Fall 2007 Business Climate Survey Report

Current system allows fraud

Its corrupt, It is a attorney welfare system.

workers ability to get claim money. Current policy is too liberal.

Almost impossible to get the WC Insurance, especially with reasonably rates.

It should be left to the private sector with very little governmental oversight. Insurance is a privelege and not a right.

The cost of W.C. insurance is 10x my liability insurance. My small business of 20 employees is lumped into a BIG business rating.

cost

Too easy to “beat the system”.

the system is BROKEN contractors should not be liable for subcontractor’s w/c. especially by state law a self employed indiv. can not buy w/c for themselves

I own an auto repair shop and feel that the rules governing service writer and front office people are not uniformly applied. The discrepancy between clerical rates and technician rates are huge giving a cost advantage to shops that are carrying their service writers at clerical rates.

Too high of costs and system generates perpetual system users…

Too many people are on who are able to work or be trained for another occupation. People are taking advantage of the system and I think should be screened each year for their potential.

Worker classifications – some are to broad.

THE COST

costs are too high

High rates and that you will not go after the people who have false claims. Call me if you need to find out more. Dave Caddick 215-653-0260

It’s totally slanted in favor of the worker, and has become an accepted source of welfare funds.

IN OUR INDUSTRY WORKMENS COMP IS BASED ON WAGES AND SALES. IT SHOULD NOT BE BASED ON SALES. IN OUR INDUSTRY IF WE MAKE A PART OUT OF STAINLESS STEEL INSTEAD OF STEEL, THE COST IS 4 TO 5 TIMES MORE. SO IF YOU USE MORE STAINLESS, ALUM. OR OTHER MATERIALS THAT ARE NOT STEEL, THEN YOUR SALES ARE INCREASED 4 TO 5 TIMES, BUT YOUR PROFITS ARE THE SAME.

New classification of jobs is slow to happen and end up in higher rated classes until significant experience causes the WC Bureau to change/add once a year. Not condusive to new start-up.

It is blatantly one sided towards the employee and must be changed in order to be fair to both sides. This is especially the case if you are insured by the state verses a private carrier.

It’s still too easy to collect on “bogus” claims.

There needs to be clarification regarding who is ultimately responsible when a sub-contractor on a job is breaking the law by not carrying workers comp and then penalizing the general contractor.

None other then the cost; no one at this facility has had to make use of it.

The system is overwhelmingly skewed toward employees. Employee abuse is not punished severly enough and it is rampant. Ambulance chasing attorneys should be punished for taking cases that are not legitimate. The state employees running the system are largely inept at best and they have no uniform procedures or policies, they seem to make it up as they go along. Employers do not have the time to deal with SCDU, Worker’s compensation, unemployment compensation and all of the other business crushing regulatory problems in Pennsylvania and still maintain their sanity.

Referee’s are claiment oriented (they should be neutral). Even if the employer has a valit case it is often (generally) ignored.

It is convoluted. Difficulty with trying to be in compliance is not abating — it is worse.

Rates and benefits, audits etc.

tOO MUCH PAPER WORK FOR EMPLOYER. NEED TO REDUCE PAPER WORK.

Bureaucracy!

We have lost all but one employee (boss’s wife) so at the moment we have no ‘problems’…

It is abused and costs too much…don’t believe it’s being run well.

No opinion, no injuries.

n/a

I suggest putting the medical coverage under a Blue Cross or other medical coverage as long as coverages are the same or greater. That would bring down workmen’s comp rates.

No consideration to very very small business.

The SWIF program is an example of government beauracracy working at its worst. Customer service is non existant

the price in my line of work is going too put me out of business if something isn’t done.

cost

to expensive

Rates are too high in my industry and the calculating basis for premiums based upon payroll rather than sales volume is a negative to my company.

I personally have not experienced any problems with the current system. I just believe the Legislature needs to have all its activities be open to the “Sunshine Laws” that other states have enacted. I believe our PA Legislature is not as open as it should be so that we all would know what happens behind closed doors.

System runs much too slowly. Litigation spans months. Judges are not neutral. Some, such as Judge Sabastanelli, haven’t found in favor of the employer in years.

The amount of qualified people in the system as a whole

Decisions favor the employee too many times. Too hard for the employer to prove misconduct of the employee.

Here is one example: All issues (even related to personal health) on the job are blamed to the employer. For instance, a rash must be because of chemical exposure, not a change in laundry detergent. WC insurance covers the doctors visits related to this, and the employer pays in higher WC insurance cost. Another example: employee has a non-significant injury, but doctor (on physician panel) does not feel it necessary to allow the employee to go back to work light duty. There is no recourse by the employer.

Employee is always favored No limit on being able to reopen a claim

Decisions are too long,very liberal in their decisions, business is definitely not given a fair shot, this is why our company is considering leaving Pa.

Employee Fraud and the failure of insurance companies to help prove fraud and to get reimbursement of payments.

A referee has bypassed established rules. Recent changes have done nothing to minimize the ease with which a false claim can be made.

The need for fair WC judges, not 99% employee favored.

Most are not work related.

Unable to answer; no personal experience

too easy to get, should have to show up and do something for the check, clean streets, pick up trash, etc.

It puts all of the burden of proof onto the employer when it is often obvious that the employee is not entitled to benefits. Our governor is trying to make it more cumbersome and create another attorney welfare system.

Constant rate /factor change. Penalizes employer forces employer to do lay-offs!

It is too easy to cheat the system. Law abiding businesses foot the bill, while the cheats get off for free.

Additional employee codes should be added and not lump a specific catagory into one big group. HVAC should have it’s own catagory and not listed under Plumbing. Most HVAC employees do not deal with plumbing at a hight rate code.

Ridiculous comp claims for people who just don’t show up for work!

My account should not be charged when an employee leaves of his own free will, finds another job, and is laid off there before 90 days.

Again, too many people are taking advantage of the system. When I dispute a claim, the moderator almost makes me feel that I am at fault and am responsible for the livlihood of said individual even though he proably was let go because of his own refusal to work.

Workers who voluntarily quit can still collect unemployment charged against former employer in some cases.

THE PAY OUTS SHOULD BE LOWER TO GIVE A PERSON ON UNEMPLOYMENT THE INCENTIVE TO WANT TO RETURN TO WORK.

it is unfair how they pay out

Again, slanted somewhat in favor of the worker NOT as much as worker’s comp, which is “off the charts”

I believe that we need to have a system that allows employers relief when the employee does not perforn his job properly. The only way that you can get relief from a claim is if they violate a work rule.

Everything. They are a group of beauracrats that love to give money away.

See above. “Fired” workers can still collect far too easily.

They approve everybody to recieve benefits

None other then the cost; no one at this facility has had to make use of it.

Again, the same as Workers comp. Employees get comp that are not entitled to it. The system is badly partial to employees and the ligitimate cases are treated just like the rest of the people. There is something seriously wrong with this system!

It is almost impossible to let an employee go reguardless of how good the reason without paying UC.

It is unreasonable and unfair. “Reform” was promised when the “trigger” mechanisms were put in place nearly twenty years ago. Absolutely nothing has been done, particularly to alleviate the problems faced by employers with small workforces.

rates and audits

The employee is ALWAYS granted unemployment! No matter how much information we provide the system always finds in favor of the employee.

too many people are allowed to take advantage of the system

why i have to get audited every year, even though my company is so small that we are under the minimum amount to pay

Only that we need to respond in a timely way or the decision goes to the employee. If the paperwork is lost or misplaced, it still goes to the employee.

n/a

No consideration to very very small business

Big PIG !!!!!!!!

the amount of time required for small business to gather information for the ins. company’s annual audit.

the abuse of the system by individuals who take unemployment and do work on the side for cash.

Are all those individuals who have lost their positions always compensated for a lost position? What happens to their health care coverage? What happens to their chilren’s coverage? Are the premiums within reach of their reduced income?

System is pro-claimant. For example, we employ people to perform physical labor; that’s the job. An employee gets hurt off the job and the state makes it the responsibility of the employer to accommodate limitations no matter how severe they are. We can’t do that but the employee gets UC.

People are not encouraged to seek employment once the checks start

I couldn’t believe this scenario was real… we laid off an employee for lack of work in May. She received UC for about a month, then came back full time. We then terminated her the following January. She received 26-4=22 weeks of benefits under her first claim AND THEN ANOTHER 26 weeks of benefits under the new claim!!! Our opinion is that the first layoff claim was temporary (4 weeks) and was resolved and should not be made available to her in addition to her termination claim.

Too easy to get unemployment – especially those fired for attendance. Need to look at the pattern of absences, not just the last absences.

Employees who do not want to work still get UC

Allows indiiduals from outside Pa to collect even though they are not able to in the state where they are comming from.

Over the years, the Comp system has pushed employers to establish well written and well defined disciplinary action processes only to disregard them when presented at hearings. Referees should have term limits.

unemployed workers should be more aggressively persuaded to find work in whatever field they can and be subject to randome drug testing while recieving benefits.

People do not want to work

we already paid above this-no problem

work employees fewer hours

no effect because we pay above minimum

No action taken

Not affected by new minimum wage

Limit pay increases

no minimum wage workers

No impact. Don’t hire minimum wage workers. It’s an insult to the worker.

did not change my business

PEPOLE DO NOT UNDER STAND HOW IT SHOLD WORK NEED FLAT FOR ALL EMPLOYER NOT WHAT CURENT NEW REQ IF YOU HAVE LESS THEN 1O FULL TIME ……..,

Have taken no negative measures

does not apply

we do not hire at min wage

cut employees hour

raised pricess

N/A to my business

no reaction to increase.

No action taken

none

No action taken

adjust all wages upward to be fair

PLANT CLOSING END OF DEC

Hillary Clinton

Fred Thompson

The person who will cut spending, cut govermnent down to size, ukphold the constitution, and above all, who loves the USA.

mitt romney

John McCain

N. Romney

Ron Paul

romney

Ronald Regan

Not impressed with any

thompson

Hillary Clinton

Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney

Dennis Kucinich

Thompson

Romney

ANYONE but Hillary!!!!

undecided

Not sure yet, but undoubtedly a Republican for sure.

romney or rudi

Ron Paul

Fred Thompson

Tancredo or Paul

Guiliani

Romney

John McCain

Ron Paul

NONE OF THE PEOPLE RUNING ON EITHER SIDE HAVE IMPRESSED ME ENOUGH TO VOTE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

Rudy Guiliani

I am not sure any of them

Rudy Guilliani

Rudy

Rudy Giuliani

A DEMOCRAT

Not yet decided

Hillary Clinton

not sure. I am not thrilled with any of the candidates.

Anyone but Hilary Clinton.

Giuliani

Undecieded

Fred Thompson

FRED THOMPSON

Newt Gingrich if he were running. Next best choice, Fred Thompson.

unsure

Rudy Guliani

John McCain

not sure yet

John McCain

Our political process is so far gone that I have very little faith in these candidates and there ability to lead. Anyone but Hillary would be my first answer but if I had to cast a ballot it would be for Senator John McCain.

Fred Thompson

I don’t know. I do know that I would not vote for ANY of the Democrats currently in the mix. That leaves voting for the Republican nominee, whoever that may be. At the very least, government should be divided and the Democrats are likely to strengthen their hold on the US Senate and the US House, as it stands right now.

Mitt Rommney

the former mayor of NYC

DUM QUESTION? NO ONE WHAT FOR BUSH THAT IS DAFINATE

Fred Thompson

Giuliani

?

No opinion (yet).

Mitt Romney

Rudy Guilliani

Have no idea!

Hillary Clinton

No democrats are worth considering…. and the Republicans are weak candidates…If the election were tomorrow, I’d vote for fred thompson, but I’m not real comfortable that he is the best option, so far in the campaign.

Rudy Guiliani

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy

undecided

Mike Huckabee

I don’t have adequate info for this, but if had to pick one I would vote Gulliani.

fred thompson

gulianni

Anyone except Hillary

OBAMA

Mitt Romney

Democrat – not sure who yet.

Rudolph Guilani

Romney

Hillary Clinton

Mike Huckabee

it’s a real Hobson’s choice; anyone but Hillary

ME

Guilliani

Romney

Hillary Clinton

A Republican – don’t know who yet.

NO one

Rudy Giuliani

john mccain

Too early to tell.

Rudy Guliania

rudy guiliane

undecided

Fred Thompson

Either Dennis Kucinich or Bill Richardson

Joe Biden

This is a private matter

clinton

Guliani

Romney

McCain

Anyone but Hillary Clinton or Obama.

Fred Thompson

Donald Duck – I do not see a viable candidate for either party.

None of the Democratic candidates

Clinton

Romney

Rudy

Partner

employee

Director of Human Resources

engineer

general manager

Vice Presdient

HR Administrator