The Comp Effect http://thecompeffect.com/ en 2021 The Comp Effect podcast brings you real-world stories, actionable tips, business-friendly advise, and information to help businesses. We'll show you how focusing on your workers' compensation line of business leads to a safer work environment, more productive staff, lower expenses, and crushes your competition. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/65e9c332-5433-11eb-a106-df8edfe3539a/image/uploads_2F1610661160817-fzi16r8kjza-837f394961e2a4410556d37e0c6ad85a_2FThe+Comp+Effect+Cover+Art.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress The Comp Effect http://thecompeffect.com/ no episodic Todd Thams The Comp Effect podcast brings you real-world stories, actionable tips, business-friendly advise, and information to help businesses. We'll show you how focusing on your workers' compensation line of business leads to a safer work environment, more productive staff, lower expenses, and crushes your competition. The Comp Effect podcast brings you real-world stories, actionable tips, business-friendly advise, and information to help businesses. We'll show you how focusing on your workers' compensation line of business leads to a safer work environment, more productive staff, lower expenses, and crushes your competition.

]]> Todd Thams support@agency-intelligence.com What is a Max Debit Mod https://thecompeffect.com/2021/08/05/what-is-a-max-debit-mod/ Have you ever heard of the max debit mod rule? In this short episode of Comp Talk, Todd breaks down what the rule is and how it actually helped an account he was working on. Thu, 05 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams Have you ever heard of the max debit mod rule? In this short episode of Comp Talk, Todd breaks down what the rule is and how it actually helped an account he was working on. Have you ever heard of the max debit mod rule? In this short episode of Comp Talk, Todd breaks down what the rule is and how it actually helped an account he was working on.

]]> 474 What is Consent to Rate https://thecompeffect.com/2021/07/29/what-is-consent-to-rate/ Have you heard the term - Consent to Rate? Do you know what it is? In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd talks about what it is to consent to rate and why you may or may not want to do it. Thu, 29 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams Have you heard the term - Consent to Rate? Do you know what it is? In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd talks about what it is to consent to rate and why you may or may not want to do it. Have you heard the term - Consent to Rate? Do you know what it is? In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd talks about what it is to consent to rate and why you may or may not want to do it.

]]> 404 Managing Work Comp Claims at Chick-fil-A https://thecompeffect.com/2021/07/12/managing-work-comp-claims-at-chick-fil-a/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Steve Figliuolo aka "Figs" who is the Senior Risk Manager and in charge of work comp claims at Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center. He shares his industry experience, his thoughts on managing claims, and how to pay what is owed and defend what isn't. Episode Highlights: Steve shares his background. (3:06) Steve mentions one of the first things that attracted him to Chick-fil-A. (7:35) Steve mentions his career in sales and marketing with an investigative company. (13:40) Steve shares his experience working in insurance fraud. (18:51) Steve mentions what’s most interesting about his job at Chick-fil-A. (28:06) Steve mentions how he views their nurse triage line. (33:40) Steve shares what the results have been in the last four years by changing their model from the bureaucratic system to nurse triage. (36:14) How has Steve been able to influence work comp claims? (40:12) Steve explains their onboarding process for new employees. (49:34) Key Quotes: “It's an interesting industry, because I don't know many people that really have ever directly said, I want to be involved in workers comp. And so, I think I'm one of the majority that sort of fell into this career path.” “Advocacy is probably the big buzzword in the industry right now...claim advocacy. But, we just view it as defending our reputation, and if we owe something, then we want to step up, and we want to pay for it. We want our team members to have a pleasant experience.” “I would encourage anyone out there...talk to your peers, talk to other people in the industry and see what works for them and see what doesn't work for them, and why. You never know what could be successful in your program.” Resources Mentioned: Steve Figliuolo LinkedIn Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Steve Figliuolo aka "Figs" who is the Senior Risk Manager and in charge of work comp claims at Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center. He shares his industry experience, his thoughts on managing claims, and how to pay what is owed and defend what isn't. Episode Highlights: Steve shares his background. (3:06) Steve mentions one of the first things that attracted him to Chick-fil-A. (7:35) Steve mentions his career in sales and marketing with an investigative company. (13:40) Steve shares his experience working in insurance fraud. (18:51) Steve mentions what’s most interesting about his job at Chick-fil-A. (28:06) Steve mentions how he views their nurse triage line. (33:40) Steve shares what the results have been in the last four years by changing their model from the bureaucratic system to nurse triage. (36:14) How has Steve been able to influence work comp claims? (40:12) Steve explains their onboarding process for new employees. (49:34) Key Quotes: “It's an interesting industry, because I don't know many people that really have ever directly said, I want to be involved in workers comp. And so, I think I'm one of the majority that sort of fell into this career path.” “Advocacy is probably the big buzzword in the industry right now...claim advocacy. But, we just view it as defending our reputation, and if we owe something, then we want to step up, and we want to pay for it. We want our team members to have a pleasant experience.” “I would encourage anyone out there...talk to your peers, talk to other people in the industry and see what works for them and see what doesn't work for them, and why. You never know what could be successful in your program.” Resources Mentioned: Steve Figliuolo LinkedIn Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Steve Figliuolo aka "Figs" who is the Senior Risk Manager and in charge of work comp claims at Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center. He shares his industry experience, his thoughts on managing claims, and how to pay what is owed and defend what isn't.


Episode Highlights:

  • Steve shares his background. (3:06)
  • Steve mentions one of the first things that attracted him to Chick-fil-A. (7:35)
  • Steve mentions his career in sales and marketing with an investigative company. (13:40)
  • Steve shares his experience working in insurance fraud. (18:51)
  • Steve mentions what’s most interesting about his job at Chick-fil-A. (28:06)
  • Steve mentions how he views their nurse triage line. (33:40)
  • Steve shares what the results have been in the last four years by changing their model from the bureaucratic system to nurse triage. (36:14)
  • How has Steve been able to influence work comp claims? (40:12)
  • Steve explains their onboarding process for new employees. (49:34)


Key Quotes:

  • “It's an interesting industry, because I don't know many people that really have ever directly said, I want to be involved in workers comp. And so, I think I'm one of the majority that sort of fell into this career path.”
  • “Advocacy is probably the big buzzword in the industry right now...claim advocacy. But, we just view it as defending our reputation, and if we owe something, then we want to step up, and we want to pay for it. We want our team members to have a pleasant experience.”
  • “I would encourage anyone out there...talk to your peers, talk to other people in the industry and see what works for them and see what doesn't work for them, and why. You never know what could be successful in your program.”


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3339 Should You Have a Work Comp Deductible? https://thecompeffect.com/2021/07/08/should-you-have-a-work-comp-deductible/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about worker's compensation deductibles, what they are, and whether you should have one or not. Thu, 08 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about worker's compensation deductibles, what they are, and whether you should have one or not. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about worker's compensation deductibles, what they are, and whether you should have one or not.

]]> 442 Case Law on Mandatory Vaccinations https://thecompeffect.com/2021/07/01/case-law-on-mandatory-vaccinations/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares a case from Texas where a judge upheld a business's right to require Covid-19 vaccinations. Employees who chose to not get vaccinated can be rightfully terminated. Thu, 01 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares a case from Texas where a judge upheld a business's right to require Covid-19 vaccinations. Employees who chose to not get vaccinated can be rightfully terminated. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares a case from Texas where a judge upheld a business's right to require Covid-19 vaccinations. Employees who chose to not get vaccinated can be rightfully terminated.

]]> 476 The Bermuda Triangle of Insurance Explained https://thecompeffect.com/2021/06/29/the-bermuda-triangle-of-insurance-explained/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Don Phin, Certified eSpeaker, Strategist, and Coach. Don stops by to explain how work comp, FMLA, and ADA interact. He also explains how focusing on work comp claims actually increases revenue. Episode Highlights: Don shares his professional background. (1:49) Don explains what most business owners and brokers don’t really know. (5:31) Don chats about margin replacement revenue ratio. (12:45) Don gives examples of customer experience and customer value. (18:44) Don explains why one of the biggest mistakes that people make is not starting the clock on the FMLA. (21:23) Don talks more in depth about ADA. (27:42) Don mentions the website, Job Accommodation Network. (30:45) Don shares one of the mistakes that people don’t often talk about. (41:04) Don mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, BE 2.0 by Jim Collins. (48:39) Don mentions that he’s been spending more money on liquor. (49:55) Key Quotes: “What I learned dealing with those CEOs is they get the logical aspect of cost, but, they're not emotionally engaged by cost. They’re emotionally engaged by revenue. I do not want to work for a CEO who is more emotionally engaged about costs, than they are about revenue… That's the wrong CEO to work for.” - Don Phin “So many people come in and really try to magnify the pain of that modifier, and I get all that. But, after a while, people are tired of that drumbeat. Everybody tries to put them into pain.” - Don Phin “The first thing you want to make sure is that we have a good process in place for people to ask for leave… any kind of leave. So, the handbooks will have FMLA, ADA, workers comp, pregnancy, whatever else it is. But, there should be an umbrella policy that says no matter what the leave is, here's how you begin this process.” - Don Phin Resources Mentioned: Don Phin LinkedIn Don Phin Website Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 28 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Don Phin, Certified eSpeaker, Strategist, and Coach. Don stops by to explain how work comp, FMLA, and ADA interact. He also explains how focusing on work comp claims actually increases revenue. Episode Highlights: Don shares his professional background. (1:49) Don explains what most business owners and brokers don’t really know. (5:31) Don chats about margin replacement revenue ratio. (12:45) Don gives examples of customer experience and customer value. (18:44) Don explains why one of the biggest mistakes that people make is not starting the clock on the FMLA. (21:23) Don talks more in depth about ADA. (27:42) Don mentions the website, Job Accommodation Network. (30:45) Don shares one of the mistakes that people don’t often talk about. (41:04) Don mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, BE 2.0 by Jim Collins. (48:39) Don mentions that he’s been spending more money on liquor. (49:55) Key Quotes: “What I learned dealing with those CEOs is they get the logical aspect of cost, but, they're not emotionally engaged by cost. They’re emotionally engaged by revenue. I do not want to work for a CEO who is more emotionally engaged about costs, than they are about revenue… That's the wrong CEO to work for.” - Don Phin “So many people come in and really try to magnify the pain of that modifier, and I get all that. But, after a while, people are tired of that drumbeat. Everybody tries to put them into pain.” - Don Phin “The first thing you want to make sure is that we have a good process in place for people to ask for leave… any kind of leave. So, the handbooks will have FMLA, ADA, workers comp, pregnancy, whatever else it is. But, there should be an umbrella policy that says no matter what the leave is, here's how you begin this process.” - Don Phin Resources Mentioned: Don Phin LinkedIn Don Phin Website Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Don Phin, Certified eSpeaker, Strategist, and Coach. Don stops by to explain how work comp, FMLA, and ADA interact. He also explains how focusing on work comp claims actually increases revenue.


Episode Highlights:

  • Don shares his professional background. (1:49)
  • Don explains what most business owners and brokers don’t really know. (5:31)
  • Don chats about margin replacement revenue ratio. (12:45)
  • Don gives examples of customer experience and customer value. (18:44)
  • Don explains why one of the biggest mistakes that people make is not starting the clock on the FMLA. (21:23)
  • Don talks more in depth about ADA. (27:42)
  • Don mentions the website, Job Accommodation Network. (30:45)
  • Don shares one of the mistakes that people don’t often talk about. (41:04)
  • Don mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, BE 2.0 by Jim Collins. (48:39)
  • Don mentions that he’s been spending more money on liquor. (49:55)


Key Quotes:

  • “What I learned dealing with those CEOs is they get the logical aspect of cost, but, they're not emotionally engaged by cost. They’re emotionally engaged by revenue. I do not want to work for a CEO who is more emotionally engaged about costs, than they are about revenue… That's the wrong CEO to work for.” - Don Phin
  • “So many people come in and really try to magnify the pain of that modifier, and I get all that. But, after a while, people are tired of that drumbeat. Everybody tries to put them into pain.” - Don Phin
  • “The first thing you want to make sure is that we have a good process in place for people to ask for leave… any kind of leave. So, the handbooks will have FMLA, ADA, workers comp, pregnancy, whatever else it is. But, there should be an umbrella policy that says no matter what the leave is, here's how you begin this process.” - Don Phin


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3238 Late Reporting Increases Costs https://thecompeffect.com/2021/06/24/late-reporting-increases-costs/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about the increased costs associated with late reporting and references an NCCI Research Brief. Claims reporting in weeks 2 and 3 have increased costs by 20-70%! Thu, 24 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about the increased costs associated with late reporting and references an NCCI Research Brief. Claims reporting in weeks 2 and 3 have increased costs by 20-70%! In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about the increased costs associated with late reporting and references an NCCI Research Brief. Claims reporting in weeks 2 and 3 have increased costs by 20-70%!

]]> 627 Employment Law Advice - Post COVID-19 https://thecompeffect.com/2021/06/21/employment-law-advice---post-covid-19/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Melissa Schilling, shareholder at Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen, P.C. Melissa stops by to educate us on what businesses can legally do when bringing employees back to the office. Can you require vaccines? Can you require facemasks? Can you terminate an employee who doesn't get vaccinated? She answers all these questions and more! Episode Highlights: Melissa shares her background. (1:50) What’s Melissa’s favorite area of practice? (3:36) Melissa explains what happens if an employee doesn’t want to get vaccinated. (5:40) Melissa mentions what the Americans with Disabilities Act is all about. (11:53) What approach should employers take when it comes to anxiety? (16:18) Melissa explains why the CDC guidelines can be difficult to enforce. (38:32) Melissa mentions that she likes to read the news. (40:55) Melissa mentions that she’s been spending more money on baby gear. (41:15) Key Quotes: “For the most part, I focus on representing employers, making sure they do the right thing, and if they mess up, or alleged to mess up, then I help defend them in any sort of lawsuit.” - Melissa Schilling “Employers can do little things to incentivize their employees to get vaccinated and come up with a creative idea. Call your attorney, as to what you may be able to do in order to incentivize employees.” - Melissa Schilling “When it comes to business operations and protecting employees, the most conservative approach has always been to follow CDC guidelines.” - Melissa Schilling Resources Mentioned: Melissa Schilling LinkedIn Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen, P.C. Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 21 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Melissa Schilling, shareholder at Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen, P.C. Melissa stops by to educate us on what businesses can legally do when bringing employees back to the office. Can you require vaccines? Can you require facemasks? Can you terminate an employee who doesn't get vaccinated? She answers all these questions and more! Episode Highlights: Melissa shares her background. (1:50) What’s Melissa’s favorite area of practice? (3:36) Melissa explains what happens if an employee doesn’t want to get vaccinated. (5:40) Melissa mentions what the Americans with Disabilities Act is all about. (11:53) What approach should employers take when it comes to anxiety? (16:18) Melissa explains why the CDC guidelines can be difficult to enforce. (38:32) Melissa mentions that she likes to read the news. (40:55) Melissa mentions that she’s been spending more money on baby gear. (41:15) Key Quotes: “For the most part, I focus on representing employers, making sure they do the right thing, and if they mess up, or alleged to mess up, then I help defend them in any sort of lawsuit.” - Melissa Schilling “Employers can do little things to incentivize their employees to get vaccinated and come up with a creative idea. Call your attorney, as to what you may be able to do in order to incentivize employees.” - Melissa Schilling “When it comes to business operations and protecting employees, the most conservative approach has always been to follow CDC guidelines.” - Melissa Schilling Resources Mentioned: Melissa Schilling LinkedIn Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen, P.C. Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Melissa Schilling, shareholder at Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen, P.C. Melissa stops by to educate us on what businesses can legally do when bringing employees back to the office. Can you require vaccines? Can you require facemasks? Can you terminate an employee who doesn't get vaccinated? She answers all these questions and more!


Episode Highlights:

  • Melissa shares her background. (1:50)
  • What’s Melissa’s favorite area of practice? (3:36)
  • Melissa explains what happens if an employee doesn’t want to get vaccinated. (5:40)
  • Melissa mentions what the Americans with Disabilities Act is all about. (11:53)
  • What approach should employers take when it comes to anxiety? (16:18)
  • Melissa explains why the CDC guidelines can be difficult to enforce. (38:32)
  • Melissa mentions that she likes to read the news. (40:55)
  • Melissa mentions that she’s been spending more money on baby gear. (41:15)


Key Quotes:

  • “For the most part, I focus on representing employers, making sure they do the right thing, and if they mess up, or alleged to mess up, then I help defend them in any sort of lawsuit.” - Melissa Schilling
  • “Employers can do little things to incentivize their employees to get vaccinated and come up with a creative idea. Call your attorney, as to what you may be able to do in order to incentivize employees.” - Melissa Schilling
  • “When it comes to business operations and protecting employees, the most conservative approach has always been to follow CDC guidelines.” - Melissa Schilling


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2572 Provider Fraud Is a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry http://thecompeffect.com/2021/06/14/provider-fraud-is-a-multi-billion-dollar-industry/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Sam King, Vice President at EMPLOYERS. Sam is no stranger to working in comp fraud. His entire career has been focused on identifying and preventing all types of work comp fraud. Learn what the MILK acronym means, how fraud occurs, and what to look for. Episode Highlights: Sam shares his background. (1:59) Sam explains why California is not a very conservative state when it comes to workers comp benefits. (10:41) Sam shares one of the schemes they’ve dealt with for years. (19:18) Sam mentions the three types of fraud in workers comp. (22:36) Sam explains what the MILK term is all about. (31:02) How does Sam’s company work to help reduce provider fraud? (39:57) Sam shares one of the biggest fraud cases he’s uncovered. (52:31) Sam mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, Steel My Soldiers' Hearts by Col. David H. Hackworth. (1:02:04) Sam mentions that he’s been spending more money on food. (1:03:24) Sam gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:04:06) Key Quotes: “I think one of the things you can do as an employer is making sure you have good people that are good managers, and they're treating people right. And so, you don't have those retaliation issues.” - Sam King “So, if you got MILK, if you can prove all four elements of MILK, you can prove fraud. And, I'm talking about criminal fraud for insurance.” - Sam King “If you’re a supervisor or manager, think about that. Be a good manager and treat your employees well. Do the right thing. Don't be the jerk that people talk about.” - Sam King Resources Mentioned: Sam King LinkedIn EMPLOYERS Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 14 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Sam King, Vice President at EMPLOYERS. Sam is no stranger to working in comp fraud. His entire career has been focused on identifying and preventing all types of work comp fraud. Learn what the MILK acronym means, how fraud occurs, and what to look for. Episode Highlights: Sam shares his background. (1:59) Sam explains why California is not a very conservative state when it comes to workers comp benefits. (10:41) Sam shares one of the schemes they’ve dealt with for years. (19:18) Sam mentions the three types of fraud in workers comp. (22:36) Sam explains what the MILK term is all about. (31:02) How does Sam’s company work to help reduce provider fraud? (39:57) Sam shares one of the biggest fraud cases he’s uncovered. (52:31) Sam mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, Steel My Soldiers' Hearts by Col. David H. Hackworth. (1:02:04) Sam mentions that he’s been spending more money on food. (1:03:24) Sam gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:04:06) Key Quotes: “I think one of the things you can do as an employer is making sure you have good people that are good managers, and they're treating people right. And so, you don't have those retaliation issues.” - Sam King “So, if you got MILK, if you can prove all four elements of MILK, you can prove fraud. And, I'm talking about criminal fraud for insurance.” - Sam King “If you’re a supervisor or manager, think about that. Be a good manager and treat your employees well. Do the right thing. Don't be the jerk that people talk about.” - Sam King Resources Mentioned: Sam King LinkedIn EMPLOYERS Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Sam King, Vice President at EMPLOYERS. Sam is no stranger to working in comp fraud. His entire career has been focused on identifying and preventing all types of work comp fraud. Learn what the MILK acronym means, how fraud occurs, and what to look for.


Episode Highlights:

  • Sam shares his background. (1:59)
  • Sam explains why California is not a very conservative state when it comes to workers comp benefits. (10:41)
  • Sam shares one of the schemes they’ve dealt with for years. (19:18)
  • Sam mentions the three types of fraud in workers comp. (22:36)
  • Sam explains what the MILK term is all about. (31:02)
  • How does Sam’s company work to help reduce provider fraud? (39:57)
  • Sam shares one of the biggest fraud cases he’s uncovered. (52:31)
  • Sam mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, Steel My Soldiers' Hearts by Col. David H. Hackworth. (1:02:04)
  • Sam mentions that he’s been spending more money on food. (1:03:24)
  • Sam gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:04:06)


Key Quotes:

  • “I think one of the things you can do as an employer is making sure you have good people that are good managers, and they're treating people right. And so, you don't have those retaliation issues.” - Sam King
  • “So, if you got MILK, if you can prove all four elements of MILK, you can prove fraud. And, I'm talking about criminal fraud for insurance.” - Sam King
  • “If you’re a supervisor or manager, think about that. Be a good manager and treat your employees well. Do the right thing. Don't be the jerk that people talk about.” - Sam King


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3920 Post COVID Audits https://thecompeffect.com/2021/06/10/post-covid-audits/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about workers' compensation audits post COVID, and what businesses should be doing so they don't overpay or miss out on coverage. Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about workers' compensation audits post COVID, and what businesses should be doing so they don't overpay or miss out on coverage. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about workers' compensation audits post COVID, and what businesses should be doing so they don't overpay or miss out on coverage.

]]> 614 Mental Health Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic https://thecompeffect.com/2021/06/07/mental-health-lessons-learned-from-the-covid-19-pandemic/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW, CEO of RER Consulting, LLC. Ruban founded a COVID-19 mental health program for the 2.8 million residents of Miami Dade County, with a focus on helping marginalized communities. His experience is helpful in recognizing the effects of the pandemic on various populations and how businesses should approach these groups as they prepare their workforce reintegration plan. Episode Highlights: Ruban shares his background. (2:35) Ruban shares where his idea came from to create a program for Miami Dade County when the pandemic hit. (4:29) Ruban outlines the objectives of their program. (9:47) Ruban shares how their educational modules have been helpful during the pandemic. (13:13) Ruban mentions the website called COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellness Program. (14:29) Ruban shares how their program has made an impact. (18:45) Ruban shares how the pandemic affected the white, Hispanic, and black populations differently. (33:15) Ruban mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi. (49:35) Ruban mentions that he’s spending more money on his house. (50:13) Ruban gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (51:05) Key Quotes: “The element of mental health was not front and center, during the time. I think it's becoming more and more apparent that that's something we need to be considering. And, I see more of an initiative to address mental health right now.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW “We wanted to make sure that everyone had access. The key for us was about having access, and we wanted to make sure that everyone had access to those services.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW “I feel that the key to me is to work on engaging people, normalizing the sense of mental health... issues like stressors and depression are not uncommon among folks during difficult times, like a pandemic. And, then really making sure that we get people services that they need.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW Resources Mentioned: Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW LinkedIn RER Consulting, LLC Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW, CEO of RER Consulting, LLC. Ruban founded a COVID-19 mental health program for the 2.8 million residents of Miami Dade County, with a focus on helping marginalized communities. His experience is helpful in recognizing the effects of the pandemic on various populations and how businesses should approach these groups as they prepare their workforce reintegration plan. Episode Highlights: Ruban shares his background. (2:35) Ruban shares where his idea came from to create a program for Miami Dade County when the pandemic hit. (4:29) Ruban outlines the objectives of their program. (9:47) Ruban shares how their educational modules have been helpful during the pandemic. (13:13) Ruban mentions the website called COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellness Program. (14:29) Ruban shares how their program has made an impact. (18:45) Ruban shares how the pandemic affected the white, Hispanic, and black populations differently. (33:15) Ruban mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi. (49:35) Ruban mentions that he’s spending more money on his house. (50:13) Ruban gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (51:05) Key Quotes: “The element of mental health was not front and center, during the time. I think it's becoming more and more apparent that that's something we need to be considering. And, I see more of an initiative to address mental health right now.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW “We wanted to make sure that everyone had access. The key for us was about having access, and we wanted to make sure that everyone had access to those services.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW “I feel that the key to me is to work on engaging people, normalizing the sense of mental health... issues like stressors and depression are not uncommon among folks during difficult times, like a pandemic. And, then really making sure that we get people services that they need.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW Resources Mentioned: Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW LinkedIn RER Consulting, LLC Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW, CEO of RER Consulting, LLC. Ruban founded a COVID-19 mental health program for the 2.8 million residents of Miami Dade County, with a focus on helping marginalized communities. His experience is helpful in recognizing the effects of the pandemic on various populations and how businesses should approach these groups as they prepare their workforce reintegration plan.


Episode Highlights:

  • Ruban shares his background. (2:35)
  • Ruban shares where his idea came from to create a program for Miami Dade County when the pandemic hit. (4:29)
  • Ruban outlines the objectives of their program. (9:47)
  • Ruban shares how their educational modules have been helpful during the pandemic. (13:13)
  • Ruban mentions the website called COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellness Program. (14:29)
  • Ruban shares how their program has made an impact. (18:45)
  • Ruban shares how the pandemic affected the white, Hispanic, and black populations differently. (33:15)
  • Ruban mentions he’s currently reading the book entitled, How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi. (49:35)
  • Ruban mentions that he’s spending more money on his house. (50:13)
  • Ruban gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (51:05)


Key Quotes:

  • “The element of mental health was not front and center, during the time. I think it's becoming more and more apparent that that's something we need to be considering. And, I see more of an initiative to address mental health right now.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW
  • “We wanted to make sure that everyone had access. The key for us was about having access, and we wanted to make sure that everyone had access to those services.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW
  • “I feel that the key to me is to work on engaging people, normalizing the sense of mental health... issues like stressors and depression are not uncommon among folks during difficult times, like a pandemic. And, then really making sure that we get people services that they need.” - Ruban Roberts, MBA, MSW


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3192 Why You Need Job Descriptions for the Auditor https://thecompeffect.com/2021/05/27/why-you-need-job-descriptions-for-the-auditor/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares why job descriptions are important. Using the Scopes Manual from NCCI can help your client eliminate classification problems and prevent audit charges. Thu, 27 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares why job descriptions are important. Using the Scopes Manual from NCCI can help your client eliminate classification problems and prevent audit charges. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares why job descriptions are important. Using the Scopes Manual from NCCI can help your client eliminate classification problems and prevent audit charges.

]]> 460 Using Education and Processes to Win https://thecompeffect.com/2021/05/24/using-education-and-processes-to-win/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Kevin Ring, CWCA, MWCA, lead analyst with the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin shares his experience with education and processes that agents can use to help their clients. This episode talks about all things workers' compensation, from sales, to claim management, to employee termination/resignation. Episode Highlights: Kevin shares the history of workers’ compensation. (5:08) As an agent, what’s one of the greatest things you can do? (17:00) Kevin explains the only reason why anyone buys insurance. (21:42) Kevin shares why they always talk about the experience mod and managing the valuation date. (25:54) Kevin mentions how they train their agents. (28:08) Kevin shares one of the huge issues they have in the industry with agents. (36:43) Kevin mentions that he’s reading Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy, by Jane Leavy. (1:02:35) Kevin mentions that he’s about to spend a lot of money on college. (1:03:13) Kevin gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:03:58)   Key Quotes: “You could start with the clients you feel like trust you the most. Clients that trust you are a great place to try new things...Because, if you drop the ball, then you're probably not going to ruin the relationship the first time you drop the ball.” - Kevin Ring “If you don't know that you are in control of your workers’ compensation costs, then you're almost certainly not. And, we would encourage you to work with someone who can help you feel in control.” - Kevin Ring “For insurance agents, you'll find a way, whether it's in workers compensation or something else... find a way where you can put your clients in control of their insurance programs. Because, control is something that we feel very innately, and people don't like to feel out of control.” - Kevin Ring Resources Mentioned: Kevin Ring, CWCA, MWCA LinkedIn Institute of WorkComp Professionals Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 24 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Kevin Ring, CWCA, MWCA, lead analyst with the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin shares his experience with education and processes that agents can use to help their clients. This episode talks about all things workers' compensation, from sales, to claim management, to employee termination/resignation. Episode Highlights: Kevin shares the history of workers’ compensation. (5:08) As an agent, what’s one of the greatest things you can do? (17:00) Kevin explains the only reason why anyone buys insurance. (21:42) Kevin shares why they always talk about the experience mod and managing the valuation date. (25:54) Kevin mentions how they train their agents. (28:08) Kevin shares one of the huge issues they have in the industry with agents. (36:43) Kevin mentions that he’s reading Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy, by Jane Leavy. (1:02:35) Kevin mentions that he’s about to spend a lot of money on college. (1:03:13) Kevin gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:03:58)   Key Quotes: “You could start with the clients you feel like trust you the most. Clients that trust you are a great place to try new things...Because, if you drop the ball, then you're probably not going to ruin the relationship the first time you drop the ball.” - Kevin Ring “If you don't know that you are in control of your workers’ compensation costs, then you're almost certainly not. And, we would encourage you to work with someone who can help you feel in control.” - Kevin Ring “For insurance agents, you'll find a way, whether it's in workers compensation or something else... find a way where you can put your clients in control of their insurance programs. Because, control is something that we feel very innately, and people don't like to feel out of control.” - Kevin Ring Resources Mentioned: Kevin Ring, CWCA, MWCA LinkedIn Institute of WorkComp Professionals Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Kevin Ring, CWCA, MWCA, lead analyst with the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin shares his experience with education and processes that agents can use to help their clients. This episode talks about all things workers' compensation, from sales, to claim management, to employee termination/resignation.


Episode Highlights:

  • Kevin shares the history of workers’ compensation. (5:08)
  • As an agent, what’s one of the greatest things you can do? (17:00)
  • Kevin explains the only reason why anyone buys insurance. (21:42)
  • Kevin shares why they always talk about the experience mod and managing the valuation date. (25:54)
  • Kevin mentions how they train their agents. (28:08)
  • Kevin shares one of the huge issues they have in the industry with agents. (36:43)
  • Kevin mentions that he’s reading Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy, by Jane Leavy. (1:02:35)
  • Kevin mentions that he’s about to spend a lot of money on college. (1:03:13)
  • Kevin gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:03:58)

 

Key Quotes:

  • “You could start with the clients you feel like trust you the most. Clients that trust you are a great place to try new things...Because, if you drop the ball, then you're probably not going to ruin the relationship the first time you drop the ball.” - Kevin Ring
  • “If you don't know that you are in control of your workers’ compensation costs, then you're almost certainly not. And, we would encourage you to work with someone who can help you feel in control.” - Kevin Ring
  • “For insurance agents, you'll find a way, whether it's in workers compensation or something else... find a way where you can put your clients in control of their insurance programs. Because, control is something that we feel very innately, and people don't like to feel out of control.” - Kevin Ring


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3947 Audit the Audit https://thecompeffect.com/2021/05/20/audit-the-audit/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about why you should audit your worker's compensation audit and the number of mistakes that he commonly sees. In this example, his client was being overcharged 10%. Thu, 20 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about why you should audit your worker's compensation audit and the number of mistakes that he commonly sees. In this example, his client was being overcharged 10%. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about why you should audit your worker's compensation audit and the number of mistakes that he commonly sees. In this example, his client was being overcharged 10%.

]]> 705 Listen to Me and Treat Me like a Human https://thecompeffect.com/2021/05/17/listen-to-me-and-treat-me-like-a-human/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS, Owner of XcelABLE. Lisa talks about her company and passion for helping injured workers with pain management. As someone who has struggled with managing her physical pain, she knows what claimants go through and has ideas to help. Listen to how her company helps with health and wellness. Episode Highlights: Lisa mentions what they do inside the company. (3:39) Lisa shares her background. (5:30) Lisa shares other people’s thoughts about chronic pain management. (9:25) How does Lisa address the issues when tests do not show pain, but the injured worker says he’s in pain? (22:31) Why doesn’t Lisa recommend the regular use of drugs to manage chronic pain? (28:14) Lisa explains why she brought yoga into the company. (40:34) Lisa shares how their app works. (48:03) Lisa mentions that she’s currently reading the book entitled Option B, by Sheryl Sandberg. (1:00:37) Lisa mentions that she’s spending more money on her children. (1:03:01) Lisa gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:05:48) Key Quotes: “I find from the workers’ comp perspective, it's a lot of education and having other professionals know of the different companies that are out there and our own personal experiences, and why we work with companies, and the things that we can collectively do together.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS “Our program is designed to number one, yes, work with employers and help with injury prevention and injury reduction. But, really working with employees and providing more of this comprehensive service to help you with your mindset... your ability to take care of your body. Anywhere from stretching to nutrition to strengthening.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS “If you have high injury rates, then it is so important to get us in there, so we can look at your premiums, look at how we can really work collectively together to bring down your insurance premiums and then implement a wellness culture.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS Resources Mentioned: Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS LinkedIn XcelABLE Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 17 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS, Owner of XcelABLE. Lisa talks about her company and passion for helping injured workers with pain management. As someone who has struggled with managing her physical pain, she knows what claimants go through and has ideas to help. Listen to how her company helps with health and wellness. Episode Highlights: Lisa mentions what they do inside the company. (3:39) Lisa shares her background. (5:30) Lisa shares other people’s thoughts about chronic pain management. (9:25) How does Lisa address the issues when tests do not show pain, but the injured worker says he’s in pain? (22:31) Why doesn’t Lisa recommend the regular use of drugs to manage chronic pain? (28:14) Lisa explains why she brought yoga into the company. (40:34) Lisa shares how their app works. (48:03) Lisa mentions that she’s currently reading the book entitled Option B, by Sheryl Sandberg. (1:00:37) Lisa mentions that she’s spending more money on her children. (1:03:01) Lisa gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:05:48) Key Quotes: “I find from the workers’ comp perspective, it's a lot of education and having other professionals know of the different companies that are out there and our own personal experiences, and why we work with companies, and the things that we can collectively do together.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS “Our program is designed to number one, yes, work with employers and help with injury prevention and injury reduction. But, really working with employees and providing more of this comprehensive service to help you with your mindset... your ability to take care of your body. Anywhere from stretching to nutrition to strengthening.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS “If you have high injury rates, then it is so important to get us in there, so we can look at your premiums, look at how we can really work collectively together to bring down your insurance premiums and then implement a wellness culture.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS Resources Mentioned: Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS LinkedIn XcelABLE Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS, Owner of XcelABLE. Lisa talks about her company and passion for helping injured workers with pain management. As someone who has struggled with managing her physical pain, she knows what claimants go through and has ideas to help. Listen to how her company helps with health and wellness.


Episode Highlights:

  • Lisa mentions what they do inside the company. (3:39)
  • Lisa shares her background. (5:30)
  • Lisa shares other people’s thoughts about chronic pain management. (9:25)
  • How does Lisa address the issues when tests do not show pain, but the injured worker says he’s in pain? (22:31)
  • Why doesn’t Lisa recommend the regular use of drugs to manage chronic pain? (28:14)
  • Lisa explains why she brought yoga into the company. (40:34)
  • Lisa shares how their app works. (48:03)
  • Lisa mentions that she’s currently reading the book entitled Option B, by Sheryl Sandberg. (1:00:37)
  • Lisa mentions that she’s spending more money on her children. (1:03:01)
  • Lisa gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:05:48)


Key Quotes:

  • “I find from the workers’ comp perspective, it's a lot of education and having other professionals know of the different companies that are out there and our own personal experiences, and why we work with companies, and the things that we can collectively do together.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS
  • “Our program is designed to number one, yes, work with employers and help with injury prevention and injury reduction. But, really working with employees and providing more of this comprehensive service to help you with your mindset... your ability to take care of your body. Anywhere from stretching to nutrition to strengthening.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS
  • “If you have high injury rates, then it is so important to get us in there, so we can look at your premiums, look at how we can really work collectively together to bring down your insurance premiums and then implement a wellness culture.” - Lisa Fitzpatrick, DrOT, CHT, CAE, CEAS


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 4044 Let’s Talk Monopolistic States http://thecompeffect.com/2021/05/13/lets-talk-monopolistic-states/ Here's a short episode on monopolistic states, what they are and why you need to be aware. Thu, 13 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams Here's a short episode on monopolistic states, what they are and why you need to be aware. Here's a short episode on monopolistic states, what they are and why you need to be aware.

]]> 231 Why Mod Reviews Are Important https://thecompeffect.com/2021/05/10/why-mod-reviews-are-important/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Andrew Clark, co-owner of CCG Premium Recovery Group. Andrew talks about what his company does and common errors they see. Just last year they returned $4.3 million dollars back to clients and their data suggests almost 70% of all mods are wrong. Episode Highlights: Andrew shares when he joined the family business. (3:56) Andrew explains why workers’ compensation is a convoluted system. (5:54) Andrew mentions the biggest kickback that he gets from clients and brokers. (10:18) Andrew shares why claim reserves are incorrect with mods. (17:46) What advice would Andrew give to businesses to make sure that claims, audits, and payroll are being reported correctly? (23:31) What does CCG stand for? (31:31) Andrew mentions that he’s currently reading Sports Illustrated magazines. (39:33) Andrew mentions that he’s spending more money on his boating hobby.. (40:11) Andrew shares a piece of advice for the listeners. (41:01) Key Quotes: “It's important to understand that there are three components to our review. And, it's all done on contingency. What I mean by contingency is, nobody's writing me a check...Not paying me a dime, a nickel, a penny, anything... unless I'm successful.” - Andrew Clark “Whatever you want us to do, we’re there to help. It's all done in my office. simple process. Money goes back to the client, you get the refund, your pay is half of what comes back. No refund in hand, no fee, but peace of mind to know everything is good.” - Andrew Clark “We are a business that has built strong relationships with rating bureaus and carriers, and carriers want to be solvent. They don't hate us, they want to be solvent. They want things off their books. If there are errors, they want them corrected. And, they want those premiums regenerated, readjusted, and have things corrected for the client.” - Andrew Clark Resources Mentioned: Andrew Clark LinkedIn Andrew Clark Email CCG Premium Recovery Group CCG Premium Recovery Group Workers’ Compensation Specialists Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 10 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Andrew Clark, co-owner of CCG Premium Recovery Group. Andrew talks about what his company does and common errors they see. Just last year they returned $4.3 million dollars back to clients and their data suggests almost 70% of all mods are wrong. Episode Highlights: Andrew shares when he joined the family business. (3:56) Andrew explains why workers’ compensation is a convoluted system. (5:54) Andrew mentions the biggest kickback that he gets from clients and brokers. (10:18) Andrew shares why claim reserves are incorrect with mods. (17:46) What advice would Andrew give to businesses to make sure that claims, audits, and payroll are being reported correctly? (23:31) What does CCG stand for? (31:31) Andrew mentions that he’s currently reading Sports Illustrated magazines. (39:33) Andrew mentions that he’s spending more money on his boating hobby.. (40:11) Andrew shares a piece of advice for the listeners. (41:01) Key Quotes: “It's important to understand that there are three components to our review. And, it's all done on contingency. What I mean by contingency is, nobody's writing me a check...Not paying me a dime, a nickel, a penny, anything... unless I'm successful.” - Andrew Clark “Whatever you want us to do, we’re there to help. It's all done in my office. simple process. Money goes back to the client, you get the refund, your pay is half of what comes back. No refund in hand, no fee, but peace of mind to know everything is good.” - Andrew Clark “We are a business that has built strong relationships with rating bureaus and carriers, and carriers want to be solvent. They don't hate us, they want to be solvent. They want things off their books. If there are errors, they want them corrected. And, they want those premiums regenerated, readjusted, and have things corrected for the client.” - Andrew Clark Resources Mentioned: Andrew Clark LinkedIn Andrew Clark Email CCG Premium Recovery Group CCG Premium Recovery Group Workers’ Compensation Specialists Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Andrew Clark, co-owner of CCG Premium Recovery Group. Andrew talks about what his company does and common errors they see. Just last year they returned $4.3 million dollars back to clients and their data suggests almost 70% of all mods are wrong.


Episode Highlights:

  • Andrew shares when he joined the family business. (3:56)
  • Andrew explains why workers’ compensation is a convoluted system. (5:54)
  • Andrew mentions the biggest kickback that he gets from clients and brokers. (10:18)
  • Andrew shares why claim reserves are incorrect with mods. (17:46)
  • What advice would Andrew give to businesses to make sure that claims, audits, and payroll are being reported correctly? (23:31)
  • What does CCG stand for? (31:31)
  • Andrew mentions that he’s currently reading Sports Illustrated magazines. (39:33)
  • Andrew mentions that he’s spending more money on his boating hobby.. (40:11)
  • Andrew shares a piece of advice for the listeners. (41:01)


Key Quotes:

  • “It's important to understand that there are three components to our review. And, it's all done on contingency. What I mean by contingency is, nobody's writing me a check...Not paying me a dime, a nickel, a penny, anything... unless I'm successful.” - Andrew Clark
  • “Whatever you want us to do, we’re there to help. It's all done in my office. simple process. Money goes back to the client, you get the refund, your pay is half of what comes back. No refund in hand, no fee, but peace of mind to know everything is good.” - Andrew Clark
  • “We are a business that has built strong relationships with rating bureaus and carriers, and carriers want to be solvent. They don't hate us, they want to be solvent. They want things off their books. If there are errors, they want them corrected. And, they want those premiums regenerated, readjusted, and have things corrected for the client.” - Andrew Clark


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2533 Why You Should Review Part 3 of Your Work Comp Policy https://thecompeffect.com/2021/05/06/why-you-should-review-part-3-of-your-work-comp-policy/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams reviews part 3 of the Workers' Compensation policy and what you need to look for. Not reviewing this may cost your clients BIG. Thu, 06 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams reviews part 3 of the Workers' Compensation policy and what you need to look for. Not reviewing this may cost your clients BIG. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams reviews part 3 of the Workers' Compensation policy and what you need to look for. Not reviewing this may cost your clients BIG.

]]> 601 Tailoring Employee Engagement to Drive Company Growth http://thecompeffect.com/2021/05/03/tailoring-employee-engagement-to-drive-company-growth/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews John Spanczak, Director of Employee Engagement Services at Leverage. John has helped put Clickstop Inc. on the map as a top workplace in Iowa. John shares his unique perspective and strategies to help businesses create an amazing workplace culture. Episode Highlights: John shares how he made Clickstop a top workplace in Iowa and one of the fastest-growing companies. (3:31) John shares the number of employees they’ve had at Clickstop from 2018 to 2021. (8:24) John mentions the culture they have at Leverage. (13:56) John shares why their recruitment strategy plays a huge role at Clickstop. (16:50) How does John’s fact-finding process work? (18:23) John explains what a culture calibration program is. (22:07) How does John communicate amongst all the channels and bring everybody back to the center for their unified purpose? (29:42) John shares how to cultivate change in an organization. (41:43) Key Quotes: “We talk about how people come to Clickstop not just to become great employees, but to just become better human beings. We're not just growing for the sake of profitability. We're growing to build stronger families, better communities, better businesses around us.” - John Spanczak “It's pretty simple: Leverage exists to help you achieve those goals. And, whether your goals are to grow your workforce, to grow by location, by revenue, by just quality, and efficiency... Whatever your goals are, my job is to figure out the strategies to help make that happen.” - John Spanczak “It's okay to feel bad about something, It's okay to feel negative. What's not okay is to not do anything about it. have to be employee-owners, we have to be owning our experience, and if you're waiting for somebody to tell you what that is, most likely, it's going to turn out in a way that you're not pleased with. But, if we can pioneer that for ourselves, seek opportunities, and own what comes next, then it becomes really clear that you can be a part of the solution and not the problem.” - John Spanczak Resources Mentioned: John Spanczak LinkedIn Clickstop, Inc. Leverage Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 03 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews John Spanczak, Director of Employee Engagement Services at Leverage. John has helped put Clickstop Inc. on the map as a top workplace in Iowa. John shares his unique perspective and strategies to help businesses create an amazing workplace culture. Episode Highlights: John shares how he made Clickstop a top workplace in Iowa and one of the fastest-growing companies. (3:31) John shares the number of employees they’ve had at Clickstop from 2018 to 2021. (8:24) John mentions the culture they have at Leverage. (13:56) John shares why their recruitment strategy plays a huge role at Clickstop. (16:50) How does John’s fact-finding process work? (18:23) John explains what a culture calibration program is. (22:07) How does John communicate amongst all the channels and bring everybody back to the center for their unified purpose? (29:42) John shares how to cultivate change in an organization. (41:43) Key Quotes: “We talk about how people come to Clickstop not just to become great employees, but to just become better human beings. We're not just growing for the sake of profitability. We're growing to build stronger families, better communities, better businesses around us.” - John Spanczak “It's pretty simple: Leverage exists to help you achieve those goals. And, whether your goals are to grow your workforce, to grow by location, by revenue, by just quality, and efficiency... Whatever your goals are, my job is to figure out the strategies to help make that happen.” - John Spanczak “It's okay to feel bad about something, It's okay to feel negative. What's not okay is to not do anything about it. have to be employee-owners, we have to be owning our experience, and if you're waiting for somebody to tell you what that is, most likely, it's going to turn out in a way that you're not pleased with. But, if we can pioneer that for ourselves, seek opportunities, and own what comes next, then it becomes really clear that you can be a part of the solution and not the problem.” - John Spanczak Resources Mentioned: John Spanczak LinkedIn Clickstop, Inc. Leverage Reach out to Todd Thams Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews John Spanczak, Director of Employee Engagement Services at Leverage. John has helped put Clickstop Inc. on the map as a top workplace in Iowa. John shares his unique perspective and strategies to help businesses create an amazing workplace culture.


Episode Highlights:

  • John shares how he made Clickstop a top workplace in Iowa and one of the fastest-growing companies. (3:31)
  • John shares the number of employees they’ve had at Clickstop from 2018 to 2021. (8:24)
  • John mentions the culture they have at Leverage. (13:56)
  • John shares why their recruitment strategy plays a huge role at Clickstop. (16:50)
  • How does John’s fact-finding process work? (18:23)
  • John explains what a culture calibration program is. (22:07)
  • How does John communicate amongst all the channels and bring everybody back to the center for their unified purpose? (29:42)
  • John shares how to cultivate change in an organization. (41:43)


Key Quotes:

  • “We talk about how people come to Clickstop not just to become great employees, but to just become better human beings. We're not just growing for the sake of profitability. We're growing to build stronger families, better communities, better businesses around us.” - John Spanczak
  • “It's pretty simple: Leverage exists to help you achieve those goals. And, whether your goals are to grow your workforce, to grow by location, by revenue, by just quality, and efficiency... Whatever your goals are, my job is to figure out the strategies to help make that happen.” - John Spanczak
  • “It's okay to feel bad about something, It's okay to feel negative. What's not okay is to not do anything about it. have to be employee-owners, we have to be owning our experience, and if you're waiting for somebody to tell you what that is, most likely, it's going to turn out in a way that you're not pleased with. But, if we can pioneer that for ourselves, seek opportunities, and own what comes next, then it becomes really clear that you can be a part of the solution and not the problem.” - John Spanczak


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3544 What Are You Risking by Not Purchasing Work Comp? https://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/29/what-are-you-risking-by-not-purchasing-work-comp/ It's common to hear that businesses don't want to buy work comp, they'll just pay their workers in cash. What are the risks when doing this? In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about the risks and how these scenarios usually play out. Thu, 29 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams It's common to hear that businesses don't want to buy work comp, they'll just pay their workers in cash. What are the risks when doing this? In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about the risks and how these scenarios usually play out. It's common to hear that businesses don't want to buy work comp, they'll just pay their workers in cash. What are the risks when doing this? In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about the risks and how these scenarios usually play out.

]]> 625 Bringing Health and Wellness to the Trucking Industry https://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/26/bringing-health-and-wellness-to-the-trucking-industry/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mark Manera, Founder of the Trucking Fitness Company. Mark and Todd discuss health and wellness issues in the trucking industry and how these challenges can be addressed. When truckers have a lifespan of 16 years less than the average person, it's time to promote change. Episode Highlights: Mark shares his background. (2:00) Mark mentions the statistics of truck drivers. (3:50) How would Mark change behaviors that truck drivers have had for so long? (11:01) Mark discusses the different programs they offer. (15:28) Mark shares the two different paths of their program. (22:45) Mark explains the cup analogy. (26:40) What does Mark think is causing the high turnover rate for trucking companies? (38:55) Mark mentions that he’s reading a book entitled Business Made Simple, by Donald Miller. (49:28) Mark mentions that he’s been spending more money on his studies and business. (50:05) Mark gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (50:45) Key Quotes: “Deep down in my core, really believe that no one's career should define their health. Right now in the trucking industry, that's exactly what's happening. When I got deeper and deeper into it, what I'm realizing and what I've continued to realize, is that everyone in the industry wins if the drivers are healthy.” - Mark Manera “No one man or one company can make this change on its own. So, this is an army. The more people we go to battle with, the better. The more people we can really change their lives, and impact.” - Mark Manera “When you start implementing a health and wellness program... you get them healthier, you get them fitter, the process of exercising... their cup starts growing. And, it gets bigger and bigger.” - Mark Manera Resources Mentioned: Trucking Fitness Company Mark Manera LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency  Mon, 26 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mark Manera, Founder of the Trucking Fitness Company. Mark and Todd discuss health and wellness issues in the trucking industry and how these challenges can be addressed. When truckers have a lifespan of 16 years less than the average person, it's time to promote change. Episode Highlights: Mark shares his background. (2:00) Mark mentions the statistics of truck drivers. (3:50) How would Mark change behaviors that truck drivers have had for so long? (11:01) Mark discusses the different programs they offer. (15:28) Mark shares the two different paths of their program. (22:45) Mark explains the cup analogy. (26:40) What does Mark think is causing the high turnover rate for trucking companies? (38:55) Mark mentions that he’s reading a book entitled Business Made Simple, by Donald Miller. (49:28) Mark mentions that he’s been spending more money on his studies and business. (50:05) Mark gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (50:45) Key Quotes: “Deep down in my core, really believe that no one's career should define their health. Right now in the trucking industry, that's exactly what's happening. When I got deeper and deeper into it, what I'm realizing and what I've continued to realize, is that everyone in the industry wins if the drivers are healthy.” - Mark Manera “No one man or one company can make this change on its own. So, this is an army. The more people we go to battle with, the better. The more people we can really change their lives, and impact.” - Mark Manera “When you start implementing a health and wellness program... you get them healthier, you get them fitter, the process of exercising... their cup starts growing. And, it gets bigger and bigger.” - Mark Manera Resources Mentioned: Trucking Fitness Company Mark Manera LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency  In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mark Manera, Founder of the Trucking Fitness Company. Mark and Todd discuss health and wellness issues in the trucking industry and how these challenges can be addressed. When truckers have a lifespan of 16 years less than the average person, it's time to promote change.


Episode Highlights:

  • Mark shares his background. (2:00)
  • Mark mentions the statistics of truck drivers. (3:50)
  • How would Mark change behaviors that truck drivers have had for so long? (11:01)
  • Mark discusses the different programs they offer. (15:28)
  • Mark shares the two different paths of their program. (22:45)
  • Mark explains the cup analogy. (26:40)
  • What does Mark think is causing the high turnover rate for trucking companies? (38:55)
  • Mark mentions that he’s reading a book entitled Business Made Simple, by Donald Miller. (49:28)
  • Mark mentions that he’s been spending more money on his studies and business. (50:05)
  • Mark gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (50:45)


Key Quotes:

  • “Deep down in my core, really believe that no one's career should define their health. Right now in the trucking industry, that's exactly what's happening. When I got deeper and deeper into it, what I'm realizing and what I've continued to realize, is that everyone in the industry wins if the drivers are healthy.” - Mark Manera
  • “No one man or one company can make this change on its own. So, this is an army. The more people we go to battle with, the better. The more people we can really change their lives, and impact.” - Mark Manera
  • “When you start implementing a health and wellness program... you get them healthier, you get them fitter, the process of exercising... their cup starts growing. And, it gets bigger and bigger.” - Mark Manera


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3181 Mid Term Cancellation? http://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/22/mid-term-cancellation/ Is your company considering switching workers' compensation insurance during the policy year? Make sure it makes sense and follow these steps. Thu, 22 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams Is your company considering switching workers' compensation insurance during the policy year? Make sure it makes sense and follow these steps. Is your company considering switching workers' compensation insurance during the policy year? Make sure it makes sense and follow these steps.

]]> 491 The Rx Professor https://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/19/the-rx-professor/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mark Pew, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Marketing at The Preferred Medical. The Rx Professor and Todd, discuss drug usage and workers' compensation. Topics range from opioid abuse to how marijuana will affect employers and claims in the future. Episode Highlights: Mark gives a little background on drugs and workers’ compensation. (2:37) Mark shares that most people use drugs for pain management. (5:38) Does Mark think that people could be abusing or double-dipping opioids on a workers’ compensation claim? (7:14) Mark mentions their biopsychosocial treatment model. (12:49) Mark explains his tagline. (24:14) Mark shares why other states are legalizing marijuana. (37:57) Mark mentions that he’s reading Jama articles, regarding the evolving science behind medical cannabis. (58:21) Mark mentions that he’s been spending more money on food. (59:01) Mark gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:00:45) Key Quotes: “It really started with the prescription of an opioid. It started all these cascading side effects that created ‘the need’, so to speak, for more drugs. Then you get to a situation where there’s actually more harm than good that's coming from the drugs. Then, it's time really to take a step back and go...What can we do differently? Because, we’re Einsteining ourselves to death, doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” - Mark Pew “I think if we limit it to just what's physically wrong with you, and we forget what's going on inside your head, and what's going on at home... we can miss the boat on so many opportunities to help people get better faster.” - Mark Pew “Marijuana is not going away. You have to have a strategy that fits your belief system... that fits the pragmatism of your business. You need to strategically think about it. Not respond, not react...But, you need to proactively figure out what you're going to do with that before you get the first request, or the third request, or whatever.” - Mark Pew Resources Mentioned: Ballot Pedia: 2020 Marijuana Legalization and Marijuana-Related Ballot Measures 2020 elections: 5 States Pass Legal Marijuana Measures, Potentially Growing Industry by $9 Billion The Preferred Medical Mark Pew LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency  Mon, 19 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mark Pew, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Marketing at The Preferred Medical. The Rx Professor and Todd, discuss drug usage and workers' compensation. Topics range from opioid abuse to how marijuana will affect employers and claims in the future. Episode Highlights: Mark gives a little background on drugs and workers’ compensation. (2:37) Mark shares that most people use drugs for pain management. (5:38) Does Mark think that people could be abusing or double-dipping opioids on a workers’ compensation claim? (7:14) Mark mentions their biopsychosocial treatment model. (12:49) Mark explains his tagline. (24:14) Mark shares why other states are legalizing marijuana. (37:57) Mark mentions that he’s reading Jama articles, regarding the evolving science behind medical cannabis. (58:21) Mark mentions that he’s been spending more money on food. (59:01) Mark gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:00:45) Key Quotes: “It really started with the prescription of an opioid. It started all these cascading side effects that created ‘the need’, so to speak, for more drugs. Then you get to a situation where there’s actually more harm than good that's coming from the drugs. Then, it's time really to take a step back and go...What can we do differently? Because, we’re Einsteining ourselves to death, doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” - Mark Pew “I think if we limit it to just what's physically wrong with you, and we forget what's going on inside your head, and what's going on at home... we can miss the boat on so many opportunities to help people get better faster.” - Mark Pew “Marijuana is not going away. You have to have a strategy that fits your belief system... that fits the pragmatism of your business. You need to strategically think about it. Not respond, not react...But, you need to proactively figure out what you're going to do with that before you get the first request, or the third request, or whatever.” - Mark Pew Resources Mentioned: Ballot Pedia: 2020 Marijuana Legalization and Marijuana-Related Ballot Measures 2020 elections: 5 States Pass Legal Marijuana Measures, Potentially Growing Industry by $9 Billion The Preferred Medical Mark Pew LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency  In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mark Pew, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Marketing at The Preferred Medical. The Rx Professor and Todd, discuss drug usage and workers' compensation. Topics range from opioid abuse to how marijuana will affect employers and claims in the future.


Episode Highlights:

  • Mark gives a little background on drugs and workers’ compensation. (2:37)
  • Mark shares that most people use drugs for pain management. (5:38)
  • Does Mark think that people could be abusing or double-dipping opioids on a workers’ compensation claim? (7:14)
  • Mark mentions their biopsychosocial treatment model. (12:49)
  • Mark explains his tagline. (24:14)
  • Mark shares why other states are legalizing marijuana. (37:57)
  • Mark mentions that he’s reading Jama articles, regarding the evolving science behind medical cannabis. (58:21)
  • Mark mentions that he’s been spending more money on food. (59:01)
  • Mark gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:00:45)


Key Quotes:

  • “It really started with the prescription of an opioid. It started all these cascading side effects that created ‘the need’, so to speak, for more drugs. Then you get to a situation where there’s actually more harm than good that's coming from the drugs. Then, it's time really to take a step back and go...What can we do differently? Because, we’re Einsteining ourselves to death, doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” - Mark Pew
  • “I think if we limit it to just what's physically wrong with you, and we forget what's going on inside your head, and what's going on at home... we can miss the boat on so many opportunities to help people get better faster.” - Mark Pew
  • “Marijuana is not going away. You have to have a strategy that fits your belief system... that fits the pragmatism of your business. You need to strategically think about it. Not respond, not react...But, you need to proactively figure out what you're going to do with that before you get the first request, or the third request, or whatever.” - Mark Pew


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3773 Buyer Beware https://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/15/buyer-beware/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares some shady business practices by agents when trying to write new business and what businesses can do when receiving proposals. Thu, 15 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares some shady business practices by agents when trying to write new business and what businesses can do when receiving proposals. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams shares some shady business practices by agents when trying to write new business and what businesses can do when receiving proposals.

]]> 1187 Work Comp Shop Talk with Jason Cass https://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/12/work-comp-shop-talk-with-jason-cass/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jason Cass, Managing Partner at The Insurance Alliance, and Owner of Agency Intelligence. Industry experts Jason Cass and Todd Thams talk about all things workers' compensation. Listen to find out things most agents don't talk about, how to bid insurance, and other industry information. Episode Highlights: Jason shares why the work comp in Illinois is a nightmare. (3:38) Jason mentions an interesting thing Travis pointed out. (8:25) Jason shares why 50% to 60% of the time the mod sheet is wrong. (9:21) How would Jason fix a mod problem? (44:14) Jason explains his current main focus: nonprofits. (50:59) Jason mentions that the last book he read was Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea. (55:18) Jason shares that he’s been spending more money on his studio. (57:29) Jason gives a valuable message to the listeners. (58:15) Key Quotes: “One thing we do know, is we position ourselves to be able to say to the buyer, when I'm first meeting them, walking in their business, having a zoom call with them, whatever that could be... that first encounter, is helping them understand positioning. Positioning in the fact that I am here. Not because if you say no, I'm going to the next person. Or, I've already been to the person across the street. I'm here specifically to see you because I do your industry. I know your business and I did my homework.” - Jason Cass “Positioning is the most important. Both sides of the coin on that one. If you're an agent, or you're that buyer, that's important to understand that, that person is there for a reason. When I tell you that I have my homework done, I do have my homework done.” - Jason Cass “Data is going to make you a smarter agent. But, it's also going to be able to help you. Agents, the number one thing they say is, I got into this business because I like to help people.” - Jason Cass Resources Mentioned: The Insurance Alliance Agency Intelligence Jason Cass LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency  Mon, 12 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jason Cass, Managing Partner at The Insurance Alliance, and Owner of Agency Intelligence. Industry experts Jason Cass and Todd Thams talk about all things workers' compensation. Listen to find out things most agents don't talk about, how to bid insurance, and other industry information. Episode Highlights: Jason shares why the work comp in Illinois is a nightmare. (3:38) Jason mentions an interesting thing Travis pointed out. (8:25) Jason shares why 50% to 60% of the time the mod sheet is wrong. (9:21) How would Jason fix a mod problem? (44:14) Jason explains his current main focus: nonprofits. (50:59) Jason mentions that the last book he read was Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea. (55:18) Jason shares that he’s been spending more money on his studio. (57:29) Jason gives a valuable message to the listeners. (58:15) Key Quotes: “One thing we do know, is we position ourselves to be able to say to the buyer, when I'm first meeting them, walking in their business, having a zoom call with them, whatever that could be... that first encounter, is helping them understand positioning. Positioning in the fact that I am here. Not because if you say no, I'm going to the next person. Or, I've already been to the person across the street. I'm here specifically to see you because I do your industry. I know your business and I did my homework.” - Jason Cass “Positioning is the most important. Both sides of the coin on that one. If you're an agent, or you're that buyer, that's important to understand that, that person is there for a reason. When I tell you that I have my homework done, I do have my homework done.” - Jason Cass “Data is going to make you a smarter agent. But, it's also going to be able to help you. Agents, the number one thing they say is, I got into this business because I like to help people.” - Jason Cass Resources Mentioned: The Insurance Alliance Agency Intelligence Jason Cass LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency  In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jason Cass, Managing Partner at The Insurance Alliance, and Owner of Agency Intelligence. Industry experts Jason Cass and Todd Thams talk about all things workers' compensation. Listen to find out things most agents don't talk about, how to bid insurance, and other industry information.


Episode Highlights:


  • Jason shares why the work comp in Illinois is a nightmare. (3:38)
  • Jason mentions an interesting thing Travis pointed out. (8:25)
  • Jason shares why 50% to 60% of the time the mod sheet is wrong. (9:21)
  • How would Jason fix a mod problem? (44:14)
  • Jason explains his current main focus: nonprofits. (50:59)
  • Jason mentions that the last book he read was Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea. (55:18)
  • Jason shares that he’s been spending more money on his studio. (57:29)
  • Jason gives a valuable message to the listeners. (58:15)


Key Quotes:


  • “One thing we do know, is we position ourselves to be able to say to the buyer, when I'm first meeting them, walking in their business, having a zoom call with them, whatever that could be... that first encounter, is helping them understand positioning. Positioning in the fact that I am here. Not because if you say no, I'm going to the next person. Or, I've already been to the person across the street. I'm here specifically to see you because I do your industry. I know your business and I did my homework.” - Jason Cass
  • “Positioning is the most important. Both sides of the coin on that one. If you're an agent, or you're that buyer, that's important to understand that, that person is there for a reason. When I tell you that I have my homework done, I do have my homework done.” - Jason Cass
  • “Data is going to make you a smarter agent. But, it's also going to be able to help you. Agents, the number one thing they say is, I got into this business because I like to help people.” - Jason Cass


Resources Mentioned:


]]> 3631 What is a Ghost Work Comp Policy? http://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/08/what-is-a-ghost-work-comp-policy/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams explains what a ghost work comp policy is and why you would want one. Thu, 08 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams explains what a ghost work comp policy is and why you would want one. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams explains what a ghost work comp policy is and why you would want one.

]]> 381 Managing Work Comp Claims with Zenjuries http://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/05/managing-work-comp-claims-with-zenjuries/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jess Dantice, founder of the best work comp software in the world. His software Zenjuries puts the injured worker at the center of the claim. It also helps close claims faster and for 33% less.  He's passionate about work comp and ready to help you with work comp claims. Episode Highlights: Jess shares his backstory. (2:05) What’s the biggest reason Jess wanted to go into business? (5:27) Where did the idea for Zenjuries originate? (7:50) Jess discusses why workers comp is a broken system. (18:22) Jess shares four simple steps on injury reporting. (25:07) Jess walks us through the mobile app they’ve created. (28:09) Jess explains why their software negotiates a 30.3% better claim outcome. (31:37) Jess mentions that he’s currently reading The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. (58:39) Jess tells us he’s been spending more money on car accessories. (1:00:29) Jess gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:01:38) Key Quotes: “If you want this coverage and it erases a million-dollar exposure… buy it! If you don't, I don't care. Because, risk assumption is part of reinsurance, right? You can try it. You don't have to transfer all insurance. Assuming risk is okay too, as long as you did it on purpose. So, that's how we behave in the property and casualty world.” - Jess Dantice “We couldn't find anybody trying to play in this particular space that we're going to share with you today, which in my opinion, is where the needle moves the most in either direction...Either good or bad. We want to influence it towards the good. We don't want just the insurance carriers to win.” - Jess Dantice “At the end of the day, none of this is rocket science, right? This is simple communication, quick. It's designed to erase all of the fat and the fluff and the waste that is just typical in every claim, in a traditional work comp system. That's what we do. And, the better we can get people to participate in this ecosystem with us, we're going to get even better results than 30.3%.” - Jess Dantice Resources Mentioned: Zenjuries Jess Dantice LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 05 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jess Dantice, founder of the best work comp software in the world. His software Zenjuries puts the injured worker at the center of the claim. It also helps close claims faster and for 33% less.  He's passionate about work comp and ready to help you with work comp claims. Episode Highlights: Jess shares his backstory. (2:05) What’s the biggest reason Jess wanted to go into business? (5:27) Where did the idea for Zenjuries originate? (7:50) Jess discusses why workers comp is a broken system. (18:22) Jess shares four simple steps on injury reporting. (25:07) Jess walks us through the mobile app they’ve created. (28:09) Jess explains why their software negotiates a 30.3% better claim outcome. (31:37) Jess mentions that he’s currently reading The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. (58:39) Jess tells us he’s been spending more money on car accessories. (1:00:29) Jess gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:01:38) Key Quotes: “If you want this coverage and it erases a million-dollar exposure… buy it! If you don't, I don't care. Because, risk assumption is part of reinsurance, right? You can try it. You don't have to transfer all insurance. Assuming risk is okay too, as long as you did it on purpose. So, that's how we behave in the property and casualty world.” - Jess Dantice “We couldn't find anybody trying to play in this particular space that we're going to share with you today, which in my opinion, is where the needle moves the most in either direction...Either good or bad. We want to influence it towards the good. We don't want just the insurance carriers to win.” - Jess Dantice “At the end of the day, none of this is rocket science, right? This is simple communication, quick. It's designed to erase all of the fat and the fluff and the waste that is just typical in every claim, in a traditional work comp system. That's what we do. And, the better we can get people to participate in this ecosystem with us, we're going to get even better results than 30.3%.” - Jess Dantice Resources Mentioned: Zenjuries Jess Dantice LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jess Dantice, founder of the best work comp software in the world. His software Zenjuries puts the injured worker at the center of the claim. It also helps close claims faster and for 33% less.  He's passionate about work comp and ready to help you with work comp claims.


Episode Highlights:


  • Jess shares his backstory. (2:05)
  • What’s the biggest reason Jess wanted to go into business? (5:27)
  • Where did the idea for Zenjuries originate? (7:50)
  • Jess discusses why workers comp is a broken system. (18:22)
  • Jess shares four simple steps on injury reporting. (25:07)
  • Jess walks us through the mobile app they’ve created. (28:09)
  • Jess explains why their software negotiates a 30.3% better claim outcome. (31:37)
  • Jess mentions that he’s currently reading The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. (58:39)
  • Jess tells us he’s been spending more money on car accessories. (1:00:29)
  • Jess gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:01:38)


Key Quotes:


  • “If you want this coverage and it erases a million-dollar exposure… buy it! If you don't, I don't care. Because, risk assumption is part of reinsurance, right? You can try it. You don't have to transfer all insurance. Assuming risk is okay too, as long as you did it on purpose. So, that's how we behave in the property and casualty world.” - Jess Dantice
  • “We couldn't find anybody trying to play in this particular space that we're going to share with you today, which in my opinion, is where the needle moves the most in either direction...Either good or bad. We want to influence it towards the good. We don't want just the insurance carriers to win.” - Jess Dantice
  • “At the end of the day, none of this is rocket science, right? This is simple communication, quick. It's designed to erase all of the fat and the fluff and the waste that is just typical in every claim, in a traditional work comp system. That's what we do. And, the better we can get people to participate in this ecosystem with us, we're going to get even better results than 30.3%.” - Jess Dantice


Resources Mentioned:



]]> 3841 Why Is My Business Being Charged for Subcontractors? http://thecompeffect.com/2021/04/01/why-is-my-business-being-charged-for-subcontractors/ In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about why your business is being charged for subcontractors at audit and what you can do about it. Thu, 01 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about why your business is being charged for subcontractors at audit and what you can do about it. In this episode of Comp Talk, Todd Thams talks about why your business is being charged for subcontractors at audit and what you can do about it.

]]> 607 Making Workers Compensation Insurance Sparkle https://thecompeffect.com/2021/03/29/making-workers-compensation-insurance-sparkle/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Dr. Claire Muselman, Director at the Workers Compensation Recovery Unit at Continental Western Group. Dr. Claire Muselman is leading the charge to change an industry. They don't call her glitter and sparkles for nothing. Her positivity is changing the way work comp claims are handled and leading to better experiences for injured workers. Episode Highlights: Dr. Claire Muselman shares how she got into the insurance industry. (2:05) Dr. Claire Muselman discusses human connection and making a difference. (5:55) Dr. Claire Muselman mentions issues specific to workers’ compensation. (12:35) What has been the focal point of Dr. Claire Muselman’s workers’ recovery group? (13:35) Dr. Claire Muselman mentions one of the first elements they noticed when debuting the workers’ recovery. (33:20) Why is immediate injury reporting necessary? (36:40) Dr. Claire Muselman gives a little background on her work and transitions. (46:12) Dr. Claire Muselman tells us about the book she’s currently reading: Relentless Solution Focus, by Dr. Jason Selk and Dr. Ellen Reed. (1:02:56) Dr. Claire Musselman says she’s spending more money on coffee. (1:04:38) Dr. Claire Muselman gives a new piece of advice to listeners. (1:05:33) Key Quotes: “If you are a leader of people, you need to understand the basics of workers’ compensation...Because if you have someone who is injured, you as the leader of that human being are the most important person to reach out to check in on that person. You are that number one communication guiding front, and you will help navigate the tone of what is yet to come.” - Dr. Claire Muselman “Wherever you're at, you should have some knowledge of how to really make that human connection, so somebody in their darkest time can find a way to see the light and understand that, hey, we're sorry that this happened to you. Let's figure out how we can make it better. Let's figure out how we can help you heal and get somebody back to being a functional, contributing member of society.” - Dr. Claire Muselman “I really think that everyone has a wonderful place that they can play in this space. I think when we look at our own scope of control, we can all make each day better for one another...You just have to act.” - Dr. Claire Muselman Resources Mentioned: Continental Western Group, a Berkley Company Dr. Claire Muselman LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 29 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Dr. Claire Muselman, Director at the Workers Compensation Recovery Unit at Continental Western Group. Dr. Claire Muselman is leading the charge to change an industry. They don't call her glitter and sparkles for nothing. Her positivity is changing the way work comp claims are handled and leading to better experiences for injured workers. Episode Highlights: Dr. Claire Muselman shares how she got into the insurance industry. (2:05) Dr. Claire Muselman discusses human connection and making a difference. (5:55) Dr. Claire Muselman mentions issues specific to workers’ compensation. (12:35) What has been the focal point of Dr. Claire Muselman’s workers’ recovery group? (13:35) Dr. Claire Muselman mentions one of the first elements they noticed when debuting the workers’ recovery. (33:20) Why is immediate injury reporting necessary? (36:40) Dr. Claire Muselman gives a little background on her work and transitions. (46:12) Dr. Claire Muselman tells us about the book she’s currently reading: Relentless Solution Focus, by Dr. Jason Selk and Dr. Ellen Reed. (1:02:56) Dr. Claire Musselman says she’s spending more money on coffee. (1:04:38) Dr. Claire Muselman gives a new piece of advice to listeners. (1:05:33) Key Quotes: “If you are a leader of people, you need to understand the basics of workers’ compensation...Because if you have someone who is injured, you as the leader of that human being are the most important person to reach out to check in on that person. You are that number one communication guiding front, and you will help navigate the tone of what is yet to come.” - Dr. Claire Muselman “Wherever you're at, you should have some knowledge of how to really make that human connection, so somebody in their darkest time can find a way to see the light and understand that, hey, we're sorry that this happened to you. Let's figure out how we can make it better. Let's figure out how we can help you heal and get somebody back to being a functional, contributing member of society.” - Dr. Claire Muselman “I really think that everyone has a wonderful place that they can play in this space. I think when we look at our own scope of control, we can all make each day better for one another...You just have to act.” - Dr. Claire Muselman Resources Mentioned: Continental Western Group, a Berkley Company Dr. Claire Muselman LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Dr. Claire Muselman, Director at the Workers Compensation Recovery Unit at Continental Western Group. Dr. Claire Muselman is leading the charge to change an industry. They don't call her glitter and sparkles for nothing. Her positivity is changing the way work comp claims are handled and leading to better experiences for injured workers.


Episode Highlights:


  • Dr. Claire Muselman shares how she got into the insurance industry. (2:05)
  • Dr. Claire Muselman discusses human connection and making a difference. (5:55)
  • Dr. Claire Muselman mentions issues specific to workers’ compensation. (12:35)
  • What has been the focal point of Dr. Claire Muselman’s workers’ recovery group? (13:35)
  • Dr. Claire Muselman mentions one of the first elements they noticed when debuting the workers’ recovery. (33:20)
  • Why is immediate injury reporting necessary? (36:40)
  • Dr. Claire Muselman gives a little background on her work and transitions. (46:12)
  • Dr. Claire Muselman tells us about the book she’s currently reading: Relentless Solution Focus, by Dr. Jason Selk and Dr. Ellen Reed. (1:02:56)
  • Dr. Claire Musselman says she’s spending more money on coffee. (1:04:38)
  • Dr. Claire Muselman gives a new piece of advice to listeners. (1:05:33)


Key Quotes:


  • “If you are a leader of people, you need to understand the basics of workers’ compensation...Because if you have someone who is injured, you as the leader of that human being are the most important person to reach out to check in on that person. You are that number one communication guiding front, and you will help navigate the tone of what is yet to come.” - Dr. Claire Muselman
  • “Wherever you're at, you should have some knowledge of how to really make that human connection, so somebody in their darkest time can find a way to see the light and understand that, hey, we're sorry that this happened to you. Let's figure out how we can make it better. Let's figure out how we can help you heal and get somebody back to being a functional, contributing member of society.” - Dr. Claire Muselman
  • “I really think that everyone has a wonderful place that they can play in this space. I think when we look at our own scope of control, we can all make each day better for one another...You just have to act.” - Dr. Claire Muselman


Resources Mentioned:



]]> 4071 What are Standard Exception Codes? http://thecompeffect.com/2021/03/25/what-are-standard-exception-codes/ In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, discusses Standard Exception Codes and what you should know so you don't get surprised at audit time. Thu, 25 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, discusses Standard Exception Codes and what you should know so you don't get surprised at audit time. In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, discusses Standard Exception Codes and what you should know so you don't get surprised at audit time.


]]> 281 Loving Your Injured Workers https://thecompeffect.com/2021/03/22/loving-your-injured-workers/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Natalie Torres, the Senior Director of Client Solutions at Workfinders USA. Natalie shares her personal experiences on why grace and compassion are the key to helping injured workers find meaningful alternate work. Her expertise helps businesses nationwide reduce costs and create a better experience for employees. Episode Highlights: Natalie mentions what it means to be an advocate. (2:17) Does Natalie work with individual employers and insurance companies? (3:05) Natalie shares what her typical day looks like. (5:13) Natalie gives an example of what a light-duty return to work program looks like. (10:27) Natalie discusses Cards for Kids and Operation Gratitude. (12:20) Natalie gives insight on meaningful, alternative return to work programs. (16:26) Natalie shares her career background in worker’s compensation. (19:39) Natalie shares a five step empathy exercise. (28:11) Natalie gives advice on return to work programs. (38:39) What types of alternate transitional work are available in our communities? (42:50) Key Quotes: “What it means to be an advocate is to be the person to get out into the community for the injured worker when they can't. We're often working with folks who may have light duty restrictions or permanent restrictions that need to make a splash back into the workforce.” - Natalie Torres “When you start to walk through this quick exercise, if you have a hard time identifying it and you're feeling those feelings, that's okay...Because we don't all do that either right away. We can look to other folks within the industry to try to support advocacy for injured workers through some different return to work specialties.” - Natalie Torres “When your direction is lost or the heading is lost and if it's your first time walking through the process, try to bring your focus back to the injured worker. Try to shove aside claims matters or attorneys or litigation, and just try to reconnect with the person that's standing in front of you.” - Natalie Torres Resources Mentioned: Workfinders USA Natalie Torres LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Natalie Torres, the Senior Director of Client Solutions at Workfinders USA. Natalie shares her personal experiences on why grace and compassion are the key to helping injured workers find meaningful alternate work. Her expertise helps businesses nationwide reduce costs and create a better experience for employees. Episode Highlights: Natalie mentions what it means to be an advocate. (2:17) Does Natalie work with individual employers and insurance companies? (3:05) Natalie shares what her typical day looks like. (5:13) Natalie gives an example of what a light-duty return to work program looks like. (10:27) Natalie discusses Cards for Kids and Operation Gratitude. (12:20) Natalie gives insight on meaningful, alternative return to work programs. (16:26) Natalie shares her career background in worker’s compensation. (19:39) Natalie shares a five step empathy exercise. (28:11) Natalie gives advice on return to work programs. (38:39) What types of alternate transitional work are available in our communities? (42:50) Key Quotes: “What it means to be an advocate is to be the person to get out into the community for the injured worker when they can't. We're often working with folks who may have light duty restrictions or permanent restrictions that need to make a splash back into the workforce.” - Natalie Torres “When you start to walk through this quick exercise, if you have a hard time identifying it and you're feeling those feelings, that's okay...Because we don't all do that either right away. We can look to other folks within the industry to try to support advocacy for injured workers through some different return to work specialties.” - Natalie Torres “When your direction is lost or the heading is lost and if it's your first time walking through the process, try to bring your focus back to the injured worker. Try to shove aside claims matters or attorneys or litigation, and just try to reconnect with the person that's standing in front of you.” - Natalie Torres Resources Mentioned: Workfinders USA Natalie Torres LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Natalie Torres, the Senior Director of Client Solutions at Workfinders USA. Natalie shares her personal experiences on why grace and compassion are the key to helping injured workers find meaningful alternate work. Her expertise helps businesses nationwide reduce costs and create a better experience for employees.


Episode Highlights:


  • Natalie mentions what it means to be an advocate. (2:17)
  • Does Natalie work with individual employers and insurance companies? (3:05)
  • Natalie shares what her typical day looks like. (5:13)
  • Natalie gives an example of what a light-duty return to work program looks like. (10:27)
  • Natalie discusses Cards for Kids and Operation Gratitude. (12:20)
  • Natalie gives insight on meaningful, alternative return to work programs. (16:26)
  • Natalie shares her career background in worker’s compensation. (19:39)
  • Natalie shares a five step empathy exercise. (28:11)
  • Natalie gives advice on return to work programs. (38:39)
  • What types of alternate transitional work are available in our communities? (42:50)


Key Quotes:


  • “What it means to be an advocate is to be the person to get out into the community for the injured worker when they can't. We're often working with folks who may have light duty restrictions or permanent restrictions that need to make a splash back into the workforce.” - Natalie Torres
  • “When you start to walk through this quick exercise, if you have a hard time identifying it and you're feeling those feelings, that's okay...Because we don't all do that either right away. We can look to other folks within the industry to try to support advocacy for injured workers through some different return to work specialties.” - Natalie Torres
  • “When your direction is lost or the heading is lost and if it's your first time walking through the process, try to bring your focus back to the injured worker. Try to shove aside claims matters or attorneys or litigation, and just try to reconnect with the person that's standing in front of you.” - Natalie Torres


Resources Mentioned:


]]> 3128 Should Your Business Pay for Small Work Comp Claims? http://thecompeffect.com/2021/03/09/should-your-business-pay-for-small-work-comp-claims/ In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, talks about why businesses shouldn't pay small work comp claims on their own, but instead use a work comp deductible. Thu, 18 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, talks about why businesses shouldn't pay small work comp claims on their own, but instead use a work comp deductible. In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, talks about why businesses shouldn't pay small work comp claims on their own, but instead use a work comp deductible.

]]> 563 Covid Safety Issues and Workers Compensation http://thecompeffect.com/2021/03/09/covid-safety-issues-and-workers-compensation/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Kent Smith, the President/Shareholder at Smith, Mills & Schrock Law. Kent Smith discusses recent legislation that changes how states view worker safety when it comes to COVID 19. New changes are holding employers accountable for employee protection. Episode Highlights: Kent shares his background. (2:12) Kent shares the challenges that business owners face when it comes to remote employees. (7:47) Kent discusses primary principles in workers’ compensation claims. (11:08) What is the most valuable commodity in Kent’s business?(17:31) Kent shares the biggest traumas caused by the pandemic. (20:21) Kent shares some claims scenarios regarding COVID-19 exposure. (22:44) How would Kent defend a business against a COVID-related claim? (37:54) What is a ‘sequela of the injury’ in workers' compensation? (42:17) Kent shares why a state system is better at workers’ compensation than a federal system. (48:42) Key Quotes: “The most valuable commodity my business has is its people. I would argue that no matter what your business is, whether you're a law firm, or whether you're constructing widgets...The most valuable commodity in your business is your people.” - Kent Smith “If you take all the factors into the calculation, into the formula...I think it's vital for employers to try to find suitable work for those temporary restrictions that the injured employee might have, so that they don't lose social networks.” - Kent Smith “If you know anything about workers compensation, from the employer perspective and an insurance carrier perspective…The longer the claim is open, the more expensive that becomes and the more burdensome that becomes on both the company and the insurance company.” - Kent Smith Resources Mentioned: Smith, Mills & Schrock Law Kent Smith LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 15 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Kent Smith, the President/Shareholder at Smith, Mills & Schrock Law. Kent Smith discusses recent legislation that changes how states view worker safety when it comes to COVID 19. New changes are holding employers accountable for employee protection. Episode Highlights: Kent shares his background. (2:12) Kent shares the challenges that business owners face when it comes to remote employees. (7:47) Kent discusses primary principles in workers’ compensation claims. (11:08) What is the most valuable commodity in Kent’s business?(17:31) Kent shares the biggest traumas caused by the pandemic. (20:21) Kent shares some claims scenarios regarding COVID-19 exposure. (22:44) How would Kent defend a business against a COVID-related claim? (37:54) What is a ‘sequela of the injury’ in workers' compensation? (42:17) Kent shares why a state system is better at workers’ compensation than a federal system. (48:42) Key Quotes: “The most valuable commodity my business has is its people. I would argue that no matter what your business is, whether you're a law firm, or whether you're constructing widgets...The most valuable commodity in your business is your people.” - Kent Smith “If you take all the factors into the calculation, into the formula...I think it's vital for employers to try to find suitable work for those temporary restrictions that the injured employee might have, so that they don't lose social networks.” - Kent Smith “If you know anything about workers compensation, from the employer perspective and an insurance carrier perspective…The longer the claim is open, the more expensive that becomes and the more burdensome that becomes on both the company and the insurance company.” - Kent Smith Resources Mentioned: Smith, Mills & Schrock Law Kent Smith LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Kent Smith, the President/Shareholder at Smith, Mills & Schrock Law. Kent Smith discusses recent legislation that changes how states view worker safety when it comes to COVID 19. New changes are holding employers accountable for employee protection.


Episode Highlights:


  • Kent shares his background. (2:12)
  • Kent shares the challenges that business owners face when it comes to remote employees. (7:47)
  • Kent discusses primary principles in workers’ compensation claims. (11:08)
  • What is the most valuable commodity in Kent’s business?(17:31)
  • Kent shares the biggest traumas caused by the pandemic. (20:21)
  • Kent shares some claims scenarios regarding COVID-19 exposure. (22:44)
  • How would Kent defend a business against a COVID-related claim? (37:54)
  • What is a ‘sequela of the injury’ in workers' compensation? (42:17)
  • Kent shares why a state system is better at workers’ compensation than a federal system. (48:42)


Key Quotes:


  • “The most valuable commodity my business has is its people. I would argue that no matter what your business is, whether you're a law firm, or whether you're constructing widgets...The most valuable commodity in your business is your people.” - Kent Smith
  • “If you take all the factors into the calculation, into the formula...I think it's vital for employers to try to find suitable work for those temporary restrictions that the injured employee might have, so that they don't lose social networks.” - Kent Smith
  • “If you know anything about workers compensation, from the employer perspective and an insurance carrier perspective…The longer the claim is open, the more expensive that becomes and the more burdensome that becomes on both the company and the insurance company.” - Kent Smith


Resources Mentioned:


]]> 3648 Why Immediate Reporting Matters In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, talks about how a successful claim is started and why immediate reporting matters. He also provides a free handout to help your company with reporting. Thu, 11 Mar 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, talks about how a successful claim is started and why immediate reporting matters. He also provides a free handout to help your company with reporting. In this episode of Comp Talk, host, Todd Thams, talks about how a successful claim is started and why immediate reporting matters. He also provides a free handout to help your company with reporting.

]]> 558 How Nurse Triage Will Help Your Business Reduce Claims by 40% https://thecompeffect.com/2021/02/24/how-nurse-triage-will-help-your-business-reduce-claims-by-40/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Darrin Schenck, the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at TriageNow. Darrin talks about his approach to workers’ compensation and how nurse triage companies can help businesses by providing time of injury solutions. Episode Highlights: Todd explores Darrin’s blog page, darrinchatter.com. (2:00) Darrin shares his career background in sports. (7:09) Darrin shares a story about the first year they went to the annual Worker's Compensation and Disability Expo in Las Vegas. (16:26) Darrin explains the objectives of a nurse triage company. (19:10) Darrin explains the process of a slip and fall claim. (28:21) How much would it cost for a business to have a nurse triage? (34:48) Darrin mentions one of the major complaints carriers have when filing a report of injury. (38:37) Where does Darrin see the ability for businesses to report claims in the future? (42:32) Darrin mentions their partnership with a few companies that practice telemedicine. (44:07) Key Quotes: “We took the stance that we will always operate like a small company, regardless of how big we grow. We want to help everybody. We want to customize and that mindset has already separated us from our competition.” - Darrin Schenck “Whatever your pursuit or endeavor is, it is so hard to be objective when your heart and soul are tied into what you're doing...That just leads to bad decisions.” - Darrin Schenck “In the end, it is the best thing for everybody...For all of us to play nice in the same sandbox, to have our service funnel into the rest of the services that the carrier would provide and make that a cohesive approach.” - Darrin Schenck Resources Mentioned: darrinchatter.com TriageNow Darrin Schenck LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 08 Mar 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Darrin Schenck, the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at TriageNow. Darrin talks about his approach to workers’ compensation and how nurse triage companies can help businesses by providing time of injury solutions. Episode Highlights: Todd explores Darrin’s blog page, darrinchatter.com. (2:00) Darrin shares his career background in sports. (7:09) Darrin shares a story about the first year they went to the annual Worker's Compensation and Disability Expo in Las Vegas. (16:26) Darrin explains the objectives of a nurse triage company. (19:10) Darrin explains the process of a slip and fall claim. (28:21) How much would it cost for a business to have a nurse triage? (34:48) Darrin mentions one of the major complaints carriers have when filing a report of injury. (38:37) Where does Darrin see the ability for businesses to report claims in the future? (42:32) Darrin mentions their partnership with a few companies that practice telemedicine. (44:07) Key Quotes: “We took the stance that we will always operate like a small company, regardless of how big we grow. We want to help everybody. We want to customize and that mindset has already separated us from our competition.” - Darrin Schenck “Whatever your pursuit or endeavor is, it is so hard to be objective when your heart and soul are tied into what you're doing...That just leads to bad decisions.” - Darrin Schenck “In the end, it is the best thing for everybody...For all of us to play nice in the same sandbox, to have our service funnel into the rest of the services that the carrier would provide and make that a cohesive approach.” - Darrin Schenck Resources Mentioned: darrinchatter.com TriageNow Darrin Schenck LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Darrin Schenck, the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at TriageNow. Darrin talks about his approach to workers’ compensation and how nurse triage companies can help businesses by providing time of injury solutions.


Episode Highlights:


  • Todd explores Darrin’s blog page, darrinchatter.com. (2:00)
  • Darrin shares his career background in sports. (7:09)
  • Darrin shares a story about the first year they went to the annual Worker's Compensation and Disability Expo in Las Vegas. (16:26)
  • Darrin explains the objectives of a nurse triage company. (19:10)
  • Darrin explains the process of a slip and fall claim. (28:21)
  • How much would it cost for a business to have a nurse triage? (34:48)
  • Darrin mentions one of the major complaints carriers have when filing a report of injury. (38:37)
  • Where does Darrin see the ability for businesses to report claims in the future? (42:32)
  • Darrin mentions their partnership with a few companies that practice telemedicine. (44:07)


Key Quotes:


  • “We took the stance that we will always operate like a small company, regardless of how big we grow. We want to help everybody. We want to customize and that mindset has already separated us from our competition.” - Darrin Schenck
  • “Whatever your pursuit or endeavor is, it is so hard to be objective when your heart and soul are tied into what you're doing...That just leads to bad decisions.” - Darrin Schenck
  • “In the end, it is the best thing for everybody...For all of us to play nice in the same sandbox, to have our service funnel into the rest of the services that the carrier would provide and make that a cohesive approach.” - Darrin Schenck


Resources Mentioned:



]]> 3947 Case Study – How Mishandling of Claims Costs Your Business More Money http://thecompeffect.com/2021/03/04/case-study-how-mishandling-of-claims-costs-your-business-more-money In this episode of Comp Talk, Case Study – How Mishandling of Claims Costs Your Business More Money, Todd reviews an actual experience mod worksheet and explains what he's looking for during a review. He quickly discovers how two claims are costing this business huge. Thu, 04 Mar 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of Comp Talk, Case Study – How Mishandling of Claims Costs Your Business More Money, Todd reviews an actual experience mod worksheet and explains what he's looking for during a review. He quickly discovers how two claims are costing this business huge. In this episode of Comp Talk, Case Study – How Mishandling of Claims Costs Your Business More Money, Todd reviews an actual experience mod worksheet and explains what he's looking for during a review. He quickly discovers how two claims are costing this business huge.

]]> 869 The Future of Risk Avoidance with Wearables https://thecompeffect.com/2021/03/01/the-future-of-risk-avoidance-with-wearables/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Gabriel Glynn, of Mākusafe Corporation, to discuss how technology is changing the future of safety. Never before captured data can help protect workers, actually prevent injuries and creates a 1000% ROI. Episode Highlights: Gabriel shares his background. (2:42) Gabriel mentions their idea and genesis for building Mākusafe. (6:19) How does Gabriel keep their employees safe? (11:10) How did Gabriel come up with Mākusafe? (13:09) Gabriel shares the sensor-packed piece of technology that they have. (17:54) Gabriel mentions the things that they don’t do with their technology. (21:26) Gabriel shares why he believes that every workspace will eventually have a wearable device. (24:42) Gabriel mentions the release of their product. (45:25) Key Quotes: “Five years later, we very much see ourselves as an insure-tech company, with a greater mission even than safety today. It just makes a lot of sense that we're at this intersection where accidents and dollars and companies that want to keep people healthy and safe and happy…They all kind of just converge here in this space.” - Gabriel Glynn “Now we have all of this data, and we can begin to understand…What is that magic confluence of these factors that are going to accelerate fatigue in a worker and heighten the risk for the day? When we know that, then we can start being more proactive and preventive in the way we approach it.” - Gabriel Glynn “Oftentimes, we fixate on some sort of end game or some sort of prize. We think that once we get to that level of achievement, we’ll have satisfaction and happiness. The Bible's pretty clear, that's not how life works, right? It's a rich, wonderful experience. You get a chance to meet tons of people, have some really cool adventures. So, just encourage people to enjoy the moments as they're happening.” - Gabriel Glynn Resources Mentioned: Mākusafe Corporation Gabriel Glynn LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 01 Mar 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Gabriel Glynn, of Mākusafe Corporation, to discuss how technology is changing the future of safety. Never before captured data can help protect workers, actually prevent injuries and creates a 1000% ROI. Episode Highlights: Gabriel shares his background. (2:42) Gabriel mentions their idea and genesis for building Mākusafe. (6:19) How does Gabriel keep their employees safe? (11:10) How did Gabriel come up with Mākusafe? (13:09) Gabriel shares the sensor-packed piece of technology that they have. (17:54) Gabriel mentions the things that they don’t do with their technology. (21:26) Gabriel shares why he believes that every workspace will eventually have a wearable device. (24:42) Gabriel mentions the release of their product. (45:25) Key Quotes: “Five years later, we very much see ourselves as an insure-tech company, with a greater mission even than safety today. It just makes a lot of sense that we're at this intersection where accidents and dollars and companies that want to keep people healthy and safe and happy…They all kind of just converge here in this space.” - Gabriel Glynn “Now we have all of this data, and we can begin to understand…What is that magic confluence of these factors that are going to accelerate fatigue in a worker and heighten the risk for the day? When we know that, then we can start being more proactive and preventive in the way we approach it.” - Gabriel Glynn “Oftentimes, we fixate on some sort of end game or some sort of prize. We think that once we get to that level of achievement, we’ll have satisfaction and happiness. The Bible's pretty clear, that's not how life works, right? It's a rich, wonderful experience. You get a chance to meet tons of people, have some really cool adventures. So, just encourage people to enjoy the moments as they're happening.” - Gabriel Glynn Resources Mentioned: Mākusafe Corporation Gabriel Glynn LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Gabriel Glynn, of Mākusafe Corporation, to discuss how technology is changing the future of safety. Never before captured data can help protect workers, actually prevent injuries and creates a 1000% ROI.

Episode Highlights:

  • Gabriel shares his background. (2:42)
  • Gabriel mentions their idea and genesis for building Mākusafe. (6:19)
  • How does Gabriel keep their employees safe? (11:10)
  • How did Gabriel come up with Mākusafe? (13:09)
  • Gabriel shares the sensor-packed piece of technology that they have. (17:54)
  • Gabriel mentions the things that they don’t do with their technology. (21:26)
  • Gabriel shares why he believes that every workspace will eventually have a wearable device. (24:42)
  • Gabriel mentions the release of their product. (45:25)


Key Quotes:


  • “Five years later, we very much see ourselves as an insure-tech company, with a greater mission even than safety today. It just makes a lot of sense that we're at this intersection where accidents and dollars and companies that want to keep people healthy and safe and happy…They all kind of just converge here in this space.” - Gabriel Glynn
  • “Now we have all of this data, and we can begin to understand…What is that magic confluence of these factors that are going to accelerate fatigue in a worker and heighten the risk for the day? When we know that, then we can start being more proactive and preventive in the way we approach it.” - Gabriel Glynn
  • “Oftentimes, we fixate on some sort of end game or some sort of prize. We think that once we get to that level of achievement, we’ll have satisfaction and happiness. The Bible's pretty clear, that's not how life works, right? It's a rich, wonderful experience. You get a chance to meet tons of people, have some really cool adventures. So, just encourage people to enjoy the moments as they're happening.” - Gabriel Glynn


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3734 Nurse Triage Explained in 3 Minutes In this short episode of Comp Talk, Nurse Triage Explained in 3 Minutes, host Todd Thams explains what Nurse Triage is and why you should be using it Thu, 25 Feb 2021 20:55:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this short episode of Comp Talk, Nurse Triage Explained in 3 Minutes, host Todd Thams explains what Nurse Triage is and why you should be using it In this short episode of Comp Talk, Nurse Triage Explained in 3 Minutes, host Todd Thams explains what Nurse Triage is and why you should be using it

]]> 225 How to Build Your Company Culture https://thecompeffect.com/2021/02/22/how-to-build-your-company-culture/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Stewardship. Grant talks about the importance of creating a company culture and shares tips from his Culture Course on how to build and run a thriving team.   Episode Highlights: Grant shares his background. (4:38) Grant shares a story about a career fair he attended when he was 15 years old. (5:28) Do you believe that your boss or manager genuinely cares about you? (10:31) Grant mentions one of the biggest factors that was a failing point to him. (11:32) Grant shares the significant aspects of the motivational hierarchy. (13:32) Grant shares their culture in the company. (15:02) Grant mentions their affirmation scoreboard. (17:50) How long did it take Grant to get to the KPI dashboard that he has today? (19:24) How has Grant’s faith shaped the way that he operates his businesses today? (23:18) Grant mentions the most significant word in the great commission. (25:28) Key Quotes: “People want to do something that makes the world a better place and if we can create goals that do that, that's what's better, and that's what I had to discover.” - Grant Botma “My company culture is that it has a purpose, and this purpose is not as a mission statement. This is a unifying thing that everybody comes into work together to do together and they get excited about doing with other people they care about.” - Grant Botma “I believe you have one life that you live, you don't have all these different lives, that you try to live at the same time that just becomes exhausting. It's contradictory and hypocritical. So, I just do my best to be the same person no matter where I'm at.” - Grant Botma Resources Mentioned: Stewardship Grant Botma LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Mon, 22 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Stewardship. Grant talks about the importance of creating a company culture and shares tips from his Culture Course on how to build and run a thriving team.   Episode Highlights: Grant shares his background. (4:38) Grant shares a story about a career fair he attended when he was 15 years old. (5:28) Do you believe that your boss or manager genuinely cares about you? (10:31) Grant mentions one of the biggest factors that was a failing point to him. (11:32) Grant shares the significant aspects of the motivational hierarchy. (13:32) Grant shares their culture in the company. (15:02) Grant mentions their affirmation scoreboard. (17:50) How long did it take Grant to get to the KPI dashboard that he has today? (19:24) How has Grant’s faith shaped the way that he operates his businesses today? (23:18) Grant mentions the most significant word in the great commission. (25:28) Key Quotes: “People want to do something that makes the world a better place and if we can create goals that do that, that's what's better, and that's what I had to discover.” - Grant Botma “My company culture is that it has a purpose, and this purpose is not as a mission statement. This is a unifying thing that everybody comes into work together to do together and they get excited about doing with other people they care about.” - Grant Botma “I believe you have one life that you live, you don't have all these different lives, that you try to live at the same time that just becomes exhausting. It's contradictory and hypocritical. So, I just do my best to be the same person no matter where I'm at.” - Grant Botma Resources Mentioned: Stewardship Grant Botma LinkedIn Todd Thams LinkedIn Direct Work Comp Thams Agency In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Stewardship. Grant talks about the importance of creating a company culture and shares tips from his Culture Course on how to build and run a thriving team.  


Episode Highlights:


  • Grant shares his background. (4:38)
  • Grant shares a story about a career fair he attended when he was 15 years old. (5:28)
  • Do you believe that your boss or manager genuinely cares about you? (10:31)
  • Grant mentions one of the biggest factors that was a failing point to him. (11:32)
  • Grant shares the significant aspects of the motivational hierarchy. (13:32)
  • Grant shares their culture in the company. (15:02)
  • Grant mentions their affirmation scoreboard. (17:50)
  • How long did it take Grant to get to the KPI dashboard that he has today? (19:24)
  • How has Grant’s faith shaped the way that he operates his businesses today? (23:18)
  • Grant mentions the most significant word in the great commission. (25:28)


Key Quotes:

  • “People want to do something that makes the world a better place and if we can create goals that do that, that's what's better, and that's what I had to discover.” - Grant Botma
  • “My company culture is that it has a purpose, and this purpose is not as a mission statement. This is a unifying thing that everybody comes into work together to do together and they get excited about doing with other people they care about.” - Grant Botma
  • “I believe you have one life that you live, you don't have all these different lives, that you try to live at the same time that just becomes exhausting. It's contradictory and hypocritical. So, I just do my best to be the same person no matter where I'm at.” - Grant Botma


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2964 Lessons Learned From an Actual Claim Review In this short episode of Comp Talk, Lessons Learned From an Actual Claim Review, host Todd Thams, reviews the loss history on an account he's working on and why a return to work program would have saved this company thousands of dollars. Failing to focus on safety is costing this account big bucks. Thu, 18 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this short episode of Comp Talk, Lessons Learned From an Actual Claim Review, host Todd Thams, reviews the loss history on an account he's working on and why a return to work program would have saved this company thousands of dollars. Failing to focus on safety is costing this account big bucks. In this short episode of Comp Talk, Lessons Learned From an Actual Claim Review, host Todd Thams, reviews the loss history on an account he's working on and why a return to work program would have saved this company thousands of dollars. Failing to focus on safety is costing this account big bucks.

]]> 910 Work Comp Fraud Investigation Is a Family Business https://thecompeffect.com/2021/02/15/work-comp-fraud-investigation-is-a-family-business/ In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Don Dunn, CEO/Investigator at The R&D Agency and Brianna Dunn, the Director of Sales & Marketing. They discuss their approach to investigating fraud and exaggerated insurance claims and explain the importance of pre-employment screenings. Episode Highlights: Don shares his background. (1:54) Don shares his experience doing surveillance. (3:44) When did Don start the agency? (5:38) Brianna shares her background. (6:20) When Brianna joined the family business, what was the training like? (7:31) Brianna shares what she does in the agency. (9:23) Don mentions the courses they offer in Minnesota. (10:01) What are some of the factors that Don’s agency is legally and not legally allowed to do? (11:00) What are their steps when doing an investigation? (21:09) Brianna mentions what they would recommend with the pre-employment process. (29:51) Does the employer have access to the same databases as Brianna? (32:57) Brianna mentions the cost of their standard pre-employment screening. (33:56) Don shares the most successful fraud investigations he experienced. (37:04) Key Quotes: “You must start with that comprehensive address history. And look at all the states they've lived in the last seven years. And that is something that we're always sure to do in our plant pre-employment screenings here.” - Brianna Dunn “There are many employers that wish they would have done things right the first time around, and I get it, you're desperate for employees, depending on the job market, they're not knocking your door down for this job, you get a live body come in and you think they can do it. You're going to hire him and hope for the best. And sometimes it works out. But sometimes you wish you would have done your due diligence.” - Don Dunn “Sometimes you can help people out. It's not all about the money. Sometimes it's just about doing something good for somebody. And that's one of the things that Bri and I love about this business is we can help people.” - Don Dunn Resources Mentioned: Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Todd Thams LinkedIn The R&D Agency Don Dunn LinkedIn Brianna Dunn LinkedIn Mon, 15 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Don Dunn, CEO/Investigator at The R&D Agency and Brianna Dunn, the Director of Sales & Marketing. They discuss their approach to investigating fraud and exaggerated insurance claims and explain the importance of pre-employment screenings. Episode Highlights: Don shares his background. (1:54) Don shares his experience doing surveillance. (3:44) When did Don start the agency? (5:38) Brianna shares her background. (6:20) When Brianna joined the family business, what was the training like? (7:31) Brianna shares what she does in the agency. (9:23) Don mentions the courses they offer in Minnesota. (10:01) What are some of the factors that Don’s agency is legally and not legally allowed to do? (11:00) What are their steps when doing an investigation? (21:09) Brianna mentions what they would recommend with the pre-employment process. (29:51) Does the employer have access to the same databases as Brianna? (32:57) Brianna mentions the cost of their standard pre-employment screening. (33:56) Don shares the most successful fraud investigations he experienced. (37:04) Key Quotes: “You must start with that comprehensive address history. And look at all the states they've lived in the last seven years. And that is something that we're always sure to do in our plant pre-employment screenings here.” - Brianna Dunn “There are many employers that wish they would have done things right the first time around, and I get it, you're desperate for employees, depending on the job market, they're not knocking your door down for this job, you get a live body come in and you think they can do it. You're going to hire him and hope for the best. And sometimes it works out. But sometimes you wish you would have done your due diligence.” - Don Dunn “Sometimes you can help people out. It's not all about the money. Sometimes it's just about doing something good for somebody. And that's one of the things that Bri and I love about this business is we can help people.” - Don Dunn Resources Mentioned: Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Todd Thams LinkedIn The R&D Agency Don Dunn LinkedIn Brianna Dunn LinkedIn In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Don Dunn, CEO/Investigator at The R&D Agency and Brianna Dunn, the Director of Sales & Marketing. They discuss their approach to investigating fraud and exaggerated insurance claims and explain the importance of pre-employment screenings.


Episode Highlights:


  • Don shares his background. (1:54)
  • Don shares his experience doing surveillance. (3:44)
  • When did Don start the agency? (5:38)
  • Brianna shares her background. (6:20)
  • When Brianna joined the family business, what was the training like? (7:31)
  • Brianna shares what she does in the agency. (9:23)
  • Don mentions the courses they offer in Minnesota. (10:01)
  • What are some of the factors that Don’s agency is legally and not legally allowed to do? (11:00)
  • What are their steps when doing an investigation? (21:09)
  • Brianna mentions what they would recommend with the pre-employment process. (29:51)
  • Does the employer have access to the same databases as Brianna? (32:57)
  • Brianna mentions the cost of their standard pre-employment screening. (33:56)
  • Don shares the most successful fraud investigations he experienced. (37:04)


Key Quotes:


  • “You must start with that comprehensive address history. And look at all the states they've lived in the last seven years. And that is something that we're always sure to do in our plant pre-employment screenings here.” - Brianna Dunn
  • “There are many employers that wish they would have done things right the first time around, and I get it, you're desperate for employees, depending on the job market, they're not knocking your door down for this job, you get a live body come in and you think they can do it. You're going to hire him and hope for the best. And sometimes it works out. But sometimes you wish you would have done your due diligence.” - Don Dunn
  • “Sometimes you can help people out. It's not all about the money. Sometimes it's just about doing something good for somebody. And that's one of the things that Bri and I love about this business is we can help people.” - Don Dunn


Resources Mentioned:


]]> 3396 There’s More to Bidding Your Insurance Than Price http://thecompeffect.com/2021/02/05/theres-more-to-bidding-your-insurance-than-price/ Thu, 11 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams

]]> 1358 The King of Claim Triage https://thecompeffect.com/2021/02/04/the-king-of-claim-triage In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mike McDonough, the Work Comp Risk Advisor at Workers Comp Renegade and the President of McDonough Insurance Services. Mike talks about the importance of understanding and forward-thinking with workers’ compensation and discusses the books he’s written on the subject. Episode Highlights: Todd mentions how he met Mike McDonough. (1:41) Mike shares his background. (7:55) How does Mike educate his employees and clients on what to do when they have a compensation claim? (12:48) Mike shares the reason why he prefers using an independent triage firm rather than going through the carriers. (17:57) Mike mentions one of the huge steps when they onboard new clients. (26:54) What are the things that can be done to mitigate or reduce some of the costs? (33:29) Mike mentions what they did to identify the biggest problem in communication. (35:42) Mike shares an impactful story, based on his own experience. (36:49) Mike explains the significance of culture. (52:21) Mike shares a little background about his books. (1:01:43) Key Quotes: “You can make a great living in this industry and be successful, as long as you stick with whatever you're doing. Some like personal lines, commercial, professional liability, or some like malpractice. But I happen to like workers’ comp.” - Mike McDonough “What you want is you want it to be a system that works, whether you're there or not, and it's looking out for the best interest of your employees in the company and so forth. So triage is, is key. And so I just think from a liability standpoint, from reducing claims costs, and not getting too far into the weeds.” - Mike McDonough “If you want to do workers’ comp and you want to be an impact in your clients’ lives, either you or somebody in your organization reach out to a professional that knows worker's comp. Even if they know more than you and interview that person, and see what kind of arrangement you can work out, and bring them on to assist you, where you're offering more value to your clients. At the end of the day, everybody's winning, injured workers’ are winning, employers reducing their costs, and you look better as a work comp advisor.” - Mike McDonough Resources Mentioned: Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Todd Thams LinkedIn Mike McDonough LinkedIn McDonough Insurance Services Workers Comp Renegade Mon, 08 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mike McDonough, the Work Comp Risk Advisor at Workers Comp Renegade and the President of McDonough Insurance Services. Mike talks about the importance of understanding and forward-thinking with workers’ compensation and discusses the books he’s written on the subject. Episode Highlights: Todd mentions how he met Mike McDonough. (1:41) Mike shares his background. (7:55) How does Mike educate his employees and clients on what to do when they have a compensation claim? (12:48) Mike shares the reason why he prefers using an independent triage firm rather than going through the carriers. (17:57) Mike mentions one of the huge steps when they onboard new clients. (26:54) What are the things that can be done to mitigate or reduce some of the costs? (33:29) Mike mentions what they did to identify the biggest problem in communication. (35:42) Mike shares an impactful story, based on his own experience. (36:49) Mike explains the significance of culture. (52:21) Mike shares a little background about his books. (1:01:43) Key Quotes: “You can make a great living in this industry and be successful, as long as you stick with whatever you're doing. Some like personal lines, commercial, professional liability, or some like malpractice. But I happen to like workers’ comp.” - Mike McDonough “What you want is you want it to be a system that works, whether you're there or not, and it's looking out for the best interest of your employees in the company and so forth. So triage is, is key. And so I just think from a liability standpoint, from reducing claims costs, and not getting too far into the weeds.” - Mike McDonough “If you want to do workers’ comp and you want to be an impact in your clients’ lives, either you or somebody in your organization reach out to a professional that knows worker's comp. Even if they know more than you and interview that person, and see what kind of arrangement you can work out, and bring them on to assist you, where you're offering more value to your clients. At the end of the day, everybody's winning, injured workers’ are winning, employers reducing their costs, and you look better as a work comp advisor.” - Mike McDonough Resources Mentioned: Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Todd Thams LinkedIn Mike McDonough LinkedIn McDonough Insurance Services Workers Comp Renegade In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mike McDonough, the Work Comp Risk Advisor at Workers Comp Renegade and the President of McDonough Insurance Services. Mike talks about the importance of understanding and forward-thinking with workers’ compensation and discusses the books he’s written on the subject.


Episode Highlights:


  • Todd mentions how he met Mike McDonough. (1:41)
  • Mike shares his background. (7:55)
  • How does Mike educate his employees and clients on what to do when they have a compensation claim? (12:48)
  • Mike shares the reason why he prefers using an independent triage firm rather than going through the carriers. (17:57)
  • Mike mentions one of the huge steps when they onboard new clients. (26:54)
  • What are the things that can be done to mitigate or reduce some of the costs? (33:29)
  • Mike mentions what they did to identify the biggest problem in communication. (35:42)
  • Mike shares an impactful story, based on his own experience. (36:49)
  • Mike explains the significance of culture. (52:21)
  • Mike shares a little background about his books. (1:01:43)


Key Quotes:


  • “You can make a great living in this industry and be successful, as long as you stick with whatever you're doing. Some like personal lines, commercial, professional liability, or some like malpractice. But I happen to like workers’ comp.” - Mike McDonough
  • “What you want is you want it to be a system that works, whether you're there or not, and it's looking out for the best interest of your employees in the company and so forth. So triage is, is key. And so I just think from a liability standpoint, from reducing claims costs, and not getting too far into the weeds.” - Mike McDonough
  • “If you want to do workers’ comp and you want to be an impact in your clients’ lives, either you or somebody in your organization reach out to a professional that knows worker's comp. Even if they know more than you and interview that person, and see what kind of arrangement you can work out, and bring them on to assist you, where you're offering more value to your clients. At the end of the day, everybody's winning, injured workers’ are winning, employers reducing their costs, and you look better as a work comp advisor.” - Mike McDonough


Resources Mentioned:


]]> 3988 Why I Started the Comp Effect Thu, 04 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Todd Thams

]]> 420 Why Injured Workers Run to Attorneys with Jennifer Zupp In the first episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jennifer Zupp, Co-Owner of Zupp and Zupp Law Firm. Jennifer talks about her knowledge and expertise in litigating Workers’ Compensation and shares lessons and advice to help business owners, risk managers, and HR professionals. Episode Highlights: Jennifer shares her background and what made her go into the Worker's Compensation area. (3:34) Jennifer mentions the number one tip that drives people to her. (6:28) Todd explains why there’s always a cost containment on any Workers’ Compensation claim. (9:13) Jennifer explains the importance of reporting the injury to the insurance company. (16:37) What happens if a worker has been taken out of work for a work-related injury, and no benefits have been paid? (17:44) Jennifer shares why attending a Worker's Compensation seminar is beneficial. (33:55) How often does Jennifer go to court against an insurance company? (35:36) Jennifer mentions what they typically do in their businesses. (51:20) Todd asks Jennifer three random questions. (59:18) Key Quotes: “I feel like I have a real good upbringing, a good perspective on what it really means to be tied to your job, and when that's taken away from somebody or the job is in jeopardy, it really impacts the family.” - Jennifer Zupp “The story that gets told is that workers are just out to get something. But I guarantee you, Workers’ Compensation is not the golden ticket to paradise for most people. It's a means to an end, and it does work well if the processes are followed.” - Jennifer Zupp “Be nice to each other, we have so much going on in this world today that affects us all. And the reality is probably what affects us most is our families, our communities, those around us. So, just treat each other with respect and remember, what goes around, comes around.” - Jennifer Zupp Resources Mentioned: Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Todd Thams LinkedIn Jennifer Zupp LinkedIn Zupp and Zupp Law Firm, PC Mon, 18 Jan 2021 18:55:00 -0000 full Todd Thams In the first episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jennifer Zupp, Co-Owner of Zupp and Zupp Law Firm. Jennifer talks about her knowledge and expertise in litigating Workers’ Compensation and shares lessons and advice to help business owners, risk managers, and HR professionals. Episode Highlights: Jennifer shares her background and what made her go into the Worker's Compensation area. (3:34) Jennifer mentions the number one tip that drives people to her. (6:28) Todd explains why there’s always a cost containment on any Workers’ Compensation claim. (9:13) Jennifer explains the importance of reporting the injury to the insurance company. (16:37) What happens if a worker has been taken out of work for a work-related injury, and no benefits have been paid? (17:44) Jennifer shares why attending a Worker's Compensation seminar is beneficial. (33:55) How often does Jennifer go to court against an insurance company? (35:36) Jennifer mentions what they typically do in their businesses. (51:20) Todd asks Jennifer three random questions. (59:18) Key Quotes: “I feel like I have a real good upbringing, a good perspective on what it really means to be tied to your job, and when that's taken away from somebody or the job is in jeopardy, it really impacts the family.” - Jennifer Zupp “The story that gets told is that workers are just out to get something. But I guarantee you, Workers’ Compensation is not the golden ticket to paradise for most people. It's a means to an end, and it does work well if the processes are followed.” - Jennifer Zupp “Be nice to each other, we have so much going on in this world today that affects us all. And the reality is probably what affects us most is our families, our communities, those around us. So, just treat each other with respect and remember, what goes around, comes around.” - Jennifer Zupp Resources Mentioned: Direct Work Comp Thams Agency Todd Thams LinkedIn Jennifer Zupp LinkedIn Zupp and Zupp Law Firm, PC In the first episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Jennifer Zupp, Co-Owner of Zupp and Zupp Law Firm. Jennifer talks about her knowledge and expertise in litigating Workers’ Compensation and shares lessons and advice to help business owners, risk managers, and HR professionals.


Episode Highlights:


  • Jennifer shares her background and what made her go into the Worker's Compensation area. (3:34)
  • Jennifer mentions the number one tip that drives people to her. (6:28)
  • Todd explains why there’s always a cost containment on any Workers’ Compensation claim. (9:13)
  • Jennifer explains the importance of reporting the injury to the insurance company. (16:37)
  • What happens if a worker has been taken out of work for a work-related injury, and no benefits have been paid? (17:44)
  • Jennifer shares why attending a Worker's Compensation seminar is beneficial. (33:55)
  • How often does Jennifer go to court against an insurance company? (35:36)
  • Jennifer mentions what they typically do in their businesses. (51:20)
  • Todd asks Jennifer three random questions. (59:18)


Key Quotes:


  • “I feel like I have a real good upbringing, a good perspective on what it really means to be tied to your job, and when that's taken away from somebody or the job is in jeopardy, it really impacts the family.” - Jennifer Zupp
  • “The story that gets told is that workers are just out to get something. But I guarantee you, Workers’ Compensation is not the golden ticket to paradise for most people. It's a means to an end, and it does work well if the processes are followed.” - Jennifer Zupp
  • “Be nice to each other, we have so much going on in this world today that affects us all. And the reality is probably what affects us most is our families, our communities, those around us. So, just treat each other with respect and remember, what goes around, comes around.” - Jennifer Zupp


Resources Mentioned:


]]> 3711