earching Social Media During Hiring Process

Searching Social Media During Hiring Process

If you are hiring, you should not overlook the importance of vetting prospective employees through social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

A recent survey by CareerBuilder found that 70% of hiring managers said they had used Facebook or other social networking sites to research job candidates in 2018, up from 60% the year prior. Also, 11% of hiring managers said they planned to start using social networking sites for screening.

With so many people posting their lives online, employers can learn a lot about candidates. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to look at the social networking profiles of prospective hires.

Employees in sales, public relations and customer service serve as representatives for the companies they work for, so employers have a legitimate interest in ensuring potential workers won’t embarrass the company,

The most commonly checked social media accounts are Facebook and LinkedIn. Some employers even search for blogs or look at a candidate’s Twitter account.

The search can pay off for the employer.

More than half of employers (54%) in the CareerBuilder survey reported finding content on social media that had caused them not to hire a candidate. But also, many employers reported finding positive things on someone’s social media accounts that had helped them decide to hire the applicant.

Top Reasons Found on Social Networking Sites for Considering a Job Applicant:

  • Profile provided a good feel for candidate’s personality and fit within the organization: 50%
  • Profile supported candidate’s qualifications: 39%
  • Candidate showed creativity: 38%
  • Candidate showed solid communication skills: 35%
  • Candidate was well-rounded: 33%
  • Others posted good references about candidate: 19%
  • Candidate received awards and accolades: 15%

Top Reasons Found on Social Networking Sites for Passing Over a Job Applicant

  • Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information: 53%
  • Candidate posted content about drinking or using drugs: 44%
  • Candidate bad-mouthed prior employer or clients: 35%
  • Candidate showed poor communication skills: 29%
  • Candidate made discriminatory comments: 26%
  • Candidate lied about qualifications: 24%
  • Candidate shared confidential information from prior employer: 20%

Don’t overstep – Be warned, though. There is a fine line of overstepping when looking at candidates’ social media pages. Here are some tips:

Be fair – Review every applicant in the same manner.  If you investigate one applicant’s social media accounts, you should look at every applicant’s accounts. This is to avoid the appearance of discrimination.

Never ask for access to an applicant’s accounts – Demanding passwords could violate a multitude of different laws (a number of states have passed laws barring employers from demanding username and passwords for social media accounts), and could also put the applicant in violation of the terms of service of most of the major social media sites. 
In other words, any review should be limited to public information.

Keep it timely – Complete searches later in the hiring process, and preferably after an offer of employment has been made. That sounds counter-productive, but if you learn that an applicant is a protected class by virtue of a social media search, unconscious bias steps in, and you will be in a more difficult position should a discrimination issue arise. 
As with any other part of the hiring process, document everything that is done, including saving screen shots of social media pages reviewed.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.         

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.  

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer mechanisms.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer mechanisms, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs that lower them.     

New Jersey and Connecticut Contractors:  We have a competitively priced (savings up to 50%)  General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Workers Compensation program.  Want to lower these costs?  Get a quote today!     

Identity Theft – Over the past year hundreds of thousands of people have had to deal with identity theft.  This has become such a huge problem so we now offer Identity Theft Protection. We heard stories of kids going for car loans and learning they owe $200,000+ to companies they never heard of.  Under our program you can protect yourself, spouse and children.  Anyone you know can purchase this protection though our plan!  Click here to learn more or sign up.       

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2019 – BGES Group

What Every Employer Needs to Know About Workers' Compensation

What Every Employer Needs to Know About Workers’ Compensation

Employers must buy insurance to cover workers’ compensation claims. This type of insurance provides funding for injured employees, and employers also receive protection from lawsuits stemming from a worker’s injuries. State laws govern workers’ compensation, and every state has a slightly different set of rules and payment rates. To learn about a specific state’s workers’ compensation laws, it is best to contact an agent for more details. The United States Department of Labor also provides information on its official site.

What Is Covered Under Workers’ Compensation
Only work-related illnesses and injuries are covered by workers’ compensation. However, this does not mean the injury has to happen in the workplace. If an employee is injured while out driving a company car off the premises of the workplace, the injuries will be covered. Both sudden and gradual injuries are covered if they are work related. An example of a sudden injury is an employee falling off of a ladder, and a gradual injury might be a foot condition that develops from walking or standing on a concrete floor every day for several years. 

What Workers’ Compensation Does Not Cover
Some problems that happen in the workplace are not covered. Some of the following situations are examples:

– Self-inflicted injuries
– Injuries from drug or alcohol use
– Injuries resulting from horseplay
– Injuries following termination or a layoff
– Injuries sustained from fighting
– Felony-related injuries
– Independent contractor injuries
– Injuries sustained while off duty but on workplace premises

When Employees Can Sue Employers
Employers are not protected from employee lawsuits in all situations. When an employee’s injuries are due to the employer’s intentional actions or there is no workers’ compensation insurance, the employee is allowed to sue the employer in court for a wide range of damages. In some cases, employees may also be able to sue third parties that are involved and have caused damages. 

Workers’ Compensation Benefits
There are several provisions made possible by workers’ compensation. These include the following:

– Replacement income when employees are off work
– Vocational rehabilitation training or placement assistance
– Medical expense payments for physician appointments, drugs and surgeries

If an employee is unable to work temporarily, that individual usually receives about 66 percent of his or her income as disability payments. There is a fixed ceiling amount for this percentage, and the benefits are available to people who are unable to do the same type of work that was done prior to the disability’s beginning. Some people may be able to perform other types of work, but there are people who are unable to work at all. If this is the case, such a person will usually receive permanent disability payments.

Workers’ Compensation And Employer Responsibilities
Under the workers’ compensation system, employers have several obligations. When requirements are not met, employers may face fines. In addition to this, employees may be able to sue such employers. 

Carrying Workers’ Compensation Insurance
If a business does not have this type of coverage, the owner is vulnerable to lawsuits that may be filed by injured workers. In addition to carrying insurance, employers should post notices and provide employees with information about their legal rights. This should be done on a regular basis. Any posted notices should be placed in areas that employees use frequently during working hours. The literature should include the following bits of information:

– The name of the workers’ compensation insurance carrier
– A self-insurance statement for employers who have their own insurance
– The name of the entity responsible for claims adjustments
– A statement that workers have the right to change doctors
– A statement that injured workers have the right to medical treatment
– Details about workers’ compensation benefits

When hiring new workers, employers should notify them of all these points prior to starting work. Within 24 hours of an injury happening on the job, employers must provide workers with claim forms. They must also provide written information again about that worker’s rights under the insurance plan and state laws. To learn more about workers’ compensation insurance and how it works, discuss concerns with Gary Wallach at BGES Group.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.         

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.  

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer mechanisms.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer mechanisms, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs that lower them.     

New Jersey and Connecticut Contractors:  We have a competitively priced (savings up to 50%)  General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Workers Compensation program.  Want to lower these costs?  Get a quote today!     

Identity Theft – Over the past year hundreds of thousands of people have had to deal with identity theft.  This has become such a huge problem so we now offer Identity Theft Protection. We heard stories of kids going for car loans and learning they owe $200,000+ to companies they never heard of.  Under our program you can protect yourself, spouse and children.  Anyone you know can purchase this protection though our plan!  Click here to learn more or sign up.       

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2019 – BGES Group

Protect Personal Finances By Preventing Identity Theft

When Injuries at Work Don’t Equal Workers’ Comp

While injuries and deaths that occur while someone is carrying out their work on behalf of their employer are compensated by workers’ comp coverage, not all workplace injuries or deaths are compensable, as a recent court case shows.

In the case, a heating and air conditioning technician died of a heart attack while working in an attic. But his wife was denied workers’ comp death benefits by the insurance company and a workers’ comp judge on the basis that the heart attack was not related to work.

The decision by the judge was appealed and a state court recently ruled that this was not a case for workers’ comp benefits despite the wife’s argument that the employer knew the technician was feeling bad when he arrived at work and should not have sent him to work in an attic space.

But the case could have gone the other way had the technician’s supervisor acted differently.

In the case of Lisa Kelly vs. Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board in Pennsylvania, the technician, upon arriving at work, told his supervisor that he was feeling weak, tired and had a kink in his neck from sleeping poorly the night before.

His supervisor told him that he could take the day off if he was feeling poorly, but Kelly said he would continue working. Still, the supervisor gave him a light duty assignment in consideration of how he was feeling.

While the technician was laying a thermostat wire in the attic of the building, other workers heard moans and climbed the 15-foot ladder to investigate. They found the technician lying incoherent on the floor thrashing around on the drywall between the trusses, and making babbling sounds while bleeding from his head, face and leg.

An ambulance transported Kelly to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The autopsy findings revealed the presence of coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease, atherosclerotic heart disease, and ischemic heart disease.

Kelly’s widow filed a workers’ comp claim for survivors’ benefits, claiming his heart attack had occurred as a result of his employment.

She backed up this claim by stating that he didn’t have any health problems, didn’t complain about chest pain, never saw a heart doctor and wasn’t on any medication. But she did acknowledge that her husband had smoked a pack a day for the last 30 years.

The company denied the claim and she took the case before a workers’ comp judge, and later to appeal at the state court level.

Why the employer is not on the hook

The court noted that the plaintiff had failed to show the two underpinnings of a workers’ comp claim:

  • That the death arose in the course of employment, and
  • That the death was related to employment.

While it’s indisputable that the heart attack happened at work, the court said the evidence showed that the heart attack was not related to his work.

Kelly’s supervisor and other workers all said that the work the technician had been assigned was not strenuous work, like much of the other work they engage in.

The doctor said that the autopsy indicated that the technician had been suffering from insufficient blood flow to the heart eight to 12 hours before coming to work, and that he was at risk for a heart attack regardless of what he had done that day.

The takeaway

Workers’ comp attorneys say this case could have gone the other way had the supervisor not acted appropriately. In this case, he did the right thing by offering to send Kelly home for the day and, when the worker refused, he was instead assigned light duty.

While employers are responsible for keeping their workers’ safe, they cannot do much about their underlying health problems.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.         

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.  


Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer mechanisms.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer mechanisms, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs that lower them.     

New Jersey and Connecticut Contractors:  We have a competitively priced (savings up to 50%)  General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Workers Compensation program.  Want to lower these costs?  Get a quote today!     

Identity Theft – Over the past year hundreds of thousands of people have had to deal with identity theft.  This has become such a huge problem so we now offer Identity Theft Protection. We heard stories of kids going for car loans and learning they owe $200,000+ to companies they never heard of.  Under our program you can protect yourself, spouse and children.  Anyone you know can purchase this protection though our plan!  Click here to learn more or sign up.       

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2019 – BGES Group

HR and workers comp

Curtail Workers’ Comp Costs in a Tough Economy

HR and workers comp

Workers’ compensation costs are always a concern for employers—but in today’s tough economy, employers should be more watchful than ever. As financially stressed employees grow increasingly worried about their money problems, many are preoccupied and less attentive on the job. This can greatly increase the risk of an injury. Plus, when employees become anxious about potential layoffs, workers’ compensation claims may increase as workers look for a way to maintain their income.

This is precisely why employers need to take every possible measure to rein in workers’ comp costs right now. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure employees stay happy and claims don’t mushroom out of control:

Open the lines of communication

Everywhere they turn, employees are hearing bad news about the economy. Consequently, workers are growing increasingly anxious about their job security and financial well-being. Now more than ever, it is absolutely critical for employers to keep the lines of communication open with their worried employees.

However, while it’s important to give workers the morale boost they need, it’s also important to be truthful. Don’t sugar-coat a bad situation. Studies show that employees who work for employers who are truthful, fair and supportive have lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

Research also shows that workers trust their immediate boss more than the company’s senior leaders. Therefore, direct supervisors should offer their employees plenty of support right now and immediately address any widespread anxiety or rumors.

Keep a close watch on claims

Although employers should always meticulously monitor claims, this becomes even more vital in a rough economy. That’s because many workers may attempt to abuse the system when they are feeling financially stressed.

As you scrutinize the amount and type of claims being filed by your employees, keep an eye out for suspicious trends or patterns. This may help you identify potential abuse. If you suspect any type of exploitation, report it immediately.

Give employees the right title

If your company has recently gone through lay offs or experienced a reduction in workforce, some workers may have changed positions or taken on additional responsibilities. If this is the case, ensure that your employees’ job classifications are up-to-date.

Encourage good health

Companies with wellness programs, fitness opportunities, nutritious food choices and other health-related perks have healthier, more productive employees. Healthy employees are less likely to suffer from illness or injury—which means they are less likely to miss work.

This is why it’s so important to adopt some sort of wellness program for your employees and establish a relationship with a qualified occupational medical provider. Find physicians who follow ACOEM (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine). Although they may be more expensive, it’s well worth the cost. These experts will take time to understand your company’s needs and ensure your workers stay healthy, productive and on the job—which will save you untold amounts of money in the long run.

Educate your employees about finances

In our current economic downturn, many of your employees are likely struggling to manage their finances. They don’t know where to turn for financial advice and expertise.

To relieve some of their stress, consider sponsoring office workshops and classes about financial matters like reducing credit card debt, investing wisely, securing a home loan and saving for college. This will give your employees the financial guidance they need while ensuring that they stay happy and productive on the job.

In any economy, whether it’s up or down, one thing is always clear: every day a worker is off the job, the employer loses money. Although you may be focused on other company problems right now, such as a reduced workforce, dwindling budgets and a decrease in sales, it’s important to maintain your focus on workers’ compensation issues.

Try to cut back on illnesses and injuries with a wellness program and other health perks. If an employee is injured, do everything possible to return that worker safely to the job as quickly as possible. After all, the longer an employee is out of work, the more difficult it is to get him back to work—and the higher the price tag for the employer.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.         

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.  

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer mechanisms.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer mechanisms, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs that lower them.     

New Jersey and Connecticut Contractors:  We have a competitively priced (savings up to 50%)  General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Workers Compensation program.  Want to lower these costs?  Get a quote today!     

Identity Theft – Over the past year hundreds of thousands of people have had to deal with identity theft.  This has become such a huge problem so we now offer Identity Theft Protection. We heard stories of kids going for car loans and learning they owe $200,000+ to companies they never heard of.  Under our program you can protect yourself, spouse and children.  Anyone you know can purchase this protection though our plan!  Click here to learn more or sign up.       

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2019 – BGES Group

How to Avoid Running Afoul of Wage and Hour Laws

How to Avoid Running Afoul of Wage and Hour Laws

With increases in litigation and federal and state enforcement of wage and hour laws, employers should make sure they comply with laws at both the federal and state levels.

All businesses should conduct periodic self-audits addressing the various wage and hour issues that are applicable to their workplace, in order to avoid the most common source of litigation by workers against their employers.

The goal of an audit should be to ensure that:

  • Exempt classifications are properly applied to each employee;
  • Exempt employees are paid on a “salary basis,” and that absence and leave policies comply with Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state law requirements regarding authorized and unauthorized deductions;
  • All forms of pay required to be included in overtime calculations are, in fact, included;
  • Non-exempt employees are paid for all hours worked;
  • Payroll records are complete and accurate and are retained for the proper amount of time; and
  • To the extent that state law requirements exceed those of the FLSA, such stricter requirements become the standard.

Any issues you identify in a periodic audit should be addressed immediately. At the same time, employment policies and actions should be implemented to create an environment in which compliance becomes part of your operational mindset.

The compliance strategies below cover some of the more common potential errors in the wage and hour context.

Meal and break laws

  • Implement written policies regarding meal and break times of non-exempt employees, and require approval for additional hours worked.
  • Implement measures to ensure that breaks are uninterrupted and employees taking such breaks are completely relieved from duty.
  • Tell supervisors not to assign tasks to non-exempt employees or allow them to perform work during their breaks.

Misclassification errors

  • At the time of hiring, inform employees of their exempt or non-exempt status, review job requirements and descriptions and describe in writing terms of their payment ― for straight time and overtime.
  • Periodically review duties performed by exempt employees after they are hired, to ensure they remain properly classified.
  • If you find you’ve made an exempt/non-exempt classification error for an employee, immediately consult your attorney to determine the appropriate remedial action, such as a change in status from exempt to non-exempt and making payments to such employee.

Overtime/off-clock errors

  • Adopt clear written policies on schedules and hours of work, and require approval for overtime work.
  • Adopt written policies requiring employees to report all time worked, and that you will pay for all time worked.
  • Train employees and managers on timekeeping policies and discipline for violations of policy.
  • Do not pressure employees to meet deadlines or perform assignments that can only be met by working off the clock. Workload expectations should be realistic.
  • Regularly review overtime records. If you find overtime was not paid, pay it immediately, even if work was not authorized.

Record-keeping mistakes

  • Implement and disseminate a timekeeping policy. The policy may, for example, require exempt and non-exempt employees to complete time sheets on a weekly basis, and to note meal and other breaks.
  • Require non-exempt employees to review and sign their time cards or time sheets every week, and to initial any changes made to them. This is your evidence if sued for an off-the-clock violation.
  • Retain time and payroll records for all employees. This will help you quickly correct any mistakes you uncover, and helps work with an employee who says they were short-changed on their paycheck. Also, accurate records are the best defense in a wage and hour complaint.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.      

 BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;  9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.  

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages. We help contractors set up proper risk transfer mechanisms. If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer mechanisms, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs that lower them.   

New Jersey and Connecticut Contractors:  We have a competitively priced (savings up to 50%) General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Workers Compensation program. Want to lower these costs? Get a quote today!   

Identity Theft – Over the past year hundreds of thousands of people have had to deal with identity theft. This has become such a huge problem so we now offer Identity Theft Protection. We heard stories of kids going for car loans and learning they owe $200,000+ to companies they never heard of. Under our program you can protect yourself, spouse and children. Anyone you know can purchase this protection though our plan! Click here to learn more or sign up.    

 If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

How to Avoid Running Afoul of Wage and Hour Laws

How Workers’ Comp Experience Rating can Save you Money

How does safety pay dividends to the business owner? Time and resources spent on developing a culture of safety repays the business in the long run. Safety cultures rely on reducing the number of workers compensation claims, in return, the odds of a disastrous claim are reduced.

Business owners with workers’ compensation experience modifications above 1.25 need to review their safety policies with professionals. It is possible one year or even one claim causes this situation; but it should not be ignored. Discover and repair the root cause.

A 1.01 to 1.25 modification indicates worse than average experience. State rates can be less than adequate for a short period of time. The actuarial or mathematical calculations just incorrectly reflect the average expected claims. Slightly elevated modifications may be caused by these issues; however, review your losses by department in these cases and see if a problem area exists.

For slightly elevated modifications, review the safety program and types of losses. Seek out a professional risk manager for help if needed. Look for patterns in the losses, and consider changes in safety equipment or procedures to reduce problem issues.

Proactively nurturing a safety culture will pay long-term dividends. Experience modifications will decrease with positive results. How?

Each state calculates workers’ compensation experience modifications independently. Many states do utilize the services of the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) to gather data and promulgate base rates and experience modifications; but each state regulates its own workers’ compensation system.

Workers’ compensation experience rating predicts future behavior by analyzing past performance. It is a consequence of loss control performance, neither a reward for no losses nor a punishment for too many claims.

The generic formula for experience modifications follows some rules:

Just as payrolls are the basis for the standard premium, they form the basis for expected claims. Payroll is multiplied by an average claim factor to produce total expected claims.A discount factor is then applied to predict the potential severity of the claims.The product of this equation is expected losses.Actual medical only (MO) claims combine and report as a number of claims/total amount. Some states designate the MO claims as primary (maximum average) and excess, and then apply a discount rate to one or both of these amounts.Most states set a limit on the value of any one claim, and then discount large claims on a sliding scale.This historical claim experience is divided by expected losses. That quotient is the experience modification.

The insurance industry spends millions of dollars to find ways to predict the future. Loss analysts discovered one important fact: the best predictor of future claims is the frequency with which companies suffer losses in the past.

Frequency reflects the number of claims per employee, usually expressed as claims per payroll unit ($100), claims per year, or claims per time unit. Frequency, however, more importantly, reflects the safety culture of the business.

If the frequency of claims is predictable, how about the severity of an individual loss? No, severity, the magnitude of the loss, is not predictable. With greater frequency, however, comes greater odds that a severe claim will occur.

Experience modifications indicate the status of the safety culture within a business. Good management listens to risk management and loss control experts who ultimately reduce workers’ compensation costs. 

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.         

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.  

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer mechanisms.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer mechanisms, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs that lower them.     

New Jersey and Connecticut Contractors:  We have a competitively priced (savings up to 50%)  General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Workers Compensation program.  Want to lower these costs?  Get a quote today!     

Identity Theft – Over the past year hundreds of thousands of people have had to deal with identity theft.  This has become such a huge problem so we now offer Identity Theft Protection. We heard stories of kids going for car loans and learning they owe $200,000+ to companies they never heard of.  Under our program you can protect yourself, spouse and children.  Anyone you know can purchase this protection though our plan!  Click here to learn more or sign up.       

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2019 – BGES Group

Understanding the Purpose of Certificates Of Insurance

Sick & Tired of Dealing With Workers’ Compensation Auditors? We Have Solutions That Can Help You!

Are you a contractor, auto service, limousine company, trucker, manufacturer, wholesaler or distributor?  We have PROGRAMS that is you fit will save you money, give you better protection and billing, claims, certificate issuance, day-to-day customer service is FIVE STAR!  Do yourself a favor and get a quote TODAY!  We are opened Monday thru Sunday from 7:30am till 9PM.  Call 9144-806-5853 anytime! 

ARTICLE: 
No company owner wants to undergo a workers’ compensation audit, but they are a fact of life if you run a business and have employees. 

Unfortunately, many audits don’t go smoothly and sometimes your insurer may make mistakes.  And sometimes the mistakes can be in the tens, hundreds of thousands of dollars and you get told, pay or and because the number is so ridiculous you get cancelled. 

Below we are highlighting 10 common problems faced by business owners THEN OFFERING YOU A SOLUTION! 

Wrong class code – Misapplication of job classifications occurs in many workers’ comp audits. With hundreds of job classes to choose from, mistakes can happen.

X-Mod is changed – After your insurer finishes the audit, it will use the information to calculate your premium. When that happens, it has to include your X-Mod to get the right rate. But sometimes the insurer may use an incorrect X-Mod.

Subcontractors are counted – Sometimes insurers will include subcontractors as employees, which results in a new audit bill to account for the additional “employees.” But if they are genuine subcontractors, they should not be counted. Often, uninsured contractors that have insurance will be included as employees. Often it takes hours on the phone and months of waiting before these charges are removed.  The problem is if you are billed tens, hundreds of thousands for subs that have insurance but your company says they don’t you have to pay what is billed or be cancelled.  We have a better way.

Disappearing credits – Most policies will have some sort of premium credits or other modifiers. Sometimes during audits, the insurer will remove them when recalculating the premium they think you owe. Watch out for missing credits and other modifiers if you get an audit bill, like:

  • Premium discount
  • Schedule credits
  • Deductible credits
  • State-specific credits

Audit worksheets missing – If the auditor fails to provide you with audit worksheets, which are used to compile your payroll and other audit information, you should ask to check their work. They will provide you with the information you need to carry out such a check.

Your rates changed – The rates you are charged at the beginning of your policy period must remain the same for the entire policy period. If your base rates have changed, the insurer may have made a mistake.

Separation of payroll – Depending on your industry, you may or may not be able to split your employees’ payroll between job classifications (like cabinet installers and sheetrock hangers). This is a pinch point when errors can occur. If the auditor says you are not allowed to split job classifications even though you have in the past, your audit may be in error.  We have a better way!

Unexpected large premium due – If you get a significant bill for your insurance company after your audit, the auditor may have made mistakes, particularly if you know that your employment has remained relatively stable and you’ve had no significant claims, if any. If it seems out of whack, it probably is.  We have a better way! 

Payroll data doesn’t match – If there is a discrepancy between your payroll data and what you see on the audit, a mistake may have been made. Try to match the payroll on the audit with that generated from your accountant. If the insurer made a mistake, you could end up paying for phantom payroll numbers.  And there are insurers that when they do not believe your numbers create phantom payroll.

No physical audit – There are three types of audits:

  • Mail audit
  • Phone audit, and
  • Physical audit

The mail and phone audits are prone to errors since neither you nor your staff likely have any experience in premium auditing. If you have a big bill after a mail or phone audit, mistakes could have been made.  

Solution:  How would you like to be in a Workers’ Compensation plan that has competitive rates, at the start employees get classified correctly, contractors can split field weekly payrolls by class code, plan automatically applies payroll caps, where the premium you pay is based on current payroll figures and a plan that doesn’t audit you every year or maybe ever? 

BGES Group are Workers’ Compensation Specialists and depending on what you want we can get it for you.  Call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 and receive help immediately!  

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.  

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY) – We we have 50 insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer mechanisms.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer mechanisms, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs that lower them.    

New Jersey and Connecticut Contractors:  We have a competitively priced (savings up to 50%)  General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Workers Compensation program.  Want to lower these costs?  Get a quote today! 

Identity Theft– Over the past year hundreds of thousands of people have had to deal with identity theft.  This has become such a huge problem so we now offer Identity Theft Protection. We heard stories of kids going for car loans and learning they owe $200,000+ to companies they never heard of.  Under our program you can protect yourself, spouse and children.  Anyone you know can purchase this protection though our plan!  Click here to learn more or sign up. 

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website. 

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2019 – BGES Group

Tips on Spotting Workers' Comp Fraud

Tips on Spotting Workers’ Comp Fraud

Spotting the red flags that indicate possible workers’ compensation fraud by employees is the best way to prevent fraud from occurring. Knowing how to spot the red flags is a proactive way to nip a potentially costly but false workers’ compensation claim before it begins.

Most instances of workers’ compensation fraud occur when the claimant:

  • Deliberately falsifies information about how an injury occurred, such as claiming the injury was work-related when it was not,
  • Deliberately amplifies the seriousness of an injury to falsely prolong the claim, or
  • Deliberately continues to collect entitlements while working on the sly for their own purposes or with another employer.

Common Signs of Workers’ Compensation Fraud

  • Lack of witnesses – The majority of people claiming false work-related injuries usually do not have witnesses to support their claim. Vigilance is especially necessary when the employee normally works with other co-workers who should have witnessed the injury but did not.
  • Contradictory accounts of how the injury occurred – This can be particularly blatant when any of the doctor’s, employer’s, or witnesses’ reports contradict the employee’s report of the incident. Another red flag should be raised when the employee is deliberately vague about how the injury occurred.
  • Dissatisfied employees – Unhappy employees can be motivated to make a false workers’ compensation claim, especially if a recent incident such as a reprimand, changed responsibilities, or a possible demotion has occurred.
  • Time occurrence of the injury – Many false workers’ compensation claims are submitted before a potential strike, project conclusion, strike, or possible layoff. Many false claims also happen to be submitted on either a Friday or a Monday.
  • Inconsistent injury – The nature and extent of the injury is not consistent with their duties or type of job performed.
  • Inconsistent reporting procedures – Occurs when there is an inexplicable gap between when the injury occurred and when the employee reported the injury. Be alert if crucial injury data is absent, such as no definite time reported when the injury happened or if other vital dates are absent.
  • Lack of contact – The employee cannot be easily contacted by the claims rep or employer. Continuous lack of contact might be indicative the employee is working elsewhere while receiving ongoing entitlements. Another red flag should be raised when the employee immediately moves to another state or foreign destination after going on workers’ compensation.
  • Lack of cooperation – The employee deliberately delays or avoids medical treatment or medical diagnostics needed to clarify the medical condition of the employee’s alleged injury.
  • Physical signs – The employee exhibits physical signs of working such as dirt or grease on their hands or fingernails, work clothes that exhibit traces of work, or scrapes or bruises.
  • Newer employee – From a statistics vantage, new employees are more likely to commit workers’ compensation fraud than senior employees. The most proactive means to counter this is to carefully screen all new employees in the hiring process beforehand.

Although red flags can help minimize potential workers’ compensation losses from fraud, your best strategies to counter this problem should include:

1.   Implement a Zero Tolerance policy for workers’ compensation fraud and be sure your employees know about it.

2.   Take a hands on approach with all workers’ compensation claims and become especially vigilant when red flags appear.

3.   Keep in regular communication with your injured employee.

4.   Have a consistent new employee screening process. Offer new employees a thorough orientation and communicate a comprehensive explanation of the workers’ compensation process along with the employee’s rights and responsibilities.

Fraudulent workers’ compensation claims are a severe drag on the costs of any business. By being aware of how to spot potential problems and being proactive at the outset can help you reduce workers’ compensation fraud in the workplace.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.         

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.  

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer mechanisms.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer mechanisms, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs that lower them.     

New Jersey and Connecticut Contractors:  We have a competitively priced (savings up to 50%)  General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Workers Compensation program.  Want to lower these costs?  Get a quote today!     

Identity Theft – Over the past year hundreds of thousands of people have had to deal with identity theft.  This has become such a huge problem so we now offer Identity Theft Protection. We heard stories of kids going for car loans and learning they owe $200,000+ to companies they never heard of.  Under our program you can protect yourself, spouse and children.  Anyone you know can purchase this protection though our plan!  Click here to learn more or sign up.       

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2019 – BGES Group