The Ubiquitous 80/20 Rule
An axiom of business management is that 80% of sales come from 20% of clients. But few of us notice the 80/20 rule reaching beyond the business world and deep into everyday life, from our typing (20% of the keys are tapped 80% of the time) to our wardrobes (20% of clothing gets 80% of […]
Directors beware
A cautionary tale for corporate directors: think twice before lending a hand. Director found personally liable for his participation in the installation of faulty staircase. Because the director performed work “as part of the business of the corporation….by way of manual labour”, the Court of Appeal holds him liable for workplace injuries despite WCB’s no-fault protection.
Are you on this list?
If your industry appears below, your WCB premiums rose by double-digits year-over-year: Oilfield services: +19%Industrial/commercial const: +16%Sawmills/Timber: +29%Cleaning services: +27%Trucking: +10%Municipal gov’t, edu, health services: +11%Rec vehicles sales/service: +18%Drywall contractors: +11%Grain/seed handling: +18%Mechanical contractors: +15%Oilsands producers: +10%Flooring/tile: +19%Eng/architects:: +15%Flour/feed mills: +15%Meat/poultry: +12%Heavy equip sales/service: +13% This list is far from exhaustive, yet it offers some […]
How Blue Collar plugs into your organization
One of our LinkedIn followers messaged us yesterday: “Just wondering how Blue Collar slots into our org chart? In other words, where do you fit inside our existing systems?” In brief, Blue Collar operates like a point man, driving the claims process forward, removing return-to-work roadblocks, and supporting your employees along the way. We’re on […]
Fly in your bisque?
Skill testing question: Which of the following would NOT be considered a traumatic incident by WCB standards? A) Being a victim of robbery in the workplaceB) Witnessing the death of a co-workerC) Providing aid to victims of severe physical traumaD) Discovering a fruit fly in your tomato bisqueE) Any of the above could give rise […]
$2M Contract vs Blue Collar Disability Program
A medium-size general contractor called recently seeking ways to lower his WCB premiums. This fellow found himself in a surcharge position with the WCB along with inordinately high group-benefit premiums. Crunching numbers together, we determined that a Blue Collar disability program would yield discounts equaling the profit on a $2M contract. This gentleman was also […]
WCB Premiums on the rise
Complex work injuries are causing WCB’s costs to rise by $90M/yr. At this rate, expect an unfunded liability charge, or drastically increased premiums, to be imposed on employers to cover the gaping deficit. By law, the WCB is a self-funding agency, meaning that employers—not taxpayers—are on the hook for financing the system. After Ontario’s workers’ […]
Psychological claims are spiking
WCB claims for psych injuries are up 2700%—even before COVID-19. And notice how the 2019 figures merely represent the mid-year count (July YTD). Furthermore, these statistics only capture primary psychological injuries, not secondary psych injuries (i.e. depression resulting from a workplace injury). If secondary were added, the trend line would shoot off the page and […]
Fleet Management vs Disability Management
The owner of a heavy-equipment service company reached out last week. In his quest for ways to cut costs instead of headcount, a Blue Collar post caught his eye. But this gentleman was bluntly skeptical that disability management could ever be transformed into a profit driver. I appreciated the directness, and then proceeded to ask […]
Blue Collar’s New Website
After many a late night and strong coffee, we’re pleased to unveil Blue Collar’s all-new website. Improvements include a mobile-friendly experience and loads of free resources that can save you $100-200K, or more, in WCB and group-benefit premiums. If your business is construction-related, and you plan on operating post-COVID, disability management is a top priority […]