ICYMI: LRA SIF lowers workers’ comp rates AGAIN

For the third time in four years, the Louisiana Restaurant Association Self Insurer’s Fund for workers’ compensation is lowering its rates! If you’re a restaurant, hospitality-related business or a supplier to the industry, the LRA SIF can quote your workers’ comp.

Just last week, we saved a restaurant owner more than $2,000 on his premium costs. Wouldn’t you at least let the LRA SIF give you a comparison quote?  

You may be wondering how this is possible, especially when many providers in our state have taken rate increases? The commitment of our members who focus on reducing claims cost and promoting a culture of safety in the workplace helped to produce this result.

This reduction provides members of the LRA SIF with added value and potential for savings. The LRA SIF has a 31-year track record of serving the industry’s workers’ comp needs with effective in-house claims management that prepares workers to return to work sooner, resolves claims efficiently.

By the way, workers’ compensation coverage is required in Louisiana and applies to any enterprise in the state regardless of the number of employees. The LRA SIF’s complimentary loss prevention resources can provide workplace solutions on how to improve best practices in a hospitality environment.

Spend a few minutes gathering this information to speed up the quote process: class codes, payroll amount, MOD and your loss runs.

What are you waiting for? Pick up the phone now to learn how the LRA SIF can help you reduce your workers’ compensation costs and to get a quote. Call the LRA Member Services at (504) 454-2277 today!

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Assc joins Share the Gulf Coalition

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) joined the Share the Gulf coalition, formed to help ensure Gulf seafood continues to be shared fairly and sustainably for generations to come. The effort was initiated in part as a response to a current proposal being vetted before members of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council that could alter allocation of fresh gulf seafood and diminish the supply for restaurants and seafood markets.

Every year, millions of Americans enjoy fresh seafood caught by local small businesses and supplied to restaurants and grocery stores across the country.  These small businesses make up what is called the “commercial fishery” and they provide consumers the ability to enjoy Gulf seafood like red snapper, grouper and other reef fish without having to catch it themselves on deep sea boats. The coalition knows that if the resource is managed well, there are plenty of fish like red snapper and grouper to go around. The Share the Gulf coalition believes that all Americans – sportsmen as well as restaurants, seafood lovers and commercial fishermen – deserve to enjoy the Gulf's bounty.

“It is imperative the Gulf’s resources are shared fairly to ensure Florida’s commercial fisheries remain healthy and sustainable,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the FRLA. “Here in the Sunshine State, fresh Gulf seafood is an essential part of our hospitality industry and we will continue to vigorously work with fishery leaders to safeguard our businesses and consumers.”

The Louisiana Restaurant Association is also a coalition member and its President/CEO Stan Harris has been a vocal advocate for the cause. Member chefs Haley Bittermann, Brian Landry, Tenney Flynn and Frank Brigtsen have testified before the Gulf Fishery Management Council in past months in support of Share the Gulf’s cause.

“Members of Congress, our Gulf state governors, the Gulf Council and the federal and state fishery agencies must hear from the chefs and restaurateurs about the need for fair allocations on behalf of the American consumer and the businesses our industry partners with for supply.” said Harris. “The coalition will press decision-makers to keep sustainably caught Gulf seafood on the table for the millions of Americans who don’t fish or own their own boat."

The body responsible for managing these fisheries, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, will be meeting October 28^th through November 1^st in New Orleans. The Share the Gulf coalition plans to alert members of the restaurant and seafood communities, elected officials, and consumers of these plans and their dire economic consequences.

OSHA makes significant change to rule pertaining to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

New title means new training required

OSHA recently altered the way in which hazardous material labeling will look. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will now be called Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and will have a new look, with a more consistent definition and the addition of standard pictograms. Education and training is required on your part to educate your employees now, before new product labels arrive.

This new training must be in place by December 1, 2013.

Please see this YouTube video for a quick understanding of the new OSHA rules and regulations pertaining to Hazard Communications.

The “Highlights” section on the OSHA page pertaining to the new changes have many useful downloads for your use.

LRA SIF rates are falling once again

For the third time in four years, rate reductions take effect in January

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Self Insurer’s Fund for Workers’ Compensation (LRA SIF) is pleased to announce rate reductions on premiums for its Fund, which specializes in the hospitality industry. This marks the third time in four years that the fund has reduced its rates. The rate reductions will take effect January 1, 2014.

This is made possible by the commitment of our members who participate by maintaining low claims experiences and promoting a culture of safety in the workplace. Because of the efficient management of the Fund, no rates were increased for the upcoming year.

“Most workers’ compensation providers in our state have taken rate increases, particularly in the hospitality-related business classes. Given our LRA SIF members’ commitment to workplace safety and prevention measures, these rate reductions should continue to make our fund the best option for our industry,” said Stan Harris, President & CEO of the LRA SIF.

“This reduction provides members of the LRA SIF with added value and potential savings,” added Harris. “The LRA SIF has a 31-year track record of serving the industry’s workers’ comp needs with effective in-house claims management that prepares workers to return to work sooner, resolves claims efficiently and will continue to offer competitive rates.”

The benefit of placing workers’ comp coverage with a self-insured fund is it allows business owners to spread risk among all participants and creates positive claims outcomes that benefit all the fund’s policyholders.

Workers’ compensation coverage is required by Louisiana law and applies to any enterprise in the state regardless of the number of employees. The LRA SIF’s complimentary loss prevention resources can provide workplace solutions on how to improve best practices in a hospitality environment. Whether you have questions on fire safety, preventing slips and falls, or any other safety concern, the LRA SIF loss prevention professionals can provide helpful information and training for your staff.

As the LRA SIF enters its 32^nd year, it has expanded its program to welcome insurance brokers and agents who offer the LRA SIF to their hospitality related clients. Since its inception in early 2011, through membership and partnership with PIA and Big I, the LRA SIF is focused on meeting the specific needs of the agent with superb service and a competitive commission structure.

To learn more about how the LRA SIF can help you reduce your workers’ compensation costs and to get a quote, please contact Member Services at (504) 454-2277 today.

NRA Manage My Restaurant: Millennials changing definition of brand value for restaurant marketers

Jeff Fromm is EVP at ad agency Barkley, co-author of a new book “Marketing to Millennials”, founder of Sharelikebuy.com - aMillennial trends and emerging technologies conference - and editor of MillennialMarketing.com. NRA Members receive $100 off their registration to Sharelikebuy.com when using code NRA2013.

In the new Millennial-inspired Participation Economy, the old definition of brand value — the one that worked for decades — is dead.  Millennials don’t just want to buy your brand, they want to be a part of it. They’re looking for ways to participate.  And they want to understand why you do what you do not just what you want to sell.  As a result, the brand value equation has morphed to include participative benefits. This is key for tapping into Millennial passion — and therefore, Millennials’ dollars.Brand value for restaurant operators has more variables today than ever before.  Here’s a few that may be impacting your brand:

Food quality

You ain’t nothin’ if you don’t have great food – 60% of Millenials consider it the most important criterion for choosing a restaurant, according to a Barkley survey.  However, Millennial loyalty only goes so deep. From there, look at other important considerations such as good value for the money, order accuracy and key basics that are “price of admission” factors but rarely differentiating.

Unique Flavor Profiles

Millennials want affordable adventures, tasting and sampling.  Barkley’s research with The Boston Consulting Group and Service Management Group found that 77 percent of Millennials enjoy eating a variety of different ethnic cuisines, which gives restaurants ample opportunities for appealing to the Millennial palate.

This doesn’t apply only to exotic flavors. For example, Millennials love chicken wings – after all, the variety of different dipping sauces with every order is almost as exciting as the actual wing.

Transparency & Authenticity

According to Barkely’s research, Millenials place a high value on the transparency and authenticity of the restaurants they do business with. Chipotle and McDonald’s are two well-known brands that have focused on letting consumers know more about the food products and practices of their growers. Just recently, Chipotle added an Ingredients Statement to their online menu flagging which ingredients are local and organic, as well as those containing GMOs, hydrogenated oils and preservatives.

Learn more about the variables that are helping to define your brand at MillennialMarketing.com.

 

For more articles on industry best practices, visit the National Restaurant Association's Manage My Restaurant online resource center here.

Study finds cutting debit fees put $86 billion in La consumer's hands in 2012; $38 billion in merchant savings

A new economic report released today by the Merchants Payments Coalition shows that debit card swipe fee reform saved consumers and merchants billions of dollars in 2012, as anticipated by Congress when it passed debit reform legislation in 2010.

According to the study the result of the debit form legislation was $86 billion in Louisiana consumer savings and $38 billion in savings for Louisiana merchants. The study estimates that 551 jobs were created in Louisiana as a result of the debit card swipe fee reduction.

Reducing the cost for merchants to swipe debit cards put $5.8 billion back into the hands of consumers through lower prices, which led to sufficient increased spending to support 37,501 new jobs, the report finds.

"The facts are in and the numbers don't lie. Debit reform is helping consumers, and both consumers and the economy are big winners," said MPC Chairman Mallory Duncan, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Retail Federation. "Debit card swipe fees are eating up less of consumers' purchasing power, and that has yielded significant savings. These are long-term benefits that will steadily boost the U.S. economy."

NRA introduces new Affordable Care Act Toolkit, complimentary for members

The National Restaurant Association's Health Care Knowledge Center has been the go-to source on how a restaurant or business should prepare for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The Toolkit builds and expands on the NRA’s Health Care Law Primer and is the most comprehensive resource on the health care law for restaurant operators.

The 56-page Toolkit—a benefit of NRA & LRA membership –offers  a chapter-by-chapter guide to the law's impact on restaurant employers. It walks operators through the data they need to track in 2014 in order to calculate whether they will be considered a large employer for 2015, and details the proposed information-reporting requirements for large employers and businesses that offer self-insured plans.

The Toolkit covers a lot of additional vital information and includes expanded graphics, frequently asked employee questions, checklists and a glossary of key terms under the ACA. The Toolkit will be updated as regulatory guidance evolves. We believe it will be invaluable for operators nationwide.

 

Members can call the Louisiana Restaurant Association to receive their complimentary copy at (504) 454-2277.