In the past 20 years risk management consulting has become an enterprise. Talented risk professionals will consult with companies on a variety of safety topics in an attempt to improve processes, policies and to ultimately minimize risk. There is definite value in having an experienced risk professional assessing processes and advising based on his or her education and skill; however, for smaller organizations the “do-it-yourself” method may be more cost effective at the onset of a risk evaluation. There may be free programs and materials available through local agencies that assist with loss control processes to help protect a company’s bottom line, which is to capture and keep revenue.

Our local, state and federal governments have been working tirelessly to enhance the lives of workers and attempting to meet their needs by making sure their pay is sufficient or comparable to the rising cost of living across America. Information regarding the changes to the federal overtime regulations was recently shared - however, since our web article on the topic, a federal district court in Texas has issued a nationwide injunction preventing the Department of Labor from enforcing the new overtime rules on Dec. 1.

Managing employee performance can be one of the most difficult jobs as a supervisor. As an employee, not receiving timely critique from a supervisor can become frustrating and it may seem that the supervisor is setting the employee up to fail by not clearly outlining expectations. Performance Improvement Plans or PIPs are a type of coaching method that supervisors can use to provide a written outline to an employee highlighting areas in need of improvement. A common misconception is that a PIP is only a form of discipline, when in actuality it may accompany verbal or written discipline or it can be given to an employee as part of goal-oriented discussions. For example, a PIP can be a useful tool during succession planning to assist satisfactory performing employees grow to their full potential or to further improve upon existing good work traits.

Although bonuses continue to offer stimulus to the employee population to perform above-standard, there’s significant liability for wage/hour violations and often labor cost increases that may be associated with improper payments associated with certain types of bonus payments.