Search CompleteMarkets

...ated to manufacturing or selling products or other goods. These claims can, a...penalty. Make sure to identify your products properly, too. For example; if yo...

...the United States Department of Agriculture is the governing authority for the... plays a vital role in keeping the agriculture industry functioning. Contac...

...personal insurance and financial products. Since an insurance carrier is gaini...sting customer purchases additional products, they're usually willing to pass ...

Many companies use "lean manufacturing" procedures to streamline production by reducing wasted time and motion. Although these changes often show up in the bottom line as black, their long term repercussions on workplace safety – higher accident rates and workers comp premiums –could put a business back in the red. "Approximately 65% of workers compensation claims are for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)," says Chris Shulenberger, Technical Director for Ergonomics with Bureau Veritas North America Shulenberger. However, many employers might not make the connection between their lean manufacturing procedures and high rates of sprains and strains, overexertion injuries, and cumulative trauma MSDs among their employees. If you streamline your manufacturing, beware of these potential pitfalls that could turn "leaner" into just plain "meaner:" Excessive Overtime. Lean manufacturing depends on a smooth supply chain. When there are glitches, workers need to pick up the slack with increased production and longer hours, both of which contribute to MSDs. Hyper-efficiency. For some employers, the drive to improve employee productivity ignores human limitations. Removing the waste from jobs eliminates essential time for workers' bodies to restore themselves, which can reduce disabling MSDs. Working through pain. Some supervisors in lean manufacturing facilities are slow to respond to worker reports of fatigue, discomfort, and/or pain: the earliest symptoms of an MSD. In other cases, there’s "working through pain" culture which encourages employees, like high-performing athletes, to ignore early symptoms – which can easily lead to a MSD. Make sure that your workers report any MSD symptoms and supervisors know how to respond to these complaints. Micromanagement. Increasing the intensity of work reduces employees’ control about how they do their job – a proven risk factor for MSDs. Our risk management professionals would be happy to review the potential impact of your manufacturing procedures on workplace safety.

Employers and employees aren't seeing the health and productivity boosts of using their vision plans, especially with an aging workforce. According to Transitions Optical, Inc., nearly half of workers fail to take advantage of their vision benefit, either by not enrolling (24%) or not using their benefit to get an eye exam (32%). That’s unfortunate, because helping employees see well offers a number of benefits: Good eyesight boosts productivity. Nearly 35% of people age 40+ have trouble seeing print or numbers on reading materials, or signs, even with glasses, One in four employees age 45 or older take breaks to rest their eyes at work, because of fatigue or eyestrain. Uncorrected vision (so slight that an employee might not notice) can reduce productivity up to 20%. Mental health and eye health are connected. Vision problems can worsen mental decline. Older employees with poor vision are five times more likely to develop cognitive decline than their peers with good or excellent vision. Untreated poor vision in the elderly is also linked to dementia; older adults who have poor vision without intervention (such as eye care visits and cataract surgery) are almost 10 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Glare bothers most workers. Almost all people say glare affects their vision outdoors, and seven in ten agree that their eyes are sensitive to light. Glare due to reflections from a lens surface can also be present indoors, leading to eye fatigue. The right eyewear can help employees overcome their discomfort. Employees think vision plans are important. More than 90% of employees that agree this benefit will be more important to them as they age. To learn more, just give us a call. We’re here to serve you.

An increasing number of employees in the "Sandwich Generation" are looking for benefits to help them manage the demands of caring for parents and children alike. A recent nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center found that nearly half of respondents in their 40s and 50s have a living parent and are either raising a young child or supporting a grown one. "There's an emerging recognition of the impact of caregiver stress on working parents' ability to be productive at home and at work," says David Lissy, CEO of Bright Horizons, a provider of dependent back-up care services. "Particularly as families wait longer to have children, there's more at stake in their careers and they're pulled in many directions, dealing with the realities of their aging parents." On average, access to Bright Horizons allowed employees to work six days during the past six months - productive time that otherwise would have been lost - and nearly 70% of these workers used the service for adult care. Care.com, another provider of backup care services for employees, saw a three-fold increase last year in the number of clients that added senior care planning. IRobot, Inc. chose Care.com as an employee benefit because "we value our employees and want to support them in managing the demands on their personal lives," says benefits analyst Cathy Blanchard. Since adding the service, iRobot has seen a 15% month-to -month increase in using the program, which has boosted productivity by reducing costs from care-related absences and distractions. If you'd like to learn more about offering day care for adults and children as an employee benefit, just give us a call.

...s of additional jobs supporting agriculture: the truck drivers, packers and pr...

Saturday August 15, 2015 8:00pm  11:00pm Musicscool Productions; and Guitars, not Guns present a fabulous concert of top local musicians pooling forces to recreate the classic Stones albums "Exile on Main street",  and "Sticky Fingers" ! The group features members and former members of acts like Doobie Brothers, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Moby Grape, Destroy the Night, White Album Ensemble, Steve Marriott, Le Strange, Tsunami, and many more. This will be a show by the same production team, and in the grand tradition of the White Album Ensemble, and Destroy The Night featuring James Durbin, both sold out Rio Theatre shows. . The accent is in "nailing the vibe" of the music, not the trappings- of the “ World's Greatest Rock and Roll Bands” ‘  greatest records ( in many opinions) in their original form.  A raffle at intermission will benefit Guitars, not guns, a pro youth, anti violence non profit org. BUY TICKETS

...ir employers' endorsement of the products offered, and believe they get good v...eferred the wide range of available products. A slightly higher percentage (53...

When businesses consider Intellectual Property management, they often think about protecting their own assets, in the form of copyrighted material, trademarks, patents and trade secrets. But businesses also need to ensure that they are managing the IP rights of others, according to Kirstin Simonson, a Segment Lead in Global Technology at Travelers. “This is especially true in the technology sector, which faces some of the most complex IP issues,” says Simonson. One common violation of intellectual property is software copyright infringement. A common scenario may include a company that purchases software licensing rights for 400 employees, and then fails to update the licensing for an additional 100 employees later added to staff. According to a BSA Global Software Survey, they found that 43% of the software installed on personal computers in 2013 was not licensed.¹ Why Businesses Need an IP Risk Management Program The survey also reported that only 35% of companies have written policies requiring the use of properly licensed software. It also found that there is an awareness gap about software policies between workers and IT managers. Appropriately ensuring the rights of others is an important part of risk management for your organization because IP, in all of its forms, is a critical business asset. Companies need an IP Risk Management plan because: They may face legal action for copyright infringement and other IP violations. They may have to perform an intensive software audit to prove they have resolved the problem. Use of unlicensed software may put the business at risk for data breaches, data loss or other forms of information security and network security threats. Laws protecting IP can vary greatly around the world, so it is important to understand which ones apply to your business. What to Include in an IP Risk Management Program “Like all risk management, a good IP Risk Management Program needs to be proactive and comprehensive from an enterprise perspective,” says Simonson. “Consider IP rights management as a tool for growth, and not something to consider once the product is out to market.” An IP rights management program should include: The ability to track licensing relationships and royalty obligations. Companies should consider some form of automated tracking to ensure they are not only managing their own IP rights that are licensed to others, but they are living up to the licensing agreements they have in place with third parties. Formal clearance procedure and registration strategy. Engaging legal counsel to perform an IP search may be appropriate in many instances or at the very least, determining whether there are automated tools that can assist in the process. Having a well-defined strategy for determining whether title is clear to the IP, whether it should be registered and how to maintain the registration. Contracting and licensing agreements should include appropriate provisions. Whether it is a work-for-hire arrangement where the IP rights would be assigned to the business or a licensing agreement to use the IP, it is critically important these be spelled out and managed. Response plan or dispute resolution plan in the event someone challenges your IP rights. Just like any peril or loss a business may face, whether it is hurricane, liability allegations arising out of the failure of the product, or a cyber event – a strong response plan when an event happens will save hours and dollars. Education of all employees of what constitutes IP and how their misuse or mishandling can put the company at risk. Train everyone in the company so they understand how they might put the business at risk. Download the White Paper on How to Protect and Maximize Your Company's Intellectual Property > Get Technology Resources that Can Help You Turn Risk into a Business Advantage > ¹ http://globalstudy.bsa.org/2013/