More and more companies are applying less traditional techniques to foster productivity in the workplace. Employees are encouraged to take part in all types of unusual practices, from sketching and doodling ideas in meetings to drawing ideas on the walls.

Doodling has been integrated in multiple ways. They are used as an alternative note taking system at meetings to explain complicated concepts to colleagues. Other companies are incorporating white boards, chalkboards and writable glass on surfaces throughout the office to spark creativity. Some are even holding training sessions or hiring graphic recorders to visually record meetings.

There are several arguments behind these new practices. This “visual note-taking” can help generate ideas, improve communication and encourage collaboration among colleagues. According to the Wall Street Journal, a 2009 study published in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology found that doodlers retained more that non-doodlers when remembering information that had been presented in a boring context, such as a meeting or conference call.

Software maker Citrix Systems even opened a “design collaboration” workspace in its Santa Clara, Calif., headquarters, stocked with everything from sticky notes and construction paper to pipe cleaners and foam balls for 3-D models.

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The Senate passed a bill in March that will require “mandatory event data recorders” or black boxes to be installed in all motor vehicles, beginning with 2015 models, according to the Wall Street Journal. The black boxes, similar to the ones used in airplanes, would record data before, during or after a crash.

The boxes will record data such as speed, brake force and electrical systems monitoring. They would help automakers to pinpoint defects to better understand a system’s performance in the event of a collision, according to the Huffington Post. The boxes are currently be in used in some models, such in GM’s OnStar system to alert emergency response services in the event of a crash.

The bill has a privacy provision that only allows data to be retrieved by the owner, with some exceptions. Medical workers would be allowed to access it in an emergency. The data may also be retrieved if it is ordered by the court or if it’s relevant in an investigation or inspection.

The black box would always be on and wouldn’t let drivers control the data being collected. The issue has raised serious privacy concerns from its opponents, who see it as a “Big Brother” influence that allows the government to access your location. Supporters argue that privacy concerns are irrelevant, as at least 64% of cars had a black box installed- this number included 100% of cars made by General Motors, Ford, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Suzuki, according to PCWorld.

What is your opinion on the new requirement? Is it a great new safety feature or a violation of privacy? We’d love to hear from you.

Nobody covers Pennsylvania drivers like we do at Dryfoos. We specialize in helping our clients cover their Pennsylvania auto insurance against unforeseen damages and injuries. As independent agents, we can shop dozens of insurers licensed to operate here in PA, and set you up with the most affordable rates and most appropriate coverage. Contact us today for more information.

Jon Cohen, a vascular surgeon and chief medical officer at Quest Diagnostics said the average American spends twice as much time before buying a TV as they do looking for a doctor, speaking at the TEDMED conference in early April. Patients don’t invest the time into their own health.

Price, quality, and desire are the three main components that comprise consumer decisions. However the traditional consumerist approach to appraising products doesn’t apply in healthcare. For example, price doesn’t necessarily mean better care. Patients are generally not good healthcare consumers in that they don’t tend to proactively manage and maintain their health.

Furthermore, Cohen said, people use the wrong parameters to judge the quality of their healthcare. For example the service at a practice, such as wait time in a doctor’s office, extended hours or availability tend to influence patients more than factors such as experience and judgment.

A two-part approach is needed. Patients need to be voracious in managing their own healthcare. If people are motivated for their own health, Cohen argues, then they will be better motivated to be informed about their own health.  And in return, the medical profession must continually strive to meet them halfway to help translate extensive and often complex medical problems.

Take the first step to help your employees get the best healthcare possible. At the Dryfoos Group, we offer a variety of comprehensive Pennsylvania Group Benefits programs that can be custom tailored to fit your specific employee benefits needs. Contact us today for more information.

This merger created a huge pharmacy-benefit manager that will have significant industry impacts. Pharmacy benefit managers (or P.B.M.’s) manage prescription drug plans for employers and insurers. P.B.M.’s are the middlemen between drug companies and the payers.

The new combined company is predicted to save as much as 1 billion; they will handle one of every three prescriptions written in the U.S. The merger allows Express Scripts and Medco to combine forces and squeeze out a lot of costs, which they then say will be passed on to the consumer.

The decision was not unanimous. Pharmacy and consumer advocacy groups comprise the main opponents of the deal. They argue that the merger will shrink competition, potentially raise prices and limit where patients can get their prescriptions filled. Opponents such as the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association sued to block the deal in federal court. They claim the merger violates anti-trust laws and isn’t in the best interests of patients or consumers.

The merger has raised antitrust issues; many are worried about the effect of such a huge merger on the pharmaceutical industry and the potential of driving other companies out of business. What are your thoughts on the Express Scripts-Medco merger? Is it a step in the right direction in lowering health care costs or a potentially harmful consolidation of assets that could change the industry? Let us know your thoughts.

Our healthcare system is in the middle of a substantial overhaul. From the Express Scripts-Medco merger to the healthcare case being debated in the Supreme Court, our healthcare will see significant changes in the next few years. However none of those changes alter the importance of protecting your employees. At the Dryfoos Group, we understand the importance of providing comprehensive group benefits plan to your employees. We offer a variety of plans that can be custom tailored to fit your specific employee benefits needs. Contact us today for more information.

The facts in this article were provided by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Bloomberg Business Week.

According to Forbes, a new survey of over 1,000 workers by staffing firm Adecco, a majority of Americans admit they judge coworkers by how clean or dirty they keep their workspaces, and often attribute messiness to laziness. An Office Max study found that office clutter can undermine productivity and motivation. In the spirit of spring cleaning, here are a few tips to project forth your best image at your workplace and make your life easier.

Organization. Set a weekly appointment to clean your desk. Don’t just create piles, but make specific places for the various tasks in your office. Clear your desk of stacks of paper and unnecessary items that just hog space. Designate a drawer or shelf to keep your gym bag off the floor. The result will be a space that is not only more aesthetically more appealing, it will help you to better organize your work.

Cleanliness. The results are highly unappealing, and well, gross. According to some reports, the average keyboard harbors 5 times the amount of germs found in a public bathroom. Disinfect your office regularly, wiping down everything from your phone to your mouse and coffee mugs to ensure you have a healthy, clean workspace.

Sedentary Dangers. You want to ensure maximum productivity at your desk? Step away from it. Being chained to your desk can be exhausting and draining. Take 5 minutes to walk outside and drink your cup of coffee. Leave your desk for lunch. You’ll come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to go.

From a teacher with a mountain of assignments to grade, to a retail manager analyzing sales reports, or a contractor managing multiple bids and projects, keeping a clean desk can help out professionals in all types of industries. Our Business Insurance Plans are no different. At Dryfoos Group we proudly provide a variety of industries with comprehensive insurance solutions from non-profits to hospitality and construction. We’ve dedicated ourselves to providing the most comprehensive and affordable risk management and insurance solutions to business owners across the state. Contact us today for more information.

Ceglia contracted Zuckerberg for website work when the CEO was a student at Harvard. Ceglia claims in his suit that he had a contract with Zuckerberg that entitles him to 50% of what was Zuckerberg’s fledgling side project at the time, known as “The Face Book.” As for the rest of the story, well that is social media lore; “The Face Book” is now a multi-billion dollar company, with Zuckerberg’s stake estimated at 28 billion.

Facebook has responded vehemently to Ceglia’s claims, calling them “a fraud and a lie.” They have launched their own investigation into the case, and claim the documents Ceglia produced were fraudulent, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Media hype aside, from a business standpoint the case highlights the urgent need for businesses to have general liability protection. The Facebook case is playing out on a national, multi-billion dollar scale. Most business will never experience that kind of exposure or risk; however the basic principals remain the same. Businesses need protection against unforeseen claims and lawsuits. And if Facebook is any indicator, the more successful you are, the more expensive the claims become.

We live in a lawsuit minded society. The sheer numbers of lawsuit prone individuals is so vast it has turned into a joke; just Google “most ridiculous lawsuits” to find a litany of ludicrous claims that have come before courts and won. You’ll laugh and shudder simultaneously.

As a business owner or manager, you already know that many business owner policies don’t carry enough liability coverage to completely protect you against unforeseen claims and lawsuits. That’s where a general liability policy can save the day and your wallet.

At the Dryfoos Group, our liability specialists can show you how to set up a relatively inexpensive, full coverage policy that can protect you and your company. Contact us today for more information.

Sources for the facts in this article can be found at The Wall Street Journal & CNN Money.

The ACA is a 900 plus page bill with hundreds of amendments and components. Most visibly, the overhaul requires all individuals to have healthcare- failure to comply incurs fines and possible imprisonment. This mandate is a huge reason for the ACA’s appearance before the Supreme Court next week.

The issue hotly debated is the constitutionality of the ACA, specifically the federal government’s right to require all individuals to purchase healthcare. The main points of each side were summarized in a video between Neal Katyal, Former Acting Solicitor General who defended the ACA in three appeals courts and Randy Barnett, a Libertarian legal scholar and anti-ACA intellectual architect behind the challenges to the individual mandate. Below are the key issues they argue.

Interstate commerce:  Katyal and proponents of the bill argue that the individual healthcare mandate is included in the umbrella of interstate commerce, and thus Congress has the right to regulate it. Barnett argues that the institution of fines and potential imprisonment for those who don’t comply with the requirement is an aggregation of federal power.

Congress is requiring individuals to “buy” a product: Opponents argue it is unconstitutional and beyond Congress’ taxing power to fine individuals for not purchasing a product (i.e. healthcare). Proponents argue that Congress is not asking individuals to buy a product they wouldn’t usually consume.

A national problem calls for national solution: Katyal views the issue as a national problem that the states can’t fix; Barnett argues it is a violation of state sovereignty and a dangerous concession of power to the federal government to allow them to regulate the healthcare system.

The Supreme Court’s decision could transform the state governments’ role in the provision of healthcare. The case is so significant it has been allotted six hours, featuring multiple lawyers, to be argued over three days, the longest oral argument heard in the Supreme Court in almost half a century.

Show your employees you care about their well-being with Group Insurance/Benefits from Dryfoos.  We offer a variety of comprehensive policies that can be custom tailored to fit your specific employee benefits needs. Contact us today.

1. A pleasant work environment. Employees spend the majority of their lives in their workplace.  Yelling at employees for example, especially in front of others, destroys confidence and leads to unmotivated and unhappy employees.
2. Recognition. Institute Employee of the Month.  Compliment your employees on a great completed project.  Send an appreciative email. Positive reinforcement of a job well done goes a long way to boosting employees’ satisfaction.
3. Perks. They don’t need to be lavish or expensive.  If it’s a particular product you sell give employee discounts.  Providing group benefits including comprehensive health insurance and dental could be the difference between an employee staying with your organization or finding employment elsewhere.  
4. Mentoring. Take the time with employees. Advise and guide them through a difficult job.  Provide constructive feedback. 
5.  Help when they need it. Sometimes life intervenes with the continuity of the workplace.  Include family coverage in employee benefits.  Be understanding if a reliable employee is late one morning because of a flat tire.  Allow that extra day off for a family emergency.  The employee will appreciate the compassion and the help.

Employee satisfaction builds company loyalty. Your business faces many risks.  But when those risks include legal claims and litigation, it’s your directors and officers who often have the greatest exposure.

That’s why our agency offers PA directors and officers insurance.  It provides much needed protection against the costs of legal defense and indemnity coverage for the business, directors and officer, and employees in suites alleging internal management.

Let our experienced D&O specialists at the Dryfoos Group protect your assets and those of your directors and officers long before threats occur.  Call us for more information. 1-800-253-6728

It must be provided to employees of any company with five or more workers, as it’s the sole remedy for injured employees.

Although the incidence rate of workplace injuries and illnesses were down for 2010 as compared to 2009, according to stats released in the Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (Annual) Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number is still quite significant: 3.1 million non-fatal on-the-job injuries and illnesses were reported by the private sector.

What can you do as a business to stem Workers Compensation claims in your operation? First be sure your safety program is updated and that all employees are vigilant about following it. Second, work with your insurance agency and company to implement an effective Return-to-Work (RTW) program so that if an employee is injured while on the job, there is a concerted effort to get him or her back to work as soon as possible, even in a part-time position. The key to a successful RTW program is early intervention.

Return to Work Programs can reduce business costs by eliminating the need for overtime by other employees or in having to hire temporary workers. They can also help reduce Workers Compensation costs in terms of increased premiums. What’s more, RTW programs can help reduce employee turnover as you mitigate the need to replace the employee. The cost to replace an employee can be up to 1.5 times his or her annual salary. What’s more, it takes a new employee more than 13 months to become efficient at his or her job. And, RTW programs can serve to boost morale. You get the injured worker back on the job and he or she in addition to your other employees will know that you see them as a valuable resource.

Workers Compensation can save you from costly lawsuits in case of on-the-job accidents and injuries. Equally important, it helps keep your employees healthy and, if injured, helps ensure that they get the medical treatment they require.

At Dryfoos, we can help you set up a Workers Compensation plan that meets your needs in Pennsylvania, in addition to discussing your safety plan and a Return to Work program. Please contact us today at 1-800-253-6728. Dryfoos serves throughout PA.