RIVERSIDE -- The State Compensation Insurance Fund will sponsor a free expo and seminar for policyholders, brokers, and clients entitled, “Workers’ Compensation Essentials For Your Business: What Every Employer Needs to Know” in Riverside on November 29th. The event will explore a number of workers’ compensation topics including workers’ compensation law, resources for workers’ compensation issues, and information for employers on employees “returning-to-work.”

The expo will feature an array of experts including labor law attorneys, medical management representatives, trade groups, and fraud investigators. State Fund safety experts will also be available to discuss ways to lower workers’ compensation costs through safety measures.

State Fund Riverside District Office Field Services Manager, Jose Benavides is coordinating the event. He commented, “Recent workers’ compensation reform has ushered in new rules and regulation to the system. It has also brought with it a lot of questions from our employers on how this reform impacts their business. The seminar/expo addresses some of their concerns by exploring a number of issues. It also serves as a great opportunity to acquaint employers with the many resources and services available at State Fund.”

The seminar will be divided into three sections. Topics in the legal portion of the seminar will be hosted by labor and workers’ compensation law expert Geoffrey Hopper of the Law Offices of Geoffrey H. Hopper and Associates. Mr. Hopper will share his expertise in the following topics: wage and hour law, labor law, discrimination, handling employee discipline, terminating employees, drug testing, and interviewing.

The second segment of the seminar details State Fund services. State Fund’s Leilani Carlson will discuss the many services and resources State Fund has to offer including: auditing, fraud prevention, State Fund online, and loss control.

The seminar concludes with a “return-to-work” presentation hosted by State Fund’s Return-to-Work Consultant Julie Miechowicz. Ms. Miechowicz addresses the following topics: cost savings, productivity and results, laws and regulations, working with account representatives, and incentives.

The seminar is from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Marriot Hotel, 3400 Market Street in Riverside. A free continental breakfast, door prizes and workers’ compensation materials are included. To register, please call (951) 656-8453, or send a fax to (951) 653-3570.

The Riverside seminar is part of a series of educational programs State Compensation Insurance Fund is holding throughout the state in order to help employers create safe workplaces. State Fund has the largest safety and health services program among California workers’ compensation insurance carriers.

Editor’s Note: Established by the California Legislature in 1914, State Compensation Insurance Fund is a nonprofit, and wholly self-supporting public enterprise carrier that provides workers’ compensation coverage at cost to all California employers.