What The Heck Is Risk Management?!

So I am finding out more and more that people in my life do not know what I (Sarah) do at work all day.....for those of you who are interested in the details, let me explain! This past June I celebrated by 9th anniversary at PrideStaff. My current title is "Risk Manager" and I report to the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) of the company. You can check out PrideStaff's website at http://www.pridestaff.com/.

PrideStaff is a national "human resource services company." In layman's terms, we are a staffing agency. As I write this, we have 40 offices across the country and we are growing rapidly. The Risk Management Department provides legal and human resources support to all locations in all states. Whenever there is a potential legal issue or insurance claim (anything that could cost the company money), we step in to make sure we are following the laws and doing whatever it takes within reason to prevent a loss. Our department essentially functions as "human resources" or "in-house legal counsel" for the field offices. Much of my time involves receiving calls from Staffing Supervisors in our various offices who say, "I have ______ problem with a temporary employee, what do I do?" The problem could be anything from an on-the-job injury to a complaint of sexual harassment to being intoxicated at work. Here's a short list of some of the key areas our department handles and where I'm well-trained (although there are actually many more types of issues we handle!):

·Workers' compensation (managing claims to minimize cost)
·Unemployment insurance (managing claims to minimize cost)
·Complaints of harassment & discrimination (managing claims to minimize cost)
·Fraud issues (employees who falsify timecards or steal from our clients – coordinate investigation and pursue legal action as necessary)
·Background checks on temporary employees – we decide if candidates with criminal convictions get hired!
·Writing company policies & procedures
·Training new associates on risk management procedures (best practices to minimize the risk of claims, lawsuits, etc.)
·Ours is the only department that reports directly to the President of the company.
·I give about 5 hours of risk management training to new PrideStaff associates (sales and operations staff) during our formal "Standards of Excellence" training programs, held quarterly here in Fresno.
·I am also responsible for training all new PrideStaff franchisees in the areas of risk management and loss control. Before they open their doors for business, they will have spent up to 8 hours of one-on-one training with me. They look to our department to help keep their business investment safe from frivolous employee lawsuits. Most franchisees make an initial investment of more than $100 to start and fund their PrideStaff business for the first year, putting their homes and retirement funds "on the line" because they believe in PrideStaff and our franchise system.

I currently have 3 professional designations, which I've earned with PrideStaff's support and encouragement over the years!

·WCCP (Workers' Compensation Claims Professional) -- This designation requires completion of seven 12-week courses through the Insurance Education Association (IEA). The courses all center around California workers' comp law.

·CSP (Certified Staffing Professional) -- This designation is granted by the American Staffing Assocation and requires an independent study & exam on federal and state employment laws as they pertain to the staffing industry.

·CAC (California Accredited Consultant) -- This designation is granted by the California Staffing Professionals organization and requires an independent study & exam on California's employment laws.

And that's it in a really small nutshell!