Pub. 3 2013 Issue 2

10 AUTOMOBILE DEALER NEWS ILLINOIS www.illinoisdealers.com departments involved. Lessons learned by one can be shared with other departments, which is even better since everyone is in one corporate setting. Case Management Once an accident happens, focus on case management. The lines of communication with the claim handler at the insurance company, follow-up by the broker and possible monitoring of the treatment creates an effective environment to keep claims under control. The fact that the employee is receiving good medical treatment and assistance from the insurance company is one of the key reasons in keeping cases out of the hands of lawyers. It is a forgone conclusion that once a case reaches lawyers, wrong or right, your expenses in managing the case will escalate. Safety Is Everyone’s Business Everyone should be involved and that means the porter to the president of the corporation. The element of safety should be percolating through the corporate culture at all times, and not merely something you do when you meet an outside consultant and review a memo or sign on a sheet of paper in exchange for a sheet of paper. At the employee safety meetings, discuss near misses, accidents, training topics, and things that can raise the safety antenna in their head. Do not create prejudice against the employee involved in an accident, but discuss the causes and possible ways to eliminate such accidents in the future. Behavioral Change Takes Time There was a scientific study published 45 years ago regard- ing monkeys getting a cold shower and how this changed their behavior. In one experiment, 5 monkeys were put in cage with a banana on top of the ladder. When one monkey went up the ladder, a cold shower went on all the monkeys. Then one new monkey was put in cage (replacing an existing monkey) and when this new monkey decided to go up the ladder, the other monkeys beat him up and prevented him from going for the ba- nana. This sequence was repeated till all five newmonkeys, who had never received a cold shower, were in the cage. Then when one new monkey (who had never been part of the experiment), was placed in cage. Of course, this new monkey decided to go up the ladder and the other monkeys beat him up even though none had ever received the cold shower. Such is the experiment and thesis of “herd mentality.” So shepherding your troops to work in a safe manner takes time, direction and the proverbial cold shower at times! Hiring And Background Investigation Conducting background checks for new applicants is con- sidered one of the most efficient ways to weed out the possible 3F (fraudulent, fictitious or frivolous) claims. A phone call for an investigation to the previous employer’s HR will usu- ally release the same information as you give out. Not much. Have the manager of the department hiring call his equivalent at the previous employer. Have your mangers attend profes- sional meetings where they meet other dealership managers in an informal setting. Acquaintances and friends are likely to release more information than HR representatives with canned set of answers. Q Sam Celly has been helping automobile dealers comply with EPA & OSHA regulations since 1987. He is the past-Chair of the Law Committee and the Environmental Issues Committee of the AIHA. Sam has a BS & MS in Chemical Engineering followed by a JD fromSouthwestern University School of Law. You can contact himat sam@cellyservices.comor at 562-704-4000. Q Safety Programs — continued Do not create prejudice against the employee involved in an accident, but discuss the causes and possible ways to eliminate such accidents in the future. Ally Financial has decided to transition away from providing branded proprietary retail installment sale contracts. Ally Financial has long accepted the Reynolds LAW ® 553 Retail Installment Sale Contract. Reynolds Document Services is ready to help you transition to our leading contract, the LAW ® 553. For more information on LAW® Universal Document Solutions, please contact your local Reynolds Document Consultant or call 800.344.0996. © 2013 The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. All Rights Reserved. 2/13