Business Insurance articles from August 2005

Business Insurance archives from August 2005

Lawmakers back to old habits after strong start.(reauthorization of insurance law)(Column)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann The long hot summer has descended upon Washington. Following a time-honored tradition that predates the invention of air conditioning-or the electric fan for that matter-Congress has left town for the month of...

Measure offers options for pension calculations.(pensions law by Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Jerry Geisel WASHINGTON-A new way of calculating pension liabilities would be available to employers under legislation approved last week by the Senate Finance Committee. Under current law-set to expire at the end of this...

FSA finds problems in brokers' handling of client funds.(United Kingdom. Financial Services Authority investigation)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Barbara Cockburn LONDON-The U.K. Financial Services Authority said it has found "a large number of failures in the systems and controls'' relating to commercial insurance brokers' handling of client funds. The FSA, which began...

Pa. court rejects tort reform law.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Meg Fletcher PHILADELPHIA-Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court ruled last week that a 2002 tort reform measure that limited joint and several liability was unconstitutional. The court ruled that the so-called Fair Share Act, which...

Equitas to pay U.S. manufacturer Crane $33 million to settle asbestos, other claims.(World)(Equitas Holdings Ltd. to pay to Crane Co. towards pollution liability)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann LONDON-Equitas Ltd. has agreed to pay $33 million to Crane Co. to settle asbestos and other liability claims against the Stamford, Conn.-based manufacturer. The settlement resolves all claims against pre-1993...

Noise safety advice unheeded.(Spotlight)(noise induced hearing loss in construction industry)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann Even the best-designed hearing protection devices will fail if workers won't listen to safety advice. And the construction industry is particularly prone to ignoring advice that could prevent hearing loss,...

Opportunity knocks for national med mal reform.(medical malpractice)(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... Advocates of federal medical malpractice liability reform have been presented with the best opportunity in years to realize their goal, courtesy of the House of Representatives. And they should make every effort to take advantage of that...

Army mulls using single insurer to reduce workers comp costs.(Army. Corps of Engineers, compensation)
August 1, 2005... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS With violence in Iraq stretching on, efforts to overhaul the workers compensation system for defense contractors have gained a fresh boost, which is causing concerns among some insurers. Their concern stems...

Employers tuning in to the dangers of noise.(Spotlight)(noise induced hearing loss)
August 1, 2005... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN An invisible occupational injury that manifests itself in neither bleeding wound nor broken bone is threatening millions of workers. This injury comes from no silent threat, though. It is hearing loss brought...

Medical errors database designed to improve care.(News)
August 1, 2005... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK WASHINGTON-President Bush last week signed into law landmark legislation that would establish a national patient safety database intended to encourage voluntary reporting of medical errors. "This bill is a...

Nevada commissioner appoints captive regulator.(News)(W. Randy Peppers appointed as executive director of captive programs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Jerry Geisel CARSON CITY, Nev.-Nevada has named its first regulator exclusively in charge of captive insurance companies. Nevada Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman has appointed W. Randy Peppers, the former lead...

Backstop supporters seeking alternatives to current TRIA; Lawmakers examine options after Treasury objects to extension.(News)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, Department of the Treasury)
August 1, 2005... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-A key lawmaker wants to work with the Treasury Department during the August recess to devise alternatives to the existing federal terrorism insurance backstop provided by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act....

Working with a pro like you is heaven.(ways of successful flattery in insurance industry)(Column)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Paul Winston, Editorial Director "Baloney is flattery laid on so thick it cannot be true, and blarney is flattery so thin we love it.'' -Fulton J. Sheen You've heard the expression flattery will get you nowhere? A group of...

Past rulings on cash balance plans.(News)(laws)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Courts have offered contradictory rulings on the cash balance plan age discrimination issue September 2000: In the first ruling on the issue, a federal judge in Indianapolis rules that the design of cash balance plans does not discriminate...

More lawsuits being filed over clinical drug trials; High profile cases, number of tests contribute to increase in litigation.(News)
August 1, 2005... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD The increased use of clinical drug trials by pharmaceutical companies striving to bring more drugs to market is leading to a growing volume of lawsuits being filed by trial participants, many observers say. The...

Ruling could curtail solvent runoff schemes.(British Aviation Insurance Co. solvent scheme)
August 1, 2005... Byline: BARBARA COCKBURN LONDON-U.S. policyholder attorneys have welcomed a U.K. court ruling blocking an aviation insurer's proposed solvent scheme of arrangement. The ruling should end a practice that can be unfair to policyholders...

Health insurers try to bring managed care to workers comp.(Spotlight)
August 1, 2005... Byline: SARA HARTY After an employee sustains a workplace injury, everyone agrees that the goal is to get the injured worker back to good health and on the job as quickly as possible. Efforts to accomplish this in the most economical...

Late News; Spitzer asks Moody's about reinsurer ratings.(investigations of Moody's Investor Service)(XL Capital Ltd's quarter year earnigs)(aurvey on 401K plans)
August 1, 2005... New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has subpoenaed Moody's Investors Service in connection with its reinsurer ratings. Moody's Corp., parent of Moody's Investors Service, said in its quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange...

Extend litigation protection to all cash plan sponsors.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... If there is logic in a legislative proposal that would make it clear that cash balance pension plans set up in the future are not age discriminatory, but would not extend such protection to the roughly 1,700 plans that already have been set up,...

Ohio comp fund scandal sidelines reform efforts.(News)(Bureau of Workers Compensation)(compensation fund)
August 1, 2005... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS COLUMBUS, Ohio-Ohio employer groups say the ongoing investment scandal plaguing the state's Bureau of Workers Compensation has indefinitely postponed enactment of employer-backed workers comp reforms. Several...

Statute clears the trail for converted railroad corridors.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Michael Bradford SACO, Maine-A small legislative change is expected to mean big savings on insurance costs for a group that wants to develop a recreational trail along a railroad corridor. Maine legislators earlier this year...

Updates; Benfield opens Canadian facultative practice.(World)(Benfield Group Ltd. expands services into Canada)(Royal and SunAlliance Insurance Group PLC. makes changes to its closed defined benefit plans)(Robert D. Stauffer joins OIL Group of Cos. as president and chief executive officer)
August 1, 2005... Benfield Group Ltd. is expanding its global facultative reinsurance practice into Canada. Jim Willis will head the company's new facultative solutions practice and will be based in Benfield's Toronto office. Benfield's global facultative...

APRA bars former HIH director from holding senior position.(World)(Australia. Prudential Regulation Authority)(Dominic Fodera of HIH Insurance Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Barbara Cockburn SYDNEY, Australia-The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has barred the former finance director of failed insurer HIH Insurance Ltd. from holding a senior role in an insurance company. Dominic Fodera,...

House approves med mal liability reforms; But Senate support unclear.(News)(medical malpractice)
August 1, 2005... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-Medical malpractice liability reform advocates hope the Senate will follow the House's lead and approve medical malpractice liability reform legislation, but they have no illusions that achieving that...

Higher liability costs derail small freight, tourist rail lines.(News)
August 1, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD Liability insurance costs, coupled with soaring fuel prices, are running some railroads off the tracks. Even though liability prices have stabilized for some small-to-midsize freight and tourist railroads,...

SEC probe into RenRe restatement may spur charges against chief exec.(News)(case against RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.)(Securities and Exchange Commission)
August 1, 2005... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH PEMBROKE, Bermuda-RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.'s top executive could be the next individual to face civil charges as part of a broad probe into finite reinsurance abuses, after the reinsurer disclosed last week that...

AIG, Trenwick accused of offloading losses on pool.(News)(American International Group Inc.)(Trenwick America Reinsurance Corp.)
August 1, 2005... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS BOSTON-Nineteen insurers have filed a lawsuit alleging that American International Group Inc. and Trenwick America Reinsurance Corp. fraudulently inflated claims and schemed to leave them with $73 million in...

Effort to criticized for dispel cash balance doubts ignoring existing plans.(News)
August 1, 2005... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-A legislative effort to shield future cash balance plans from age discrimination suits may be worse than lawmakers doing nothing at all, benefit experts say. The Senate Finance Committee last week...

ERM widely accepted but not widely implemented, study says.(News)(enterprise risk management)
August 1, 2005... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS While enterprise risk management has gained wide acceptance as a method for analyzing and confronting risks, only a small number of risk managers have actually fully implemented the process within their organizations,...

Telephone triage services help companies save on comp costs.(Spotlight)
August 1, 2005... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK Telephone triage is helping some employers reduce their workers compensation costs by eliminating unnecessary trips to hospital emergency rooms. But some critics assert that the service is redundant in states...

Drug-test cheats frustrate employer screening efforts.(Spotlight)
August 1, 2005... Byline: MEG FLETCHER Employers that use drug-testing programs as part of efforts to improve safety and reduce workers compensation claims increasingly face obstacles as some workers access a plethora of products designed to beat the tests....

Products & Services; LIU alliance offers liability coverage for CPAs.(News)(policy for certified public accountants)(Cigna Group Insurance offers programs for reducing disability and medical costs)(Travis Software Corp. issues an enhanced version, TravisCobra 7.3.)
August 1, 2005... DALLAS-Liberty International Underwriters, a division of Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., has partnered with ProTexn Inc., a Dallas-based insurance agency, to offer an accountants' professional liability policy. The CPAEssential...

Six-step program.(Spotlight)(employee drug testing)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Companies are advised to take these actions in establishing effective drug testing for employees. Research all applicable laws and labor contracts to design an acceptable program. Choose appropriate test criteria that meet the...

Powerful hurricanes pose huge catastrophe exposure for Northeastern U.S. states.(Catastrophe Management)
August 8, 2005... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN James Lee Witt used to have a nightmare about hurricanes. "When I was director of FEMA, one of my worst fears was that a hurricane like Floyd or Andrew would come right up the East Coast,'' said Mr. Witt, who...

Choosing the top benefit manager.(News)
August 8, 2005... Business Insurance's inaugural Benefit Manager of the Year(tm) award is intended to recognize excellence and innovation in employee benefits management. The award competition in benefits follows in the tradition of the magazine's...

Hurricane onslaught of 2004 reinforces lessons of Andrew.(disaster planning)
August 8, 2005... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN Four unwelcome visitors named Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne left Florida with about $22 billion in insured property damage last year. But that wasn't all those four hurricanes did. They also taught some...

Workers score trifecta in Supreme Court; Trio of decisions during last term creates challenges for employers.(Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Gerald L. Maatman Jr. The manner by which risk managers, human resources professionals and corporate counsel mitigate legal risks is influenced significantly by U.S. Supreme Court decisional law. As the Supreme Court prepares...

More risk managers turning to modeling to mitigate the risks of terrorist bombing.(Spotlight: Catastrophe Management)
August 8, 2005... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS Fears of terrorist bombings have prompted a small but growing number of risk managers to embrace a risk identification tool that property risk consultants describe as the next logical step in risk modeling. Just...

Serious environmental risks can accompany catastrophes.(catastrophe management)
August 8, 2005... Byline: MEG FLETCHER Risk managers in some industries need to prepare for unintended release of dangerous materials into the environment following a natural or man-made catastrophe. They can benefit from the lessons learned in the...

Buyers can help TRIA cause: CEO.(News)(Ramani Ayer)(The Hartford)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act )(Interview)
August 8, 2005... HARTFORD, Conn.-Risk managers have an important role to play along with insurance industry leaders and regulators in promoting a federal backstop for insuring against terrorist attacks, said the top executive at The Hartford Financial Services...

Wind-driven rains create peril on par with high winds, debris.(Spotlight: Catastrophe Management)
August 8, 2005... Byline: MARA LAZDINS A well-crafted catastrophe plan can help risk managers deal with one of a hurricane's most destructive elements: wind-driven rain. While high winds are often the center of attention as a hurricane makes landfall,...

Legal Briefs: ERISA administrator not bound by Social Security determination.(Employee Retirement Income Security Act)(Bettye Whitaker files lawsuit against Gray Communications Systems Inc.)(Michael Martorana sues Board of Trustees of Steamfitters Local union)(Columbia Falls Aluminum Co.'s former employees sues the company)
August 8, 2005... An ERISA plan administrator was not bound by a Social Security Administration determination when reviewing a participant's claim for disability benefits under the ERISA plan, according to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Bettye...

After the hurricane is over, the risk of mold growth begins.(Spotlight: Catastrophe Management)
August 8, 2005... Byline: MARA LAZDINS Hurricane-generated water damage can mean an additional peril for risk managers: mold. In some cases, hidden moisture or the failure to remove saturated materials in a building can result in mold growth. Mold can...

Tracing SCOR's troubles.(News)
August 8, 2005... SCOR S.A.'s troubles emerged in October 2002, when the reinsurer said it would record a net loss of 250 million euros ($252.3 million) for 2002. That loss, SCOR said, would reflect a reserve boost of roughly 225 million euros ($227.1...

Comings & Goings - Industry.(News)(HCC Insurance Holdings Inc)(Harleysville Group Inc.)(ACE Ltd.)(appointments)
August 8, 2005... Insurers: Houston-based HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. has named David J. Evans as managing director of the London operations of its underwriting agency subsidiary, ASU International Inc. Most recently, he was an underwriter at R.J. Kiln &...

AIG unit hit with bad-faith charges; Schering-Plough, Lexington disagree over interpretation of liability policy wording.(News)(American International Group Inc.)
August 8, 2005... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD NEWARK, N.J.-Pharmaceutical giant Schering-Plough Corp. is leveling bad-faith charges against an American International Group Inc. unit for its alleged refusal to pay more than $21 million in product liability losses...

French pool leads crash cover.(World)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY TORONTO-Aviation insurance pool La Reunion Aerienne leads the hull and liability coverage for the Air France jet that skidded on landing and burst into flames last Tuesday, the pool confirmed. The Airbus A340-300...

Between the Lines; You've come a long way...babies.(News)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Compiled by Joanne Wojcik The designation of World Breastfeeding Week shows that women have come a long way since their bra-burning days. The week, officially celebrated Aug. 1-7, is meant to draw attention to the health...

Terrorism pool an idea worth a try.(Editorial)
August 8, 2005... Key members of congress have said they want to work on the problem of terrorism insurance during their August recess, and we certainly agree that would be time well spent. In fact, doing so has more than a little urgency-the Terrorism Risk...

Wildfire losses in 2005 spreading and may worsen with months left in season.(News)
August 8, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD Wildfires are taking lives and consuming property on millions of acres across the United States this summer as a new study reveals that the true costs of the blazes are much higher than many realize. More than...

European pools.(News)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Major European terrorism insurance pools: United Kingdom Program: Pool Reinsurance Co. Ltd. Year formed: 1993 Coverages: All-risk property, business interruption France Program: Gestion de l'Assurance et de la...

Decision limiting FMLA waivers creates employer headaches.(News)(Family and Medical Leave Act)
August 8, 2005... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD RICHMOND, Va.-A federal appellate court decision barring the waiver of employee rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act without prior court or Department of Labor approval undermines the validity of the claims...

BI names panel of judges for Benefit Manager of the Year honor.(Business Insurance)
August 8, 2005... CHICAGO-Business Insurance has assembled a panel of leading experts in employee benefits to judge the magazine's inaugural Benefit Manager of the Year award competition. The independent panelists represent top benefit consulting firms,...

NAPF proposes DC plan governance code.(National Association of Pension Funds, defined contribution pension plans)
August 8, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-As more employers shift to defined contribution pension plans, a governance structure to ensure such plans are being run correctly is needed, according to the National Assn. of Pension Funds. The...

India flood damage estimates vary.(World)
August 8, 2005... Byline: BARBARA COCKBURN MUMBAI, India-India's insurers are working to estimate the extent of claims from last weeks' floods that have devastated parts of the state of Maharashtra, including the city of Mumbai, though much of the damage is...

Updates; BAIC to appeal solvent scheme ruling.(British Aviation Insurance Co. Ltd. entered runoff )(Munich Reinsurance Co.'s financial report)(Omega Underwriting Holdings P.L.C. bids to acquire Hardy Underwriting Group P.L.C.)
August 8, 2005... British Aviation Insurance Co. Ltd. will appeal to the Court of Appeal following High Court Judge Mr. Justice Lewison's refusal to sanction a proposed solvent scheme of arrangement (BI, Aug. 1). In a statement, London-based BAIC said it is...

Gallagher TPA unit appealing ruling on school property coverage dispute.(a case between Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. and Arthur J. Gallagher and Co.)
August 8, 2005... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS PITTSBURGH-Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. is asking a full Pennsylvania appellate court to toss out an appellate panel ruling that the third-party administrator argues would saddle it with brokerage or insurer...

NIOSH sees fit to relax ban on contact lens wear.(News)(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
August 8, 2005... Byline: MEG FLETCHER WASHINGTON-National safety and health regulators are relaxing their quarter-century ban against contact lens wear while working with hazardous chemicals. The latest research by the National Institute for...

If TRIA lapses, would a pool meet needs?(News)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act)
August 8, 2005... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN The idea of forming some sort of insurance industry-funded pool to create private capacity for catastrophic terrorism insurance may be picking up support as an alternative to the current federal backstop provided...

SCOR regains A-level rating.(News)
August 8, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY PARIS-SCOR S.A.'s turnaround efforts paid off last week when Standard & Poor's Corp. upgraded the reinsurer back into the A level, an unusual move that observers say should help SCOR increase its business while giving...

Garamendi misinformed on CDHP designs.(Editorial)(John Garamendi)(consumer driven health plans)
August 8, 2005... We have a simple message for California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi: Before denouncing consumer-driven health plans, such as health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements, he would be wise to examine how the plans...

Marsh bid-rigging probe nets more pleas.(News)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Douglas McLeod NEW YORK-Three more former Marsh Inc. brokers and a former Zurich North America underwriter pleaded guilty to criminal charges last week in New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's investigation of bid-rigging at...

Work/life no longer a 'woman's issue'.(male employees taking advantage of employer supported work/life programs and childcare)
August 8, 2005... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS The desire to balance work and life, once considered more of a women's issue, now is prompting more men to finally take advantage of the work/life programs that their employers have long made available. While...

Late News; Gray team ups hurricane estimate.
August 8, 2005... Hurricane forecaster William Gray and his team have increased the number of hurricanes they expect will form during the current hurricane season to 10 from eight. In addition, the Gray team from Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State...

Greenberg challenges AIG restatements; Former CEO says several items 'exaggerated and unnecessary'.(American International Group Inc.'s former chief operating officer Maurice R. Greenberg)
August 8, 2005... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH NEW YORK-American International Group Inc.'s move to restate more than five years of earnings by nearly $4 billion was unwarranted, and that decision by current AIG officials-along with the role of the company's...

BI readers get to voice their choices.(News)
August 15, 2005... Which companies are the best in the industry? Who's tops in terms of service, value, quality and innovation? If you read Business Insurance, we want to know what you think. With our inaugural Readers Choice Awards, BI readers will choose...

PwC found liable in old insolvency; 20 years after insurer's collapse, jury puts auditor on hook to pay claims.(PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. )
August 15, 2005... Byline: MEG FLETCHER NEWARK, N.J.-Most policyholders of Ambassador Insurance Co. could have their claims paid in full following a $119.9 million jury verdict in an accounting malpractice case brought against the long-defunct surplus lines...

Traits of the insurance field.(Commentary)
August 15, 2005... Byline: Paul Winston, Editorial Director Have you ever opened your e-mail inbox to find that you are the recipient of a "You know you are from...'' message? Such messages, which alternately list inside jokes and poke fun at locals, are...

Regulators eye civil charges against MBIA; Investigators focus on finite risk deal.(News)
August 15, 2005... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD NEW YORK-MBIA Inc. may be the next insurer to face charges over accounting practices related to finite risk transactions. The Securities and Exchange Commission and New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's...

Bias has no place at work.(Editorial)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
August 15, 2005... Employers often must a walk a fine line between accommodating employees' needs while maintainingproductivity. As we report on page 1, a rise in religious discrimination claims makes this a case in point. An increasingly diverse workforce...

Arizona high court strikes down bar on comp cover in substance abuse case.(News)
August 15, 2005... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS PHOENIX-Arizona's Supreme Court has struck down a state law that significantly jeopardizes workers compensation benefits for workers injured while under the influence of controlled substances. The law violates the...

Legal Briefs: Faulty workmanship isn't property damage, court says.(Briefs)
August 15, 2005... Two commercial general liability insurance policies did not cover a manufacturer's defective or faulty workmanship in constructing oven line feed systems, which did not constitute "property damage'' within the policies' coverage, according to...

TRIA needed, with revisions: Report; Wharton study says deductibles under backstop must spread risk more equitably.(News)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act)
August 15, 2005... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS A government-funded terrorism backstop is still necessary, but the current program established by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act should be revised to be make it more equitable for all insurers, according to a...

Flexible benefit plans grow popular among Canadian employers.(Benefits Management)
August 15, 2005... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ Canadian employers are turning to flexible benefit plans in an effort to resolve two key problems: rising health care costs and a skilled labor shortage. Consultants say that flexible benefit plans have proven...

Sarbanes-Oxley drives concern for consistency.(Benefits Management)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2005... Byline: Joanne Wojcik Developing a global benefits strategy is becoming especially important for publicly traded companies since the 2002 enactment of the federal Sarbanes-Oxley legislation on corporate governance, experts say. "With...

Strategies help produce worldwide benefits equity.(Benefits Management)
August 15, 2005... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK Government-provided benefits, government-mandated benefits, varying tax treatment of benefits and even cultural differences all work together to prevent U.S. multinationals from offering a uniform package of employee...

Security guards help in terrorism battle.(Commentary)
August 15, 2005... Byline: Dave Lenckus Terrorism is an escalating threat to defenseless civilians and unfortified property. The recent bombings and failed attacks in London clearly demonstrate this risk. Yet, amazingly, many organizations do not pay...

Products & Services; Program targets sexual harassment.(CT Impact: Focus on Sexual Harassment Prevention)
August 15, 2005... ATLANTA-Employment Learning Innovations Inc., a provider of interactive classroom and online learning programs to help organizations minimize risks and maintain legal and ethical work environments, has added a sexual harassment prevention...

Italy stiffens state pension rules, permits private plan competition.(Benefits Management)
August 15, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY Employers in Italy are being warned to ready themselves for changes to the country's pension system that will come into force next year. The Italian parliament in July passed a series of reforms that will affect...

Most health plans poor at addressing alcohol problems, researcher claims.(News)
August 15, 2005... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS ORLANDO, Fla.-Workers and their dependents with serious alcohol problems cost employers billions of dollars annually in health care costs, lost productivity, and missed work time, a researcher from George...

DMEC meeting draws 500 to Orlando.(Disability Management Employer Coalition)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2005... ORLANDO, Fla.-At least eight of the 29 sessions presented at the 10th annual National Disability & Absence Management Conference addressed employee behavioral and mental health issues such as depression, substance abuse and personality...

Borderline personality disorder presents disability challenge.(News)
August 15, 2005... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS ORLANDO, Fla.-Understanding borderline personality disorder can help employers manage disability claims to ensure appropriate return to work outcomes, speakers told the Disability Management Employer Coalition....

Contingent pay loss hits brokers' bottom lines.
August 15, 2005... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS Reverberations from investigations of contingent compensation are clearly reflected in the six-month results of the world's four largest brokerages, which have paid substantial settlements relating to the...

Broker wins restraining order against five former employees.(Guy Carpenter and Company Inc.)
August 15, 2005... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD MINNEAPOLIS-Guy Carpenter & Co. Inc. has won a temporary restraining order against five former members of its Minneapolis-based medical malpractice reinsurance team, all of whom left to join competitor John B....