Register Now For PHCC Colorado's Dec. 6 Webinar: The Real Numbers of the Workforce Shortage ... Are You Ready?

Posted: Nov. 30, 2017

One million skilled workers will be missing from our workforce in the next 3-5 years. Baby boomers, the largest part of our workforce, are aging out of the system.

Susan Frew, owner of Sunshine Plumbing, Heating & Air and a PHCC Board Member recently gave a TEDx talk titled “The Runaway Train of the Skilled Trades Crisis.”

Susan will share some of the staggering workforce statistics she uncovered in her research for her talk. With 80% of her own plumbing business clients being women, Susan wonders if the answer to this crisis for the p-h-c industry might be women themselves. Join us for this fast-paced webinar to learn more.

Click Here to Register

OSHA Delays Electronic Record-Keeping Rule For Second Time

Posted November 28, 2017 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it will delay its requirements for submitting employee injury and illness data electronically until Dec. 15.

The original July 1 submission deadline for the "Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses" had already been pushed back to Dec. 1 in a move, the administration said, that would allow employers more time to familiarize themselves with the digital portal.

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Federated Insurance's November 'It's Your Life' Column: Planning For The Unexpected

Posted November 29, 2017

As a business owner, you know there are things that can disrupt and possibly cripple the success of your business. You have to focus on, plan for, and address many diverse issues, such as what your competition is doing; federal, state, and local laws; employee issues; etc. All of these and more can threaten your financial well-being.

Have you also considered the impact on your business, on your family, and on your employees if you became disabled? A long-term disability can have far-reaching implications: Not only are you providing for your family, but you also are providing for the well-being of your employees and their families. If disability strikes, you need time to react and hold things together until plans can be worked out. The success of your business is dependent on your being an active owner. A disability can put this success in danger. What steps have you taken to protect yourself and the people who count on you from an unexpected loss of income?

A Cloudy Crystal Ball

Do you know what the future holds? Of course not. So how do you plan for something you can’t foresee—or something that may never happen? Start by asking yourself some thought-provoking questions:

• If you’re disabled for a short time, can you rely on savings and other assets to keep your personal income and family situation stable? For how long?
• Could you ask and require your employees to do more?
• If you had to eliminate unnecessary expenses, how long could that continue without creating a real hardship?
• If you were to suffer a long-term disability, could your business continue to pay you? How would you survive the loss of income? Would your business survive?

These are things no business owner wants to think about, but should. Planning for the unexpected—just in case—can put your mind at ease and may protect you from financial disaster. To help with your peace of mind, you may want to consider individual disability income protection. These products provide a monthly income if you are unable to work due to an injury or sickness. If your business is trying to provide you with an income, this type of protection could help to reduce the financial strain. Specialized riders or policy provisions can allow you to work part time, or even provide additional monthly benefits that can be used to offset business expenses during your disability.

Insuring your income is as important as insuring any other business risk. If it’s one thing life has taught us, it’s that things can happen suddenly, so it’s a careful business owner who prepares for that. Protect your most valuable asset—the ability to earn an income.

This article is for general information and risk prevention prevention recommendations only and should be considered legal, coverage, financial, tax, or medical advice. The information may be subject to regulations and restrictions in your state. There is no guarantee following these recommendation will help reduce or eliminate losses. The information is accurate as of its publication date and ia subject to change. Qualified counsel should be sought regarding questions specific to your circumstance. Copyright © 2017 Federated Insurance, All rights reserved.

The Carl D. Perkins Act: What Is It and Why Is It Important To PHCC Members? 

Posted November 27, 2017

PHCC has been a long-time advocate of the Carl D. Perkins Act, which is geared to increase the quality of technical education. The Perkins Act provides almost $1.3 billion in federal support for career and technical education programs in all 50 States, including support for integrated career pathways programs. But what exactly does it do and why is it important to PHCC? We previously tackled these questions in a PHCC webinar, which you can view here. 

Though Congress continues to fund the Perkins Act at its current funding level, PHCC has advocated for increased funding with expanded programs. The House was able to pass a true PHCC supported reauthorization of the Perkins act in the last two years, however the Senate has not taken up the reauthorization. Expect Perkins Act reauthorization to be an important issue for PHCC in 2018.