Case Study

 

 

Our customers’ results speak to the success

of Barrow Group’s temporary staffing

controllable premium programs. Take a look

at how our relationship with our clients

helped them lower costs and reduce worker

injuries.

Case Study #1:

Keys to Lowering Work Comp Costs: Employee Safety Training and Return to Work Strategies:   

The Challenge

Workers’ Compensation insurance can be expensive, but when organizations face increasing X-mod ratings year-after-year, it can mean over-the-top premiums that can devastate a business.  For one staffing agency, worker injuries, frequent small claims, and lingering indemnity claims were taking a toll on its ability to remain profitable.  So when Kevin Kilcoyne of Barrow Group told them he was confident he could help them save money, they were willing to give it a try.

The Turn Around

The company joined forces with Barrow Group in 2019.  Within four years, they dropped from a 1.54 debit X-mod to a .74 credit X-mod!  They did this by developing a sound risk management program that included assessing and identifying threats and developing loss/control policies to reduce risk. When an employer runs a safe workplace, which includes emphasizing worker safety and implementing safety programs, that employer will be in a better position to receive a credit X-mod factor against its premium.

Steps to Achieving These Results

Step 1:  Employees of the agency were required to undergo safety and health training with the goal of preventing workplace injuries. Barrow Group University offers online classes permitting workers to watch training courses and test their knowledge. Completion certificates can be printed and filed with federal and state regulatory agencies. This demonstrated the employer’s commitment to keeping employees safe at work.

Step 2: The agency implemented early stay-at-work/return-to-work strategies for injured workers.  They treated injured employees with compassion and care throughout their recovery and stayed in touch with the worker’s care team.  When able, employees underwent safety training helping them understand how they can take part in their own welfare and allowing them to successfully transition back to work.

Step 3:  As safety training became a priority, there were fewer injuries. Limited injuries, and an emphasis on Return-to-Work programs, resulted in fewer indemnity claims and existing claims being closed quicker.  Wage/loss benefits paid out decreased and employees returned to work faster.

Step 4:  The agency partnered with an insurance carrier that offered dividends to policyholders that valued their mission of building safer workplaces. With a low loss ratio, the organization earned dividends of $447,000.

These factors made a difference in the reputation, safety, security and financial success of the organization.

 How Do Safety and Health Programs Help Businesses

  • Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.
  • Improve compliance with laws and regulations.
  • Reduce costs, including significant reductions in workers’ compensation premiums.
  • Engage workers.
  • Enhance their social responsibility goals.
  • Increase productivity and enhance overall business operations.

RPM’s CEO commented,

“When we first met Kevin, we were facing challenges with our experience rating and injury management and RPM was paying costly surcharges on our premiums.   He helped us study our historical data, identify areas for improvement, and provided an effective strategy to reach our goals.

We implemented an innovative return-to-work program together, tracked our workplace safety and injury data closely, and that has led to a significant improvement in our performance.   Kevin’s knowledge of the staffing industry and workers compensation are unmatched!   This has helped us saved hundreds of thousands of dollars since we have partnered together, and we have lowered our NCCI Experience Rating by 80 points!

Many employers don’t realize how much they could save with a specialist that understands the staffing industry.  I’m grateful for the valuable knowledge I gained from Kevin and Barrow Group, and I’m glad to have them as a business partner.”

H. Jones., President 

Reviewing Workers Compensation Statistics

The Turn Around

Year X-Mod Rating Work Comp Premium
Feb 18, 2019 1.54 54% higher than average
Feb 18, 2020 1.56
Feb 18, 2021 1.42
Feb 18, 2022 0.98
Feb 18, 2023 0.74 26% lower than average

 

Case Study #2:

How to pay 47% less on workers’ compensation premiums by lowering the X-Mod Rating

Minding the safety of temporary workers not only pays off in fewer accidents and injuries but is also one of the simplest ways to save substantially on workers’ compensation costs.

This case study documents the success of IMKO Workforce Solutions, a client/partner of Barrow Group. By decreasing their NCCI experience rating, they have lowered their average workers compensation premium by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

What is an Experience Rating

The NCCI experience rating (also known as a modification factor) is the most important aspect in determining the cost of workers’ compensation insurance. The experience rating is based on an employer’s actual incurred injuries and claims and compares it to average injuries and claims by similar types of businesses.  An average experience rating is 1.00.

A mod factor greater than 1.00 is a debit mod, meaning that your losses are worse than expected and a surcharge will be added to your workers’ compensation premium.  A mod factor less than 1.00 is a credit mod meaning your losses are better than expected resulting in a discounted premium.

Through a dedicated team effort, IMKO Workforce Solutions has earned an NCCI Rating of 0.53 for 2022, which is their lowest ever!  This factor is used to adjust workers’ compensation premiums and reflects the expected loss by a company.  They are starting out with a 47% competitive advantage over the average mod rating of 1.00

Here are ten attributes that can help staffing companies save on workers’ compensation premiums:

  1. Partner with an insurance broker and a carrier that specialize in the staffing industry, as well as in the industry sectors where your workers are placed.
  2. Study and comply with OSHA’s Temporary Worker Initiative that set guidance for the safety and health of temporary workers.
  3. Know which standards are important for evaluating clients where temporary workers are placed. This would include their orientation and safety training for associates, cleanliness of their workplace, and safeguards on equipment and machinery.
  4. Staffing agencies and client companies should work together to assure the safety of workers. Outlining who will be responsible for specific safety initiatives will ensure a safer work environment and avoid “finger pointing” should an injury occur.
  5. Evaluate accident history and near misses on a regular basis. Take corrective action to prevent similar events from occurring in the future.
  6. Create job descriptions and document training requirements for specific positions.
  7. Demonstrate consistency in hiring practices and employee screening.
  8. Document post-accident procedures and develop an effective return-to-work program that helps employees successfully transition back to work following an accident or injury.
  9. Compare your agency against other employment agency leaders, benchmarking performance results and consistently measuring success against KPIs.
  10. Report any claims to your insurance carrier immediately. Keep detailed documentation of past claims and maintain proper claims management.

Barrow Group has helped several staffing agencies save on their premiums, but those that succeed follow “best practices” for creating a safety culture.  Staci Thornton, CFO and Co-owner of IMKO Workforce Solutions commented,

“I believe Kevin’s knowledge of our industry and the insurance industry has not only saved us thousands of dollars but helped us become a better, more competitive, staffing company.  He is always available and willing to go above our expectations.  He is a great communicator and has become a trusted associate.”

Reviewing Workers Compensation Statistics

After Barrow Group

53

IMKO Workforce Solutions X-Mod Rating

 

%

Lower premium than national average by lowering their X-Mod

Case Study #3

Is It Possible to Lower Health Care Costs Without Cutting Benefits? 

What do you say when your insurance agent succeeds in lowering your health insurance costs while increasing benefits for you and your staff?

The Problem

For most organizations, the cost of offering health insurance and other benefits to employees are escalating rapidly.  The Kaiser Family Foundation said that premiums for employer-sponsored health coverage rose by about four percent in 2020 with similar increases expected in 2021. Unfortunately, these increases are often passed on to employees resulting in higher payroll deductions, less coverage, and fewer plan choices.

For Barrow Group’s client, Balance Staffing, it was no exception.  Their ability to offer benefits to all employees covering them and their families was becoming cost prohibitive.  But they were determined to find a solution.  According to Balance Staffing’s Controller, Matthew Klapper, “Our employees are our most important and valuable assets, and we are committed to offering them affordable health insurance.”

Matt worked directly with Barrow Group’s health and benefits administrator, Charlie Stearns, CSFS.  Charlie has been consulting with clients and providing valuable solutions at Barrow Group for more than five years.

The Solution

The solution began with simple goals and a long-term commitment. The first thing Charlie did was to move Balance Staffing to an ACA compliant plan strategy using a self-funded program that included a simple MEC.  He then found ways to improve major medical and ancillary plans. This helped save the organization $100,000 in insurance costs the first year.  By restructuring their plan, Balance Staffing was also able to build up reserves in the amount of $86,000 during the same period.  This cycle repeats itself annually creating true plan assets and reserves that could now be utilized for the benefit of the members.  Using the reserves in the future helped to maintain rates and provide better health insurance coverage options within a robust employee benefits package. Through all of this, Charlie caught an error in ACA-related fines paid to the IRS. Fixing the error resulted in an IRS refund to Balance Staffing of almost $80,000.

What do you say when your insurance agent lowers your health insurance costs while increasing benefits for you and your staff?  Matt commented “It’s absolutely awesome! “

Approximately 90% of Barrow Group’s clients have received refunds this year!  If your benefits administrator is not working hard for your company, you owe it to yourself and your staff to explore other options.

Barrow Group specializes in working with staffing agencies to provide an unsurpassed level of expertise when it comes to assessing and managing the risks associated with the placement of temporary workers.  If you would like to schedule a consultation with Charlie, contact 800-874-4798.

 

$100,000 Savings

In Insurance Costs Year One

$86,000 Built Up Reserves

For Future years

$80,000 IRS Refund

Error Caught

Case Study #4

How to Pay 31% Less for Insurance (without Quoting)

 

With an “X-mod rating” of 139, A-1 Employment’s number of workers’ compensation claims exceeded the national average and meant the firm was paying 39% more in premiums than average.

An experience modification or X-mod rating represents a company’s likelihood of experiencing workplace injuries or illnesses that would trigger a workers’ compensation claim. While it is calculated by a complex mathematical formula, it relates closely to the number of workers’ comp claims the business has previously encountered. Insurers use this number to determine the cost of premiums. The number 100 represents the industry’s baseline average. Anything over 100 means your company had more workers’ comp claims than the average and thus, your premiums will also be above average, costing you more. A number under 100 means that either you were very lucky or you have put measures into place to emphasize safety and reduce your workers’ compensation claims and control your premiums.

The latter is just what our clients at A-1 did.

Owner Kim Petrina and Risk Manager Jerrie Necrelli worked with Barrow Group’s Director of Staffing Insurance Kevin Kilcoyne and Barrow Group’s staffing insurance team to identify the causes of their workers’ compensation claims.

With nearly two decades of experience in staffing insurance, Kevin has an in-depth understanding of staffing’s complex nature. He applied his expert knowledge of the staffing industry to help Kim and Jerrie identify the specific risks to which their temporary workers were exposed. Next, helped them identify which carriers could best meet A-1’s specific needs by identifying any workers’ comp class codes or job types that might have restrictions or might not be insured by specific carriers.

Then, Kevin worked with Kim and Jerry to provide on-site safety training and educational seminars on specific areas of concern. The A-1 team also received access to Barrow Group’s extensive on-line catalog of downloadable workers’ compensation and safety content to use in their office; provide reminders to their temporary employees; or share with their host clients.

A-1 Employment’s “Controllable Premium Program” was rounded out with Barrow Group’s proactive claims and loss analysis management. Using data-driven insights, Kevin worked with Kim and Jerrie to help them better understand how evaluating potential clients and screening job applicants for risk factors could help them prevent future losses due to the workers’ comp claims.

By learning how to identify potential work-related hazards and proactively implementing the programs Barrow Group helped them put into place, A-1 systematically reduced their x-mod rating by 70 points. They went from paying 39% more than the average staffing firm for insurance, to paying 31% less in just six years!

Kim and Jerrie couldn’t be more pleased with their results. Jerrie says, “We are grateful to Kevin Kilcoyne and Barrow Group for teaching us that we could control our premiums! Thanks to him and the programs he helped us put into place, we saved $650,208 over the course of 6 years! That’s like placing 105 FTEs every year for that period!”

To see more of Barrow Group’s client success stories, visit https://www.barrowgroup.com/about-us-2/testimonials/and check back here often for more updates.

Case Study By The Numbers

Before Barrow Group

139

A-1 EMPLOYMENT’S X-MOD RATING

 

%

Higher Premium than national average in premium costs

After Barrow Group

69

A-1 EMPLOYMENT’S X-MOD RATING

 

%

Lower premium than national average by lowering their X-Mod

Translating into real world savings of

$650,208

DOLLARS IN SAVINGS OVER 6 YEARS