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robintek

Apr 02
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Tips for Improving Employee Health

By Business Protection Bulletin

bb-1One of the best things that you can do to avoid injury and illness on the job is to simply encourage good health in the workplace. There are a number of ways to do this without breaking the bank, without having to hire a whole team of personal trainers, and truth be told, without having to put all that much effort forth. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Providing Healthy Food

Keeping healthy snacks stocked in the break room is a great way to encourage your employees to eat a little better. When you leave the office, hungry, looking for a bite, you’re likely to grab a pastry, a burger, a soda, but who can turn down a free meal at the office, even if that meal happens to be a salad and a bottle of water?

Rewards for Healthy Behavior

A fifty dollar gift certificate now and then is a small investment to make in order to encourage employees to stay fit. You can give out a monthly reward to workers who walk or bicycle to work or make the switch from coffee and energy drinks to water.

Underworked and Reasonably Paid

Some employers feel that they’re saving money by paying people less. The fact is that someone who will accept half as much will take three times as long to do the job. This is bad for your bottom line and bad for employee health. You need people who are efficient enough that they won’t need to do overtime and skip lunch breaks in order to meet a deadline.

Go Above and Beyond in Health Coverage

There are minimum requirements for certain businesses when it comes to employee health care. Meeting those standards is step one. You may be able to do a lot of good for your business and for your people by taking it to step two, and seeing where you can surpass expectations. Minimal coverage means that your people are covered should something happen. Going a little farther means that your employees won’t hesitate to get regular checkups and keep themselves in tip-top condition.

There’s that saying: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Maybe you can, say, make accommodations for your assistant once they develop carpal tunnel, but it may be wiser to simply ensure that they take breaks now and then so that they never develop the condition in the first place.

Apr 02
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Construction Workplace Safety Rules

By Risk Management Bulletin

04-16-rr-3Construction sites are some of the most dangerous worksites in the United States. Workers can be injured from falls, run overs, loose debris, fires, cave ins, repetitive motions, electrical shocks and other causes. If you supervise construction sites, safety rules are imperative. Achieve a safe environment and minimize risks when you prioritize safety, train your employees and follow construction workplace safety rules.

Wear Protective Equipment

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) mandates certain safety rules for the workplace. Protective equipment is included in OSHA rules, and all construction workers must be given access to and use the right clothing and equipment for their duties. Examples include hard hats, gloves, safety boots, coveralls, goggles, safety masks and protection harnesses. Lab coats, paper face masks and plastic gloves may be required, too, depending on the job.

Pay Attention to Height

OSHA regulations require different rules for work that’s done at different heights. Constriction site supervisors should know the rules and perform an on-site risk assessment, planning, organization and supervision to make sure they’re implemented.

In general, anyone who works at high elevations must be protected from falling any distance that will cause an injury. Scaffolds with a double guard rail can be used to meet this rule. Another safety guideline requires equipment to be in place that reduces the distance and impact of any falls that do occur. Harnesses and safety nets can meet this construction site requirement.

Provide Amenities

Several amenities are required on construction worksites. First, construction workers must have access to a steady supply of clean water and the proper first aid equipment.

Construction sites must also provide workers with a sheltered space where they can take breaks and enjoy meals. That break room has to be hygienic and pose no safety or health risks. If more than 15 workers are at the site, it also must have space for them to sit down, wash dishes, boil water and store food and utensils.

All sites must provide toilet access, too. It has to be private in a cubicle or room with a door, and ventilation and toilet paper are required.

Keep your workers safe and comply with OSHA regulations when you implement these safety rules on your construction sites. Train your employees and independent contractors to follow the rules and prioritize safety, too. You have adequate Workers’ Compensation insurance, but work together to prevent accidents and promote a hazard-free worksite that’s efficient and productive.

Apr 02
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What to Look for When Hiring an Independent Contractor

By Risk Management Bulletin

04-16-rr-2The next time your small business needs a virtual assistant, a copywriter or someone to remodel your office space, consider hiring an independent contractor. Almost one-third of Americans consider themselves to be independent contractors, and they stand ready to help you and your business meet deadlines, perform specialized services or work in another professional capacity. Here are a few things to look for when you hire independent contractors.

Professionalism

Your employees and their actions, appearance and work reflect on your company. Even though independent contractors aren’t full-time employees, they should be completely professional. Look for this characteristic as you interview and assess potential independent contractors.

Responsiveness

From the time you schedule an initial meeting to the moment when you receive a proposal, look at an independent contractor’s responsiveness. You need to hire someone who is dependable and able to keep you in the loop about project progress. An independent contractor who takes days to return communications or one who isn’t on time to meetings will probably not respond better after the work begins.

Attitude

You expect independent contractors to display a proactive, decisive and determined person, but are they also team players, willing to take constructive criticism and able to compromise? The independent contractors you hire should have an attitude that fits with your company’s culture and values as you all work together toward achieving a common goal.

Experience

As you would inspect the resume of any potential employee, give your independent contractors’ resumes the same attention. Check references, ask to see completed projects and feel free to ask them to perform a test project to make sure the skills they claim to have are accurate.

Flexibility

Despite your best intentions, projects sometimes fall behind, the wrong products are ordered or other things go wrong. The independent contractors you hire should be flexible and able to go with the flow and adjust to get the job done.

Honesty

You wouldn’t dream of hiring an employee who lies, so don’t hire dishonest independent contractors. Anyone who wants paid under the table, asks you to fudge the books or lies about damages is not a good candidate for your company.

Before you advertise for another employee, stretch your existing staff thin or let important project go undone, check out independent contractors. They’re skilled professionals who can help your small business finish projects on time or fill temporary voids in your staff. These listed traits assist you in finding the independent contractors who are right for your business.

Apr 02
Love1

Tips for Writing a Help Wanted Ad

By Risk Management Bulletin

04-16-er-3Writing a good help wanted ad can help you fill open positions with the right people. Overall, it should be written to attract new employees rather than weed people out. Take a few tips into consideration as you write your company’s next help wanted ad.

Begin With a Headline That Grabs Attention

Use action verbs and positive language that encourages potential applicants to keep reading your ad. The headline should also mention something about the job and employer. Instead of saying, “Architect needed,” try, “Architect with a passion for detail, organization and customer service wanted for a busy downtown firm.”

Mention the Basics

Now that you’ve grabbed their attention, give readers more details about the basics of your open position. Include:

*Company name and location.
*Job title
*Specifics like full/part time, day/night shift, salary range and start date

Summarize Employee Skills

Include formal training requirement, certification, industry expertise, proficiency and other skills qualified applicants should possess. Try to avoid writing a laundry list in this section. That turns away candidates since it signals that you’re rigid and unbending. Plus, formal training, licensing and other professional training can be learned after the candidate is hired. Qualifications like flexibility, outgoing personality or sense of humor cannot be learned but are just as valuable.

Describe What Your Company Offers Employees

Sell yourself and your culture. In this section, you could include:

*Your company’s history or a link to your website where applicants can learn more
*Details about the culture, such as the flexible schedule, collaborative spirit or open-door management policy
*Benefits package details including insurance, 401K, incentive plans, advancement opportunities and monthly golf outings
*A standard equal-opportunity employer disclaimer that reminds applicants of your company’s commitment to non-discrimination

Close With a Call to Action

End the help wanted ad with instructions for how applicants can contact you. Include a phone number, email address or fax number.

As a caution, you should never mention legally protected statuses. That means you cannot mention that you have a candidate preference based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability or veteran status. Also, avoid gender-specific language. As an example, use server rather than waitress.

A good help wanted ad attracts qualified candidates for the open positions in your company. Use these tips as you create your next help wanted ad.

Apr 02
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70 Things to Deduct as an Entrepreneur

By Risk Management Bulletin

04-16-rr-1Since the tax filing deadline is April 15, you’ve probably already wrapped up your small business tax return for 2015. However, it’s not too soon to start preparing for next year. Consider several legitimate deductions you can take as an entrepreneur.

Accounting fees
Advertising and publicity
Amortization
Auto expenses for vehicles used for business purposes
Bad debts that you cannot collect
Banking fees
Board meetings
Building repairs and maintenance
Business association membership dues
Business travel
Charitable deductions made for a business purpose
Cleaning or janitorial services
Collection Expenses
Commissions to outside parties
Computers, electronics and tech supplies
Consulting fees
Continuing education to maintain your professional license and improve skills
Conventions and trade shows
Costs of goods sold
Credit card processing fees
Depreciation
Dining during business travel
Discounts to customers
Education and training for employees
Employee wages
Entertainment for customers and clients, up to 50 percent
Equipment and equipment repairs
Exhibits for publicity
Family members’ wages
Freight and shipping costs
Furniture and fixtures
Gifts for customers, up to $25 limit for each gift
Group insurance
Health insurance
Home office
Interest paid on business loans
Internet hosting and services
Investment advice and fees
Legal fees
License fees
Losses due to theft
Management fees
Materials
Maintenance
Medical expenses
Mileage
Mortgage interest on business property
Moving costs
Newspapers and magazines subscriptions
Office supplies and expenses
Payroll taxes for employees, including Social Security, Medicare taxes and unemployment taxes
Parking and tolls
Pension plans
Postage
Prizes for contests
Real estate-related expenses
Rebates on sales
Rent
Research and development
Retirement plans
Royalties
Safe-deposit box
Software and online services
Storage rental
Subcontractors
Taxes
Telephone
Utilities
Website design and related fees
Workers’ compensation insurance

The Internal Revenue Service doesn’t provide entrepreneurs with a comprehensive list of deductible expenses. Reference this list and talk to your CPA as you ensure you’re following all the IRS rules and taking only legitimate and qualified deductions.

Remember to keep good records, too. In case you’re audited, you’ll need to prove that the deductions on your tax return are legitimate. Save all receipts, and make sure they include the date of service, total and purpose of the expense. You may want to scan them into the computer or otherwise preserve them since paper can deteriorate over time and you’ll want to save all your records for up to seven years after you file your tax return.

Business deductions of legitimate expenses help you lower your tax bill. This list is a start as you find all the deductions you’re eligible to take as an entrepreneur.

Apr 02
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Get the Budget and the Deadline You Need

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

04-16-con-4In any field of contract work, you’re going to run into clients who want to save time and money by pushing their freelancers to cut corners. They pit multiple contractors against one another in a bidding war or they get you invested in the project before telling you that their budget is only half of what you need to do the job correctly. Maybe you can pull a job off in less time and for less money than the next guy, maybe you’re just that efficient, but when you try to finish the job in less time and on a smaller budget than you’re comfortable with, you run into a whole host of problems.

  • You can’t do your best work. One of the most rewarding parts of the job is driving through town with a friend and saying “See that roof there? My team tiled it.” or “We installed the windows on that drug store across the street.” Good work is a source of pride, and a source of new clients. You don’t want a rushed job to your name.
  • An under-budgeted, time-crunch job usually winds up being more expensive and taking way too long because people wind up being injured, tasks need to be redone and everyone has to put in a whole lot of overtime in order to try and get the project finished under unreasonable restrictions. You’re not actually doing your client a favor by agreeing to a job that you know you won’t be able to finish with the time and money allotted.

You do have some bargaining chips in your pocket when a client is asking you to complete a job under unrealistic conditions.

  • They might just not realize how extensive a project is and might well be eager for your input. If they do worry that you’re overcharging, ask them to call some of your competitors and compare quotes.
  • You can always walk away from a job when you’re not confident that you can complete it safely, under budget, and within the projected timeframe. No matter how badly your crew needs the work, they don’t need the injuries or the stress.
  • Talk them down on the scale of the job. Maybe you can’t rebuild the entire kitchen for that price, but you can install a new floor and cabinets.

Even if it means passing on a job, you don’t want to go into a project without the time and resources that you need to do it properly. It’s not just your reputation on the line, it’s the safety of yourself and your crew, as well.

Apr 02
Love0

Projects That You May Want To Decline

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

04-16-con-3It’s always difficult to let a job go. You don’t want to pass on a decent paycheck, you don’t want to disappoint the client, you don’t want to leave your crew wondering when the next job is starting, but sometimes a project comes along that you really shouldn’t accept. Here are a few examples of jobs where you may want to take a pass:

You’re Not Seeing Eye To Eye With The Client

Maybe they don’t understand what the job really entails, maybe they’re being unreasonable or they’re a poor listener, or maybe you and the client just aren’t a good fit. There are instances where it’s not so much the job as the client that you want to avoid.

Some red flags for difficult clients include the following:

– They don’t like the idea of putting 10% down on the job or they try to argue about your requested payment schedule.

– They schedule you and a competitor for the same interview.

– They keep you waiting on signing the contract.

If a client is being a real pain, it’s best to abandon the job as soon as possible. Don’t try to reason with them, don’t try to make it work, just cut and run before they give you an ulcer.

The Budget Won’t Fit The Project

The quickest ways to squeeze a big project out of a small budget are to cut corners in safety or in craftsmanship. With the former, your crew gets hurt, and with the latter, your reputation takes a hit. If you can’t talk the client up to a bigger budget, you may want to skip the job entirely.

It’s Just Not Your Area Of Expertise

We’ve all done a little bit of work outside of our specialties. If you’re a cabinet maker, for instance, you might fall back on your electrical experience and do a little bit of rewiring here and there in order to make room for the new installation. When you’re looking at, say, extensive plumbing work, on the other hand, and nobody on your team specializes in that, you may want to simply recommend someone else to the client.

Taking on any work where you’re not comfortable with the job, the working conditions, the client or the budget rarely ends well. Challenge yourself, sure, but don’t challenge yourself in ways that could lead to serious harm to yourself, your income, your reputation or your crew.

Apr 02
Love0

Is It Time to Replace Your Safety Gear?

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

04-16-con-2You want to get your money’s worth out of every safety harness, hard hat and pair of goggles, but push these items to their limit and you’re going to wind up with injuries and accidents on the jobsite that cost you a lot more than a few new helmets. Here are a few signs that it may be time to toss that old safety gear in the trash:

The 5 Year Expiration Date

Many safety items come with a five year expiration date. However, a safety harness is not a gallon of milk. The manufacturer has no way of knowing how much use that gas mask or safety harness is going to see. You definitely don’t want to strap yourself to a telephone pole with a six year old harness, but an item that gets a lot of use might not make it to year five. Think of the expiration date as a “definitely-no-later-than” date, not a guarantee of safe usability.

What Can Be Repaired?

Obviously, the strap will wear out on a pair of goggles before the lenses do. It’s a good idea to keep some extra straps around and replace them at the first sign of wear. Likewise, hard hats and gas masks often come with replaceable straps. Generally you don’t want to try and do any DIY mending on parts that can’t be easily replaced.

Signs Of Damage

A crack, a hole or a serious chip in a pair of goggles or a hard hat or in the buckles of a safety harness is a sure sign that it’s time to retire that piece of equipment. Any cuts along the straps of a safety harness, rips and tears in gas masks or other hazmat wear like gloves and safety clothing. It’s not a drinking glass or a desk fan, your life may depend on the integrity of your safety gear.

Signs Of Normal Wear & Tear

You’ll start seeing normal signs of wear and tear the minute you take a new hard hat out of the box. Little scuffs, scrapes and nicks are to be expected. Unlike a trust old wallet that’s been with you through good times and bad, this wear and tear can lead to total failure when you least expect. Once equipment starts feeling flimsy, thin, or you just can’t see through the goggles anymore, it’s time to pack it in.

It really comes down to a simple question: do you trust your equipment? Maybe a hard hat that sees some serious trauma but doesn’t show any obvious signs of damage has another good year in it, but do you want to stake your head on it?

Apr 02
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How Common is Workers Compensation Fraud?

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

04-16-con-1If you work in construction for any length of time, you’re going to wind up dealing with worker’s comp, and if you deal with enough worker’s comp cases, you’re going to have a few that make you go “Hm…”

The good news is that worker’s comp fraud isn’t as common as many would think, and the even better news is that it’s usually pretty easy to spot when it happens. Anyone who’s able to fake their way into a nice steady stream of compensation would probably make more money going into acting. Here are some of the telltale signs that you may want to investigate further:

The Injury is Reported on Monday Morning

This is a clear sign of an injury that may have taken place over the weekend, and an employee who wants to collect some worker’s comp.

Nobody Saw the Accident Take Place

Obviously there are plenty of accidents that happen when nobody’s looking, but most experienced construction workers know better than to do a dangerous job with no backup.

A Long History of Claims

Unless your employee is named Moe, Larry or Curly, a long history of injury claims is usually a sign pointing to fraud.

Refusal of Treatment

If your employee is suffering a real injury actually sustained on the job, then they shouldn’t have an issue with letting a medical professional take a look at it.

Employment Change

If the accident takes place right before an employee suspected that they were going to be fired, or right before a strike takes place, there’s a chance that they may be trying to get it while the getting’s good.

Claimant is Hard to Reach

A claimant who is supposedly disabled but never seems to be at home to answer the phone or shoot an email back at you is quite often, well, not at home.

Any one of these signs is, in and of itself, not a big deal. If a union worker happens to fracture a toe right before he was going to go on strike, it shouldn’t be his tough luck that he’s now injured AND out of work. However, two or more signs in one case do start to look a little suspicious.

Again, worker’s comp fraud isn’t really all that common. We only see the worst-case-scenario in the news, because the fact that most claims are legit simply doesn’t make for a very entertaining read. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be vigilant.

Apr 02
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Is Your Building Up to Code? Fire Safety Dos and Don’ts

By Workplace Safety

04-16-wc-4The extent most employees know about fire safety in their buildings is likely just when they need to exit the facilities for some sort of drill. It can stop your employees from having any type of urgency, and then people can get complacent about fire safety. Don’t let this happen when you create more awareness and follow the proper procedures.

Identify and Communicate

What’s the most important thing about exiting your building when there’s a fire? Is it that you can’t clog the main exit? It is the most likely ways a fire can start? Is is talking to people about the way they handle equipment? Fires spread fast, and you can bet in an emergency, a scared coworker isn’t going to be thinking about the last fire drill they had. When people panic, they make really unfortunate mistakes. Instead of scaring them, you just need to be sure that they know and that, more importantly, you know how it all works. Sometimes you have just a few precious minutes to ensure everyone is safe. Do you know how long it took to evacuate everyone last time, and how long it would take in an actual fire? If you don’t think that your plan is currently very realistic (and chances are, it may not be), then you need to rethink it and let your employees know. They’ll take their cues from you.

The Nuts and Bolts

Your fire plan must be in writing and visible to employees. The plan must have discuss the major hazards, the way to handle and store materials and how to control ignition sources and flammable waste materials. List the equipment best used to prevent the spread of fire for each type of hazard, and how to maintain your potentially dangerous equipment. Also give the names of who is responsible for preventing fires and those who handle the fuel sources as well. Again, while these should be easy to find, your employees should know the basics without having to reference the plan. They should know of at least two ways out of the building, and be aware of exactly where to meet. If you don’t have a sprinkler system, you may want to consider investing in one. The chances of being hurt go down dramatically, and your employees will not be in a frenzied rush to get to the exit. You’ll also want to have employees who are trained in using fire extinguishers and who know how to check the smoke alarms so that they’re functioning correctly. You may have to contact your local fire department to get the advice on where and how to install them if you’re a smaller business.

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