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robintek

Feb 28
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Cybersecurity Risk Management: Should You Delegate It?

By Cyber Security Awareness

The recent security breach at Sony underscored not only the need for better security in protecting sensitive internal documents and information, but also the appalling lack of care being taken on an individual level to protect passwords and take other steps to protect (or remove) sensitive conversations and data. Despite a litany of other widespread and serious data breaches in recent years, many businesses still don’t seem to be taking cybersecurity as a serious issue that not only could affect them, but very well may.

As a business owner or manager, you’ve heard time and again how important it is to delegate in order to streamline processes and be more productive – and more profitable. But delegating does not mean turning a blind eye; and when it comes to cybersecurity issues, unless you have a dedicated chief information security officer, you need to take an active role in ensuring your data is adequately protected.

The key to effective management begins with understanding the types of threats that exist and how they’re evolving, as well as identifying new threats as soon as they begin to emerge. At the same time, management needs to develop actionable steps to counteract potential breaches, looking for weaknesses at every level, from individual employee passwords and use of personal devices like smartphones, to the way data is encrypted and stored, both in the cloud and on any on-site or remote servers.

Strong, company-wide policies backed up by employee education programs and Q&A sessions are the cornerstones of an effective cybersecurity policy; managers must clearly communicate to employees – at every level – the vital roles they play in protecting the company from cyber threats so they see BYOD and other policies as being protective rather than punitive.

Involving employees in cybersecurity discussions also helps ensure their cooperation and compliance.
One more lesson from the Sony breach: Unlike other cybersecurity attacks that have targeted customer identification and banking information, the Sony attackers also focused on employee emails, revealing information that proved both embarrassing and potentially costly. Many businesses fail to consider emails and personal files when considering cybersecurity measures, leaving themselves wide open to similar breaches.

In a nutshell, companies that assess and manage cybersecurity issues as vigilantly as they do financial, operational and reputation-related risks have the greatest chance of thwarting attacks and breaches. Start today to plan how to avoid breaches as well as how to respond if a breach does occur.

 

Feb 28
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Safety Committees: Why the CEO should be a member

By Workplace Safety

Safety reflects the culture of the business.  Top leadership needs to take charge of the culture, to define it.

The best safety committees are chaired by a specified point person who reports outside of the committee to the CEO.

Why this arrangement?  The CEO does not dictate safety measures.

Some safety rules and regulations are government mandated. Consider simple compliance to be a minimum.

Manufacturers offer safe operating techniques for machinery and other products.

The personnel who operate the machines, maintain the machines, work in the field at construction sites, deliver supplies and raw materials, or otherwise labor know their jobs and often have good ideas for efficiency and safety.

Supervisors observe which safety equipment or protocols are ignored or too cumbersome.

The committee hears all these sides and determines the best course of action to proceed safely.

The CEO is present for leadership in the safety culture, not process management.  Once the safety protocols have been discussed and fixes determined, the CEO can approve costs and procedural changes.

The CEO listens first, then leads the implementation.

How Safety Committees Fail

The leading causes include:

•             Never forming them
•             Not taken seriously, lack of top down leadership
•             Lack of swift implementation
•             Lack of participation at all levels of employee
•             Lack of management follow through

Obviously, the first four of the five main reasons attribute to poor leadership.  The CEO is vital in this role.  The CEO must communicate that his number one job is getting everyone home safely.

Management must follow through on protocols.  Random drug testing, reviewing motor vehicle operators’ driving records, premises inspections of safety equipment, every safety protocol must be visible and public to reinforce the importance of compliance.

Safety meetings and safety committees are two different animals.  Safety meetings, the lunch box variety, reinforces safety procedures already in place.  They can, however, be used for line employees to offer suggestions for specific problems.  The employee representatives to the committee can relay those messages.

Safety committees evaluate and reevaluate the culture of safety.

If the CEO hears new safety procedures, implements them, as a member of the committee, the CEO will know if these new protocols are working at the line level of the organization.  Excellent leadership monitors the managers to assure this end result.

Feb 28
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Driving Records: review them often

By Workplace Safety

Automobile accidents are the number one cause of liability claims in business.  Automobile related claims, especially drivers under the influence of alcohol and youthful operators, are the most devastating to families as well.

Every risk manager and fleet manager needs to check drivers’ records frequently.

Quarterly is not too frequent.

Sounds overly intrusive or expensive?  Consider that good driving records not only reflect good driving habits; they reflect vigilance in these habits.

Fleet managers must view on-time deliveries and vehicle upkeep as major issues.  Risk managers view safety and long-term costs as major metrics.

Quality driver management and the reinforcement of vigilant, excellent driving habits support both sets of goals.

Set driving record standards for moving violations and accidents.  Limit drivers to a maximum number of points or moving violations and at fault accidents.  Be sold on the idea of intolerance for lesser histories.

Assign some intervention tactic for any moving violation or accident, even not-at-fault.  The fleet manager or risk manager can debrief the driver on the circumstances and measures of avoidance which were missed.  From this conversation, training can be assigned.

Emphasize the importance of excellent habits and vigilant execution of these habits.

The more touchy subject is checking driving records for spouses or children of employees who may access the vehicle, with or without permission.

In closely held corporations or partnerships, do not hesitate to perform this task.  Driving while intoxicated and youthful drivers are the major devastating liability issues for families.  Healthcare bankruptcies are not liability claims for these purposes.

Do you want your choice of partner dependent on your current partners’ sixteen year-old child’s driving?  For closely held companies, this scenario is real.

The child speeds through a red light and badly injures several people.  The claim exceeds the family coverage.  Next in line – the business.  The debts may be paid by liquidating that partners share, the victims may become the new partners, or a forced sale of stocks may occur.

For a public company, shares of stock or a garnishment of wages may occur for a personal automobile claim; but the company car exposes all the company assets.

Banning family members or unauthorized usage is one answer, but teens will be teens.  Check the records, suggest interventions for family members too before bad habits lead to disaster.  And it’s always possible to restrict car use to business only with the car left on the business campus; or take away privileges completely to at-risk employees.

Feb 28
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Spring Cleaning: time to review your first aid kits and fire extinguishers

By Workplace Safety

How many times do you walk by fire extinguishers without checking those tags or past first aid kits without peeking inside to assure the contents are complete?

Most executives do not spot check these life saving tools.  That task is delegated to maintenance.  But these decisions are life and death, not simply profit or loss.  Show your employees you care; that you lead their safety program rather than follow pro forma insurance checklists.

Start your spring cleaning here: walk through your operation and stop occasionally to check if you can easily spot the nearest fire extinguisher.  Read the label.  Is it appropriate for the work area?

Stand at each fire extinguisher station and visualize successful deployment.  Is it easy and natural?  Can you travel unharmed to the nearest fire exit using the fire extinguisher to clear a path?

Observe any long pathways between fire extinguishers and exits.  Would another canister or different fire suppression device or system help?

Take some notes as you walk through the operation.  Review these observations with the person tasked to keep the equipment updated.

Repeat the above exercise with regard to first aid kits.  Are they easy to spot?  Easy to access one-handed?  Do they have instructions for calling emergency help?

These exercises do not require a great deal of time or scheduling.  Simply make a point of checking these items every quarter, something of an internal surprise inspection.

Add ten minutes every three months to your walk-through routine.  It doesn’t need scheduling or ceremony.  Simply observe, become conscious of the emergency response routine.  Are fire exits clogged with storage or debris?  Are aisles kept unobstructed?

Is a specific person charged with de-icing fire escapes?  As you walk through your operations, take notes of these questions.  Think through an emergency evacuation, then review the written plan for your company.  Does it make common sense?  Does it raise questions for your risk manager or safety specialist?

Does your at-hire training include safety orientation and procedures?  How about on-going communications on safety issues?  Both directions?

Corporate officers lead the safety culture.  Make these inspections in view of employees.  They will engage you if they have proper concerns.  They are a great resource.

Feb 28
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Handling Safety Inspections

By Employment Resources

Safety consciousness tends to slip over time – and it’s your responsibility to make sure that this doesn’t happen. A well-prepared and well-executed safety audit/inspection program can play a key role in your risk management by uncovering conditions and work practices that could lead to job accidents and industrial illnesses.

Stated more positively, this means checking to see that things are in good shape. In addition to help preventing accidents, the inspection program will keep management informed about the “safety status” of your organization, provide a consistent method of recording observations, and reduce the possibility of important items being overlooked.

Safety inspection tours are like preventive maintenance. Every piece of equipment wears down and deteriorates sooner or later, and needs to be checked. Similarly, employee work procedures fall into routines – some of them unsafe – over time, which means that you need to evaluate them at regular intervals.

Safety inspections have a number of objectives:

  • Spotlighting unsafe conditions and equipment.
  • Focusing on unsafe work practices or behavior trends before they lead to injuries.
  • Uncovering the need for new safeguards.
  • Getting all employees to buy in to the safety program.
  • Re-evaluating the safety standards of the organization.
  • Comparing safety results against safety plans.
  • Gauging the relative success of safety training efforts.
  • Anticipating problems in advance of any OSHA inspection.

Our agency’s risk management professionals would be happy to work with you on developing and implementing a comprehensive safety inspection program for your business. Feel free to get in touch with us at any time.

Feb 28
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WHY WORKERS DON’T USE VACATION TIME

By Employment Resources

A shot of a business suit and tie with passport and snorkeling equipment

A survey by Harris Interactive, Inc., found that by the end of 2012 Americans will leave an average of 9.2 vacation days unused, up from 6.2 days in 2011.
According to a survey by Expedia, here are the top five reasons why U.S. employees don’t use all of their vacation time:

  1. I can’t afford a vacation.
  2. My work is my life.
  3. I have trouble scheduling far enough in advance.
  4. I can get paid for my unused vacation days.
  5. Taking off might be perceived negatively at work.

Unfortunately, only the Japanese take fewer annual vacation days than Americans (5 versus 12), compared to 20 in India, 25 in the UK, 28, in Germany, and 30 in Brazil. Although employers want employees to work hard, burnout and disengagement is a real concern. If it were my company, I would make sure my employees used all their vacation!

Feb 28
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Tips to Consider if You’re Facing a Working Retirement

By Employment Resources

Even though you’ve reached retirement age, you might need to postpone a life of leisure due to financial concerns. A working retirement allows you to work at least a few hours every week and build your nest egg before you make the big transition to full retirement. First, though, consider several tips.

Boost Retirement Savings

According to a 2013 Employee Benefits Research Institute study, one-third of pre-retirees on the lower end of the income scale only have enough money to fund one year of retirement. Additionally, many of the pre-retirees in the same category don’t contribute enough funds to their 401k or other retirement accounts. Talk to your financial advisor about your retirement portfolio. If you don’t have enough money saved, take a job that offers matching 401(k) funds or set up automatic payday transfers that boost your retirement savings.

Maximize Social Security Benefits

You can almost double your Social Security benefits by choosing a late retirement instead of leaving your job at age 62. Talk to your human resources manager and crunch numbers as you maximize your Social Security benefits.

Choose the Career You Want

Maybe you love your current job and want to keep it. That’s okay, especially if you receive generous benefits like health insurance and matching retirement fund contributions.

However, don’t be afraid to switch careers or try something new. Learn a new trade, work as a temp in a variety of fields or start your own business. A career counselor can provide resources, revamp your resume and help you find a job that’s a good fit for your skills, talents and interests.

Get Medical Clearance

Before you sign up for a working retirement, visit your doctor for medical clearance. For example, if you suffer from chronic back pain or a heart condition, your physician may give you the okay to work in data entry but not package delivery. Ultimately, you need to prioritize your health and safety.

Stay Active

Working during your retirement provides you with an outlet for your boundless energy and active lifestyle. It also keeps your mind sharp, a benefit most seniors appreciate.

Deciding to take a working retirement with full-time or part-time hours might be a wise decision for you. Consider these facts, talk to your human resource manager and financial planner and crunch the numbers as you make this important decision.

Feb 28
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Overworked and At-Risk

By Employment Resources
A study at Occupational & Environmental Medicine has turned up some interesting, if not quite surprising conclusions.
The study began by poring over extensive data from sources like the Center for Disease Control, in order to classify five types of exposure:
  • Extended weekly hours.
  • Extended daily hours.
  • Overtime.
  • Extended commute.
  • Overtime or extended hours.
We could fill five or ten pages talking about how they calculated the risks and came to their conclusions, and you can go ahead and read the study and the source data if that interests you, but it breaks down like this: Those who work under a high level of exposure in any of these categories tend to suffer workplace injury at double the rate of those who do not.
The study suggests an injury rate of one in ten for high-exposure employees, and one in twenty for low-exposure employees.
In other words, no matter how hard you work to make your workplace safe, by overworking your employees, you’re automatically doubling your risk.
Here are a few ideas to keep your employees safe and your risk factors low:
  • Try to avoid hiring people who will need to commute an hour or more in order to get to work every day. It may be disappointing to let the perfect candidate go simply because they live a little too far away, but not as disappointing as losing that employee to injury for a month because they’re spending so much time on the road every day that they don’t have time for a good night’s sleep.
  • Save overtime for Fridays. Nobody’s going to be as alert as you need them to be doing two twelve hour days in a row.
  • Hire enough people. Having one person do the job of two sounds like a great idea until you look at what an injury is going to cost you when they’re staying late every day to handle the extra work.
In short: a well-rested employee is an alert employee, and an alert employee is less at-risk for injury on the job. This may not be the most surprising revelation, but now we have the numbers to see exactly how exhaustion plays into workplace safety.
Feb 28
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When to Schedule Your Child’s First Dental Appointment

By Life and Health

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and you can celebrate by making sure your children see the dentist regularly. Even your babies need a dental exam. Learn more about when your baby should see the dentist for the first time and what to expect at this visit.

Schedule Your Baby’s First Dental Visit

According to the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), your child should see the dentist by the time he or she turns six months or within six month of the first baby tooth eruption. Rather than a full dental exam, the initial visit allows the dentist to meet you and your child, gather medical and dental history and teach you about good oral hygiene and proper preventative care. The dentist will simply feel your child’s gums and visually inspect any erupted teeth to make sure they’re healthy. It’s a non-invasive appointment that sets the stage for good oral health in the future.

Choose a Dentist

You could take your baby to see your dentist. However, consider scheduling your child’s first dental appointment with a pediatric dentist who specializes in treating infants and children. The entire dental team is prepared to examine squirming, fearful and anxious children, and the waiting room is filled with age appropriate books, toys and games or an aquarium.

Make the Visit Fun

No matter how you feel about dentists, your child needs to know that visits to this medical professional are fun and safe. Keep your anxiety in check by treating the first dental visits like a fun play date. Smile at your child, speak cheerfully and remain calm so that your baby feels calm and relaxed.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene at Home

Your baby’s oral health improves between dental visits when you practice good oral hygiene at home. Rub your baby’s gums with a clean, wet washcloth after meals to reduce bacteria growth. Once the first baby tooth emerges, brush it at least twice daily with non-fluoridated toothpaste as you promote healthy oral habits and a healthy mouth.

When you take your baby to see the dentist, you lay the foundation for a lifetime of good oral hygiene. Take advantage of your dental insurance and schedule your baby’s first exam today.

Feb 28
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Why Healthy Singles Need Health Insurance

By Life and Health

Why Healthy Singles Need Health Insurance

As a single and healthy adult, you may figure that health insurance isn’t a necessity. After all, you don’t have any pressing or chronic medical needs, and insurance is just another expense that will stretch your already thin budget. What you don’t realize is that you actually have several really good reasons to purchase health insurance today.

1. Avoid a Penalty

With the Affordable Care Act in effect, anyone who doesn’t purchase health insurance in 2015 will owe a penalty of $325 or two percent of your income. Avoid the penalty by enrolling in your parents’ insurance if you’re under 26. Otherwise, enroll in your employer-sponsored healthcare plan or apply for an affordable policy through the Healthcare Marketplace or a private insurer and avoid the penalty.

2. Cover Preventative Care

Maybe you only think about doctors when you’re sick, but they’re also important for preventative care. During regular checkups, they can catch the beginnings of heart disease, diabetes or other medical conditions, so put your health insurance to work as you prioritize preventative care.

3. Build a Relationship With a Healthcare Team

What happens if you get pregnant, develop arthritis or suffer from severe headaches? You’ll want a trusted medical team that knows you and your physical health history by your side. Use health insurance to make regular visits to a physician and build a relationship that will benefit you down the road.

4. Enjoy an Active Lifestyle

Do you avoid skiing, traveling or another fun activity because you’re afraid you might get hurt and won’t be able to afford the medical treatment? Purchase health insurance. While it doesn’t give you a license to be reckless, it does help you enjoy life without worrying that an injury will wipe out your savings and land you in the poor house.

5. Maintain a Healthy Reproductive System

Even though you don’t have a family now, you may want one in the future. Go to the doctor for regular checkups and reproductive health advice. Address reproductive problems now and maintain your reproductive health as you look forward to the future.

Health insurance can be expensive and it might seem like a waste of money or a budgetary strain, but it’s a wise investment. Talk to an insurance agent today about which policy is right for your needs and budget. Then use health insurance to take care of yourself today and prepare for a healthy tomorrow.

 

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