New on the blog: WSIA's 2018 Legislative Preview
It's lawmaking season in Olympia as the Washington State Legislature convenes its 2018 session on Monday. What are the new political dynamics on "the Hill?" What will the top issues in workers' comp and safety be? Find out in our legislative preview. Please send in any comments on any of the issues you see, and if you want to follow the action more closely all session, opt-in to our legislative committee e-mail list. Drop us a line to let us know.
Almost last call for Winter West Conference - only one week to go
We're excited to gather next week at Safeco Field for this year's Winter West Conference, featuring an "All Star" slate of presenters and exhibitors focusing on return to work and claims management tips, as well as new developments in disability employment laws. If you're on the fence, don't wait to get your registration in -- - great networking, continuing education, the day's meals, and parking are all included. Click here for more. Need to join us in Spokane instead for Winter East Jan. 25th? Click here for that one.
WCAC meets; materials available for download
The state's Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee met yesterday in Tukwila to receive updates on the status of the workers' compensation system. You can see the Department of Labor & Industries' presentation materials here. The Department continues to make progress on its return to work benchmarks, as shown on its RTW dashboard, and continues to experience favorable development of its liabilities, which along with a roaring stock market has led to significant gains in State Fund reserves.
WSIA Safety Group to hold online roundtable next Thursday - all invited
WSIA's Safety Committee holds its monthly online/conference call meeting next Thursday, January 11th at 2:00 p.m. We apologize for the technical difficulties in December and have worked those out. Once again, the one-hour meeting will cover safety wearables, OSHA's delay in electronic reporting requirements, a review of the WISHA Advisory Committee meeting, and a related discussion on the increase in WISHA fines. We are hoping to schedule an industrial Hygienist for the February meeting and would appreciate anyone forwarding related questions. Any other topics are invited, please send in advance to committee chair John Shervey. Click here to get the link to join the online meeting and please pass along to safety personnel in your organization. You don't have to be a "committee member" to listen in and participate!
Got issues? WSIA Liaison Committee meets Jan. 17
WSIA's Liaison Committee, our bi-monthly standing meeting with self-insurance program leadership at Labor & Industries, has its next scheduled meeting on January 17th. The membership is represented by MultiCare's Glenn Hansen, Sedgwick's Patrick Reiman, and Eberle Vivian's Lisa Vivian, along with Kris Tefft. We've had a recent uptick in issues we've been able to present from the membership and resolve through the liaison committee process. If you have any claims management, personnel, or other other issues you would like raised, please let us know by next Wednesday.
Want to make an impact on WSIA conferences?
WSIA's Conference Planning Committee, chaired by Laurel Hensley of Sather Byerly & Holloway, is holding a conference call on Monday, January 22 from 1:00 p.m. to about 2:30 p.m. in order to finalize the agendas for our upcoming Spring and Annual Conferences, and discuss speakers and topics for future WSIA programs. Want to volunteer and make an impact? Click here to get the call-in information.
Don't forget about Complex Claims Training - coming early February
We opened up registration for Complex Claims alongside Intro to Claims last fall, and are now reminding folks that this two-day workshop is coming up fast! Complex is the next step after Intro to advance through the Industrial Insurance University core curriculum, and the one where our instructors spend more time and interaction on the difficult issues in claims handling. Get the run-down on the program and registration details here.
Complimentary Year in Review webinar coming February 16
Also this week, we opened complimentary (for WSIA members) registration for attorney John Klor's popular annual Legal Year in Review, covering the top developments in the courts, at the Board, and in laws and rules that took place over the course of 2017. This one always fills up fast and we're limited to the first 100 logins, so take a look here.
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