Though no employer wants their employees out on disability, it does happen. The absence of your employee decreases productivity and increases operations expenses, and the longer they are out, the more it costs your business. That is why Spooner has developed Integrated Disability Management services for Ohio employers to help them reduce the duration of disability claims.
At Spooner, our Integrated Disability Management services include workers comp, FLMA, and short-term/ long-term disability claims all in one service. This means that we handle all of these types of claims for you, allowing you to have a single source to go to in regard to employee disability management.
Most employers rely on their human resource departments to manage these claims. However, this can be a very daunting task for one person or one department who has other responsibilities as well.
At Spooner, we have several professionals in our office that provide these services for you. We immediately assign you a nurse case manager for early intervention and aggressive medical case management.
Many Ohio employers are worried about Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act violations, also known as HIPPA violations. When dealing with FMLA and/or short-term disability, it could be for a variety of reasons, and if cancer is one of them, it becomes very complicated. Most employers don't want to get involved with that because of the potential risks from HIPPA. But Spooner is able to handle that and keep them safe from any violations.
There are many steps to making sure that you, as an Ohio employer, are getting your employees the services that they need while also making sure you are covering your business's needs as well. It can be easy to make mistakes which can be very consequential.
If you are an Ohio employer and you need someone to help you manage your employee disability claims, contact us at Spooner today. Our Integrated Disability Management services are the most effective return-to-work service in the industry.
Posted By Brandy King
January 15, 2025
Category: General
The clock is ticking on Group Retro enrollment for the 2025 Ohio BWC policy year! The deadline for Group Retro paperwork is January 27, 2025. If you're a Spooner client enrolling in Retro, you should have already received your program renewal from us. If you haven’t, please reach out to your client services manager. If your BWC policy was disqualified for savings programs for 2025 or you 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 co-employment relationship with other employers, we’re able to place them in our own self-insured workers’ compensation plan. PEO clients also have the added benefit of SuretyHR’s team assisting with safety, HR, FMLA and unemployment claims administration, and quite a bit more. You can request a savings analysis from SuretyHR
Posted By Brandy King
January 07, 2025
Category: Ohio BWC, Group Retro, 20018 Group Retro, 2019 Group Retro, Group Retro Refunds Withheld
The team at Spooner Risk Control Services, Kent Elastomer Products, Inc. and Roetzel & Andress have scored another win in the fight to get businesses the Group Retro refunds they’ve earned. Background: At the end of 2020, we shared Ohio BWC’s decision to withhold Group Retro refunds owed to participating employers for the 2018 and 2019 policy years. This was based on the concept that employers were already returned 100% of premiums for those years via dividends released to Ohio employers in April and October of 2020. However, dividend distribution and Group Retro refunds are governed by different rules, and different portions of the Ohio Revised Code. We appealed this decision in August 2020, kicking off a legal battle with Ohio BWC that will continue into 2025. After the victory for Group Retro participants in February 2023, BWC appealed the magistrate’s ruling, stating five objections. A hearing was held on November 19, 2024 by the 10th District Court of Appeals, and four of the five objections were overruled. For the reasons detailed here, the court again ruled in favor of Ohio businesses granted a limited writ of mandamus (meaning BWC is obligated to pay out Group Retro refunds). Hellbent on not paying these earned program refunds to employers, BWC chose to file yet another appeal on December 30, 2024 arguing their reasoning for withholding the refunds. From here, the matter will be referred to the Supreme Court of
Posted By Brandy King
December 16, 2024
Category: Non Compete, Employment Law, Non Solicitation Agreement, Ohio
FTC’s Non-Compete Ban Blocked, But Gray Area Remains In early 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) introduced and finalized a rule banning the use of non-competes. Employers, Chambers of Commerce and trade organizations rallied against the new rule claiming it was anti-employer, some going as far as calling it “blatantly awful.” As expected, the change was met with litigation and in August of 2024, the ban was struck down by a federal judge in Texas who claimed the FTC overstepped its authority by issuing the rule. A non-compete (or non-competition agreement) is an agreement in which the employee agrees not to engage in conduct or activities that could increase competition for their employer. These types of arrangements are prevalent in finance, healthcare, design, tech and all types of sales or business development roles. They’re meant to protect things like trade secrets, privileged info and client retention. Non-competes aren’t the same as non-solicitation clauses. These agreements err more toward not calling on your former clients in your new role. Here’s an example of differentiating between the two. Non-Compete: “Upon leaving ABC Company, you may not engage in a similar role for another insurance company within a 50-mile radius.” Non-Solicitation: “Upon leaving ABC Company, you may not solicit (contact/call on) clients of ABC Company in your new role with another insurance company.” For now, bo
28605 Ranney Parkway
Westlake, Ohio 44145
Phone: 440-249-5260 ext. 153
Hours: 8AM to 5PM