Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Aaron Perri, Executive Director of South Bend Venues Parks & Arts. We hope you enjoy Aaron’s wisdom and perspective.

“Enjoy your summer break!” an office intern recently exclaimed to me on his last day of the semester. “Summer break?!” I thought to myself, “that sure sounds nice.” I reminisced about running through the sprinkler, playing in the park, and enjoying Grandma Perri’s vinegar & cucumbers. While this annual three month respite no longer exists in my life, I’d like to reflect on a few childhood memories that continue to influence my professional life.

If you ask any business leader what their most valuable asset is, an overwhelming majority would state it’s their people. Businesses invest millions, if not billions, of dollars in training and benefits for their employees. So when it comes to business continuity or disaster preparedness, why wouldn’t an employer want to ensure their employees were also prepared to handle a disaster?

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Dr. Eric Bricker, Chief Medical Officer of Compass Professional Health Services. We hope you enjoy Dr. Eric’s wisdom and perspective.

There are many buzzwords in employee benefits, but have you heard of “Health Activation?” While more common terms include “employee engagement,” “member engagement” or “patient engagement,” the industry would be better served to use a term like “Health Activation.” Why? Because Health Activation goes beyond a one-time event and instead focuses on empowering good healthcare decisions.

“It’s important to remember that not all competitive landscapes are remade violently, overnight,” writes Inc. Magazine editor Leigh Buchanan. “Obsolescence creeps as often as it lunges.”

She continues, “While CEOs obsess over getting big-banged out of existence, odds are good that their companies will suffer a more pedestrian fate: they will simply cease to matter. The brand goes stale, core strengths languish, and opportunities to keep pace with – or get in front of – changing customer needs pass them by. The world moves on. They don't.”

How relevant are you? Have you asked yourself that question recently? It goes something like this: In 5 years will the services I’m providing still be relevant to my clients?

CPR training can truly make a difference. Consider this story. One of our loss prevention consultants recently led a CPR course for a client and their employees. An employee who attended this training session soon put his CPR skills to use. While at church, a fellow parishioner had a heart attack and collapsed. This employee was able to perform CPR and keep the individual alive until help arrived. The impact of safety training such as CPR, AED, and first aid is far reaching – and literally lifesaving.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Jerry Scott. We hope you enjoy Jerry’s wisdom and perspective.

A paradox in today’s world is that the digital age has made us more efficient in many ways but perhaps less effective in others. And the scale appears to be tipping precipitously in the direction of less.

I remember green screen email that could only be sent inside the company network and one paragraph at a time. Think of some great prehistoric Twitter. Write more than a paragraph and you had to say “continued” and then type a new email. An inter-office memo would take six emails.

On May 11, 2016, OSHA issued a final rule related to collection of workplace injury and illness data. This rule helps to modernize injury data collection with the intent to better inform workers, employers, OSHA, and the public about workplace hazards.

In the war for talent, any benefit you can offer that employees will find useful can help set you apart. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are an affordable offering to consider.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Phil D’Amico, Director of Business Development and Marketing for Majority Builders. We hope you enjoy Phil’s wisdom and perspective.

When I think about what determines the success of an organization, an individual, a team, or a business, I cannot help but continually come back to what is/are the attitude(s) of that person and group. I am reminded of what former Notre Dame coaching great and legend Lou Holtz said in reference to the importance of attitude in winning teams:

Office environments are full of electronics, appliance, power cords, extension cords, and surge protectors. Take a look at your desk. I’m guessing you have several items just in your personal workspace, let alone the entire office.

These items have become such an integral part of our work that we don’t necessarily give too much thought to the hazards they bring with them. Electrical shock, burns, fires, and even tripping over extension cords. Electricity creates numerous hazards to your employees and your facility.