California just became the fifth state, plus Washington D.C., to allow the recreational use of marijuana. Of course, California had already legalized marijuana for medical purposes, but does this new law change the landscape for employers? How does this affect workplace drug testing policies and employment actions that might occur as a result of a positive drug test for marijuana?

CLICK HERE to read further. 

Early Bird registration for Elevate 2017 will open up March 1st with an email announcing it that morning. This event will sell out.     

An influential audience of Human Resource Administrators, Risk Managers, Safety Managers and Claims Adjusters representing employers of San Diego County will join together May 18 at ELEVATE 2017.

Presented by WorkPartners Occupational Health Specialists and Title Sponsor HUB International Insurance Services, this workers’ compensation & leadership conference will be held at the beautiful Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa overlooking the Pacific coastline.

Complete details regarding Early Bird registration, conference agenda and presenters will be released in a separate email on March 1st.

Topics covered this year include...

First Aid and Your Ex Mod | Workers' Comp Savings from Non Traditional Sources
We will discuss the recent legislative changes with regard to first aid claims and the overall impact on the California employer.  We will also discuss what underwriters are looking for when pricing a policy and the programs that can help reduce the overall insurance spend for most employers.

Ergonomics & Millennials
Risk managers and Human Resources professionals have focused much of their attention on the needs of aging employees, while overlooking a potentially more challenging ergonomic conundrum — ergonomics for Millennials. In just a few years, Millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce, and they will enter the workforce having used technology all of their lives with developed patterns and habits around that use of technology. Discover practical ways to manage young workers’ comfort and deal with their potentially pre-existing injuries.

Lying for Money: A Doctor’s Perspective on Workers’ Comp Fraud
Whether it’s tax fraud, accounting fraud, Medicare fraud, auto insurance fraud, or workers’ comp fraud, it’s all the same thing: Seeking financial gain through deception. Anyone who touches a workers’ compensation claim, including claimants, employers, lawyers, insurance companies, and doctors, have an opportunity to profit from lying. Attendees will learn how to detect workers’ comp fraud from these various players, and what to do about it.

Ethics of Safety Leadership; Building and Strengthening Your Safety Culture
Designed to educate and offer a “big picture” understanding of safety; this program will focus on strategies for strengthening a healthy safety culture. Participants will explore ethical safety leadership concepts; what drives a healthy safety culture; and ultimately the moral, legal and financial obligations we all have as “safety coaches” in our respective organizations.

Inside this month's issue of the Employer Spotlight, we sit down with Joe Mazza, Director of Risk Management at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA.  Joe is well known in the San Diego Workers' Compensation arena and is someone we feel you should know.  

CLICK HERE to read our interview with Joe.

On Tuesday, March 21, an Executive Healthcare Strategy Forum is scheduled to take place at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa.  With policy changes on the horizon once again, the onus of providing healthcare benefits rests on employers' shoulders more firmly than ever.  The impact of benefits on talent retention and productivity is at its peak.  An array of innovative tactics in benefits design and delivery has evolved to address the growing need.  Click the link below for details on this must attend event.  

CLICK HERE for details.