and DWP growth trends, operating ratios, and results by line. The Company Stability Analysis deals with these categories. More than one in three respondents (36%) thought that something less than a complete analysis was sufficient. According to one agent, unless a company's rating drops below an A.M. Best A-, a detailed analysis isn't important. I agree, to some extent. However, in my opinion, many companies that currently have A- ratings are not stable. A complete analysis can give you advance notice of problems months before they affect a company's ratings. Some respondents felt that a basic analysis was all that was required because such companies as CIGNA and Commercial Union have survived bad times. However, although neither of these companies went bankrupt or was put in receivership, and their claims are being paid, they no longer do business as P/C carriers in the U.S. I believe that it's essential for agents to represent companies that not only pay their claims but stay in business. If you agree, I strongly recommend that you do a complete Company Stability Analysis every year on all of your key carriers. Do you inform your customers of your insurance companies' ratings? The survey found that an outstanding 70% -80% of respondents keep their clients informed about insurance company ratings and downgrades. Informing clients is essential to building your credibility: If a client learns about a downgrade from another agent or some other source, their current agent ...