Blog
Another Successful Open Enrollment for Spooner Medical Administrators
Our MCO, Spooner Medical Administrators, had another successful open enrollment this past May! We realize that marketing can be very cut-throat (and not always transparent) during the short biennial enrollment period, and other MCOs may have offered you the moon to stray from SMAI. Despite what other MCOs and the BWC’s report card might say about SMAI - we continue to have controlled, steady growth and incredible retention. The Spooner family of companies would like to thank the thousands of businesses that chose to retain SMAI as their MCO, and the hundreds of new companies that chose SMAI as their new partner. We look forward to continuing to build our relationships with you and are thankful for our 12th consecutive successful OE!
Federal Court Vacates 2024 Overtime Rule
Posted By Brandy King
November 21, 2024
Category: FLSA, DOL, Overtime Rule, White Collar Exemption, Wage And Hour
Toward the end of 2023, we advised our readers that changes would be coming to the FLSA white-collar overtime exemption threshold. The first change took place in July 2024, raising the minimum salary for overtime exempt employees from $35,568 to $43,888. Employers scrambled, crunched numbers, and made the necessary adjustments to comply with this new legislation. The plan was to raise that minimum salary again in January of 2025 to $58,656. Many employers had already made arrangements to be compliant with the new figure as of 1/1/25. However, on November 15, 2024, a federal court in Texas issued a decision vacating the ruling, which reverts the minimum salary threshold to $35,568. We’ve received a lot of questions on this, so we want to clarify – this change applies to employers nationwide. Regardless of the state the hearing may occur in, it is still a federal court and a federal judge. The court stated in their lengthy opinion on the matter that the Department of Labor (DOL) had overstepped their authority in determining the amounts of these increases. This essentially kicks it back to the DOL to rethink their rule. DOL may choose to appeal this ruling, and we will keep you updated on any changes. As for now, the increase planned for January 1, 2025 will not take effect. If you have questions or concerns about how these changes may impact your company, don’t hesitate to reach out to your team at
Group Rating Enrollment Ends November 15
Posted By Brandy King
October 28, 2024
Category: Ohio Bwc, Group Rating, Group Retro, Premium Savings
The clock is ticking on Group Rating enrollment for the 2025 Ohio BWC policy year! The deadline for Group Rating paperwork is November 15, 2024. The Group Rating program provides upfront premium savings for qualified Ohio employers. If you are a Spooner client and are eligible for Group Rating, you should have already received your program renewal from us. If you haven’t, please reach out to your client services manager. If you’d like to receive a quote for Group Rating from Spooner Inc., we can accept requests through Wednesday, November 6. You can complete an authorization online by visiting this page. Keep in mind that waiting this long for a quote means you’d have a maximum of one week to make your decision once you receive it. No one likes feeling rushed, so we’d suggest getting your request in as soon as possible! Not all Ohio employers are eligible for Group Rating, and may want to consider the Group Retrospective program enrolls through January 27th. Usually referred to as Group Retro, employers enrolled in this program will see savings down the road once actual vs. expected losses are measured. For businesses that aren’t eligible for Group Rating, and don’t have the flexibility of waiting to see savings, we’d also encourage you to explore SuretyHR, our self-insured PEO (professional employer organization). SuretyHR is an alternative to being insured by Ohio BWC for workers’ compensation. By creating a
OSHA's Top 10 Violations
Posted By Brandy King
October 28, 2024
Category: Osha, Top Ten, Most Cited, Violations, Fall Protection, Ppe, Respiratory Protection
OSHA released its annual Top 10 list of most cited workplace safety standards earlier this month at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo in Orlando, Florida. The violations making it into the top 10 are the same as last year, but their respective place in the top 10 may have changed. On the bright side, most categories saw fewer violations in the last year, compared to the prior year’s data. Respiratory protection and PPE were the two categories that saw increases, and these violations are avoidable with the right knowledge, programs, and enforcement in place. Many employers don’t realize that they need to provide respiratory protection to employees in certain roles. Check out our blog on respiratory protection programs to get an idea of what’s involved. The list reflects violations from October 2023 through September 2024, and is based solely on federal OSHA data. For yet another year, Fall Protection (general requirements) was #1 with more than double the violations of the next largest category, and hasn’t moved from that spot for 13 years. 1. Fall Protection – General Requirements: 7,271 violations 2. Hazard Communication: 3,213 3. Ladders: 2,978 4. Scaffolding: 2,859 5. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 2,561 6. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2,554 7. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2
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28605 Ranney Parkway
Westlake, Ohio 44145
Phone: 440-249-5260 ext. 153
Hours: 8AM to 5PM
