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4 Trends in Workers Compensation

Topics: Construction Transportation Safety / Compliance Manufacturing

Creating a Culture of Employee Engagement

Successful organizations understand the importance of creating a culture of employee engagement. Effective employee engagement allows employees to feel fully involved, enthusiastic and more willing to contribute to company success. On the other hand, when employees are not engaged it can have negative repercussions on issues such as customer experience.

Topics: Construction Transportation Manufacturing HR / Employee Benefits

Top Employee Engagement Communication Tips

High levels of employee engagement can translate into high levels of business performance. With better employee engagement comes increased profitability, productivity, employee retention, safety and customer metrics for your business. Hence the reason why effective employee engagement communication is so crucial for all businesses.

Topics: Construction Transportation Manufacturing HR / Employee Benefits

Texting While Driving: It’s Illegal in Wisconsin

RENEE KUHS
Compliance Attorney, HNI

Topics: Transportation

Transportation Industry to See Fuel-tax Increase?

Two U.S. senators have proposed a 25-cent increase in gas and diesel taxes to fund transportation infrastructure and to pay down federal deficits. Senators George Voinovich, R-OH, and Tom Carper, D-DE, are urging the federal commission to recommend the increase in a report to President Obama due next month.

The senators said the reason for their proposal is two-fold. First, they claim the Highway Trust Fund’s revenue stream is insufficient for current outlays and secondly they maintain the existing level of transportation investment is inadequate to sustain current infrastructure and future transportation improvements.

The senators stated that 15 cents of the increase would go directly to the Highway Trust Fund, while 10 cents would be used to pay down federal deficits at first. After enough debt is paid off, the 10-cent portion would be put into the highways account. While the money raised by the tax proposal would remain in a trust account until Congress passes a multiyear highway bill.

Both senators have the general backing of leaders across the transportation community who would benefit from a cash infusion to highway infrastructure. However, the National Journal speculated that the proposal “is not likely to go anywhere in Congress,” as Rep. John Mica (R-FL), who will chair the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee next year, has recently “put the brakes on talk of a fuel tax increase.”

According to the National Journal, Mica plans to raise the billions needed to improve the highway system by streamlining transportation spending and leveraging public-private partnerships.

Topics: Transportation

Facing Employee Engagement Challenges

Poor employee engagement in the workplace can be a challenge for many organizations today. Businesses must engage with their staff to keep their workforce motivated and productive. It is essential organizations aim to build an engaged, high-performing and responsible workforce. Identifying and solving the challenges associated with employee engagement can help in achieving this aim.

Understanding trends, and knowing and tailoring corporate job offerings to a changing workforce puts an organization and its managers in control so that they can find and implement new ways to raise employee engagement levels. But knowing what engages employees and how to keep them engaged is crucial.

Topics: Construction Transportation Manufacturing HR / Employee Benefits

Tips on Getting the Best Truck Insurance Rates

Getting the best rate for your truck insurance can seem time-consuming and daunting. While the quality of your truck insurance policy is essential, getting the best rate available is also important. The insurance industry is becoming more competitive so this gives you a bit of leverage when choosing truck insurance. While shopping around for the best quotes can help you get the best rate going, these easy-to-follow tips will also help you get a better deal on your truck insurance premium.

1. Ensure Truck Safety

When searching for truck insurance keep safety in mind at all times. Ensure that the truck, its mechanics and tires are kept in good condiditon. A well maintained truck can translate into lower truck insurance premiums. Also find out what the Department of Transportation inspection entails so you can ensure that your truck will pass.

2. Have a Clean Driving Record

It is best to keep a clean driving record before embarking on finding the right truck insurance as your driving record will affect your truck insurance premiums. Insurance companies will consider how many years you have driven trucks and also what training you have chosen to undergo.

3. Check Credentials

Get your truck insurance from a leading insurance provider. Always check the credentials of whatever insurance company you choose to go with.

4. Do Not Compromise on Cover

Going with a lower truck insurance premium is not always the best option if your coverage is compromised in any way. Always consider the terms, conditions and the extent of your coverage before committing.

5. Consider Certain Factors

Truck insurance
rates can fluctuate based on a number of factors such as safety and theft rates. So before settling on an expensive truck insurance policy, learn the factors that affect truck insurance rates and compare insurance quotes.

Topics: Transportation

Can A Facebook Posting Get You Fired?

RENEE KUHS
Compliance Attorney, HNI

Topics: Construction Transportation Manufacturing HR / Employee Benefits

Price of Obesity Costs Companies Billions in Health Care

A new study has shown that obese workers are costing companies billions in medical expenses, health plan costs and lost productivity. This combined with health insurance costs, presenteeism and time away from work is estimated to be costing businesses in the region of $73.1 billion for full-time employees.

Topics: Construction Transportation Manufacturing HR / Employee Benefits

CSA 2010 Regulations Impacting Commercial Vehicle Drivers

CSA 2010 regulation changes will have a major impact on all commercial vehicle drivers. With CSA, the FMCSA is targeting specific behaviors of the driver or motor carriers in the hopes of improving the safety of the transportation industry.

CSA 2010 set forth 6 BASIC scores that are used to determine how safe the driver is considered to be.  BASIC scores will be used to compare drivers within the same company as well as with other companies in the same spectrum.

The 6 areas to measure driver performance are as follows [UPDATE: Since this blog was published, the FMCSA has announced these will change in summer of 2012. The SMS Preview offers a first look at the new and modified BASICs. Click here for information on how to preview the changes.]:

Topics: Transportation