Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Laurus Strategies strongly believes that giving back to the community benefits everyone—and during the holiday season, our thoughts turn to the communities surrounding each of our locations. In 2009, in lieu of client gifts, Laurus Strategies has decided to make charitable donations to local non-profit organizations. Following is a brief description of the organizations we are fortunate enough to support and the extraordinary work they do.

Kids Hope United, Chicago, IL. KHU is a private, nonprofit human service organization dedicated to protecting children and strengthening families. They serve more than 15,000 children and families throughout Florida, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. Their vision is to have a safe and nurturing home for each and every child. Kids Hope United provides a wide array of prevention, intervention, and community-based support programs to vulnerable, high-risk populations. For more information on Kids Hope United, please visit www.kidshopeunited.org.

Buckner Children’s Home, Dallas, TX. Buckner Children’s Home is a diverse global ministry to children. Their mission is to be a multi-service agency dedicated to the restoration and healing of individuals and families. Buckner’s services include a global humanitarian aid program, volunteer missions opportunities, community enrichment and prevention programs, an international network of residential, foster care and transitional housing services, as well as domestic and international adoption and support programs for children living in orphanages in other countries. For more information on Buckner Children’s Home, please visit www.bucknerchildren.org.

Tazewell County Children’s Advocacy Center, Morton, IL. This center serves the needs of abused children in Tazewell, Woodford and Mason counties of Illinois. Their mission is to provide a coordinated approach to the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child sexual abuse and serious abuse cases, which is sensitive to the child victim’s needs and holds offenders accountable. For more information on Tazewell County Children’s Advocacy Center, please visit www.tazewellcac.org.

United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) is a private, non-profit corporation established in 1965 to advocate for and provide services to Hispanic migrant and seasonal farm workers in Wisconsin. Their mission is to provide programs and services which improve the employment, education, health and housing opportunities of underserved populations. UMOS’s corporate offices are located in Milwaukee, WI. For more information on United Migrant Opportunity Services, please visit www.umos.org.

Active Faith Community Services is a faith-based, licensed, non-denominational, non-discriminating, non-profit organization offering services for those who qualify and live in the South Lyon School District in Michigan. For over two decades, Active Faith Community Services has worked to improve the quality of life for low-income households residing within the school district. Their mission is to help their clients become self-sufficient. For more information on Active Faith Community Services, please visit www.activefaithcs.org.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

THIS MORNING, Laurus Strategies hosted an Employment Law Seminar in our chicago office in concert with the Laner Muchin law firm. The topic was a "Cutting Edge" Discussion and Dialogue of current employment law topics, primarily focusing on FMLA, ADA, Wage/Hour and COBRA issues. The presenters were our own Andrea Carr, Principal, Human Resource Solutions, as well as Rob Bernstein and Monica Lasky of Laner Muchin.

Those in attendance were particularly interested in practical tips for COBRA compliance as well as the latest in Wage/Hour rulings and information related to paid/unpaid time off for salaried vs. hourly employees. As always, the group was also intrigued with the intersections between FMLA and ADA compliance. Questions came up regarding all of these topics. Materials from the Seminar are available upon request. Please email info@laurusstrategies.com for more information.

Laurus Strategies will continue to offer opportunities such as this for our valued clients, with multiple means of participation – including possibly offering additional seminars in the Chicago suburbs as well as offering webinars. Stay tuned for more information.

Many thanks to Bob Bruce, Andrea Carr, Kate Holm, Carly Brown, Jessica Bennett, Jordan Ferrario and Liz de Kanter for making this event a success and for providing great information and support to our valued clients.

Friday, October 2, 2009

By: Robert R. Bruce, Labor, Employment & Benefits Law Counsel

At Laurus Strategies our goal is to help you prepare for legislative changes. With the new interim rules on HIPAA Breach Notifications having taken effect on September 23, 2009, it is important to understand how these changes may affect your business.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 made several changes to HIPAA privacy rules. The most significant change is the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act breach notification requirement applicable to HIPAA covered entities and their business associates. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an interim ruling to elaborate on the already enacted the HITECH Actⁱ. These regulations take effect on September 23, 2009. Sanctions for failure to comply will not be imposed until February 22, 2010.

If a breach of unsecured Personal Health Information (PHI) has occurred, notice to the affected individuals is required. The following circumstances should be analyzed to determine if notification is required

• Has an actual breach occurred? Breach is defined as the acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of protected health information in a manner not permitted by the HIPAA privacy rules.
• Was the PHI unsecured? The HITECH Act expands on this definition to include that unsecured PHI is information that is not secured by technology or methodology that renders the PHI unreadable, unusable, or indecipherable to unauthorized individuals.
• Did the breach compromise the security and privacy of the PHI? The covered entity will need to determine if there was a significant risk of financial, reputation or other harm to the individual(s). A risk assessment will need to be conducted to determine this. The rule provides a number of factors which should be taken into account in completing the assessment.
• If you believe a breach has occurred, first check the exceptions to the breach definition. There are certain cases where an unintentional and/or inadvertent disclosure of PHI would not be considered a breach.
• A breach may not have occurred if information is encrypted or destroyed. The encryption or destruction must render the PHI as unreadable, unusable, or indecipherable to unauthorized individuals. Redaction, most commonly defined as removing or deleting information, is not considered acceptable destruction of information and therefore is not acceptable to secure PHI.

The interim rule does not require covered entities to secure a means of encryption. Instead it is suggested that they consider implementing encryption as a method of securing PHI transmittals.

The new rules require when there is a breach of unsecured PHI the individuals that are affected must be notified without reasonable delay, but in no event later than 60 days after the breach is discovered or should have been discovered by using reasonable diligence.

If the breach occurs from use by a business associate, they must also notify the covered entity so that the covered entity can notify the individuals within 60 days.

The notice to individuals must be in writing via first class mail and be easy to understand. It should describe how and when the breach occurred and when it was discovered; including a list of actions taking place to reduce the harm that could be caused to the affected individuals. The notification must also provide direct contact information for questions, including email address, toll-free number, website or postal address.

It is acceptable to send the notifications via e-mail but only in situations where the participants have previously agreed to e-mail notification and the e-mail must include all required contact information listed above.

Other rules about the notice include:

• If a breach affects more than 500 residents of a state notice must also be provided to prominent media outlets. Notice to the HHS is required concurrently with the individual notifications if more than 500 individuals are affected, regardless of residence of the affected individuals.
• Otherwise, notice via an internal log should be submitted to HHS no later than 60 days following the end of the calendar year. Instructions for notifying the Secretary will be posted on the HHS website.
• If the covered entity does not have sufficient contact information for 10 or more individuals, a notice must also be posted on their website for 90 days or notice must be provided to a major media outlet in their state and jurisdiction.

Steps you should take:

• Update HIPAA policies and procedures to reflect how to identify a breach, who will prepare individual notifications, when a breach will trigger a notice to the media or immediate notice to HHS, the complaint process, and sanctions.
• Establish a breach log that must track breaches as they occur. If a breach occurs and is logged, the log must be filed with HHS within 60 days after the end of the calendar year.
• Train workforce members on the new requirements (e.g. how to identify a breach and how to report it).
• Update Business Associate Agreements. Laurus Strategies will be providing an updated Business Associate Agreement to all plan sponsors.

Laurus Strategies will keep you advised as additional information and guidance is made available.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Laurus Strategies is pleased to welcome Carly Debo to the Employee Benefits Consulting (EBC) practice in our Chicago office as an Associate Consultant on July 31. Most recently, as an Employee Benefits Specialist with The Principal in Lombard, Carly promoted Principal products and services to existing and new participants with an emphasis on empowering them to make smart retirement decisions. There, she conducted presentations on a number of different topics as well as partnered with the service team to build education plans for clients. Prior to that, Carly was an Account Representative at John Deere Health in Iowa where she maintained a sales retention rate of 90%.

Carly received her BA in Psychology with an emphasis on Health Promotions from the University of Iowa.

We are also delighted to announce that Susan Chin joined the EBC practice in Chicago on August 17. Susan brings with her 15 years’ industry experience. Most recently, as Agent Business Owner at American Family Insurance in Glencoe, IL, Susan was a Registered Representative for Variable product sales. There, she established her book of business through Life, P&C, Health and Commercial policy sales. Prior to that, as an Account Manager at Lockton Companies, Susan managed the day-to-day needs of 12 middle market and national account clients. Susan’s experience spans the industry spectrum. She’s held positions at Marsh, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Aetna.

Susan has Illilnois Producers Licenses in Life, Health, Property & Casualty, Series 6 and 63. She received her BS in Business Administration, Marketing from the University of San Francisco.

Monday, August 10, 2009

On Monday, August 10, 2009, Laurus Strategies partner, John Fitzpatrick, chaired a golf/fundraising event called "Chip in Fore Hope" at the River Forest Country Club in Elmhurst, Illinois. The charity golf outing attracted over 150 people with more than 50 different companies represented and twelve vendor donators. Over $100,000 was generated from the outing and all proceeds were donated to United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago (UCP).

Over the past three years, John and Laurus Strategies have raised and/or donated over $300,000 for UCP. John has been an active member in the organization and agrees whole heartedly with UCP’s slogan of "life without limits for people with disabilities."

United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1951. They help people with physical and cognitive disabilities and the economically disadvantaged. Their mission statement is to advance the independence of people with disabilities, enrich their lives, provide support to their families and advocate for their inclusion in every facet of community life. For more information on UCP, visit http://www.ucpnet.org/.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Going the Distance for Kids Hope United

333 nautical miles to help ensure a safe home for every child.

On Saturday, July 18, Team Windrush will set sail in the Chicago Yacht Club's 101st Annual Race to Mackinac, the world's longest annual freshwater distance race. While the race itself is not a fundraising event, Laurus Strategies is thrilled to announce that, in honor of this impressive effort, we will be holding a fundraiser in support an organization that is near and dear to our hearts: Kids Hope United.

Kids Hope United (KHU) provides advocacy, support and treatment to vulnerable children and families. Although there are countless child welfare agencies across the United States, very few organizations are able to offer the diverse array of prevention, intervention and community-based programs and services available through this organization. They serve more than 15,000 children and families in Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri.For more information on KHU, visit www.kidshopeunited.org

I'm writing you today to invite you to join us in supporting this remarkable organization by making a contribution. Your gift will help support these vulnerable children and families - from new and expectant mothers to youth in foster care. No donation is too small! There are two convenient ways to donate:

- ONLINE :
Visit http://www.kidshopeunited.org/make_a_gift/one-time_donation.html to submit your information online. Please be sure to enter "Laurus Strategies" in the "Additional Comments" section.

- BY MAIL :
Print out and complete the donation form found at http://www.kidshopeunited.org/make_a_gift/mail_in_donation.pdf and mail it to the address listed on the form. Please be sure you write "Laurus Strategies" somewhere on the form .

Thank you in advance for your consideration of supporting this worthy cause. To follow Team Windrush's progress beginning July 18th, simply visit www.cycracetomackinac.com and look for the iBoat Race Tracking logo in the top right-hand corner.

Tuesday, July 1, 2009

LAURUS STRATEGIES IS PLEASED TO WELCOME TIM O'BRIEN to the Property & Casualty team. Tim officially joins us on Monday, July 20 and will be working out of our Chicago office as an Account Executive. Tim will be responsible for sales and all facets of servicing his book of business.

Tim brings with him 11 years of sales management experience. Most recently, as Business Development Manager at Regus in Chicago, he was responsible for the Sales and Operations at various business centers throughout Chicago. A consistent producer, Tim was frequently recognized as top producer. Prior to that, as Regional Sales Manager for Environmental Wall Systems in Solon, OH, he sold floor-to-ceiling movable wall systems directly and through furniture dealerships.

Tim received his Bachelor of Science from Purdue University. He has received numerous sales accolades throughout his career.

Monday, 27 April 2009

Event taking place on Thursday, May 7, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on Daley Plaza, Chicago.

Watch history being made as talented U.S. Paralympic athletes perform sport demonstrations, including basketball, judo, cycling and more. You'll also witness the donation of 100 sport wheelchairs to community programs in the Chicago area by The Hartford, U.S. Paralympics, Laurus Strategies and other local benefactors. You'll even have an opportunity to try your hand at a sport, all the while helping to celebrate Paralympic Sport Day and Disability Awareness Month.

Please join us for this momentous event on May 7 - because with the right set of wheels beneath them, athletes can defy the odds and realize their abilities!

Monday, 20 April 2009

Laurus Strategies will be hosting "An Evening with Governor Quinn,” an intimate gathering to be held at our Chicago office on Monday, May 11, 2009 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm.

At Laurus Strategies, we feel that one of our obligations to our clients is to provide information so that they may make better decisions in the ever-changing business climate. With that said, there have been significant discussions surrounding health care, considerable changes to the way unions organize in this country, and the distribution of the large stimulus package recently announced by the government. In order to gain as much information as possible regarding these subjects and others of interest, we wanted to provide our clients a unique opportunity to pose their questions directly to the Governor of Illinois.

Regardless of political affiliation, we think it is important to understand our current administration’s philosophies as well as their opinions on a grander scale of how the federal government’s decisions will impact each state. Consistent with our full-disclosure practice, we disclose that we have made a small donation in order to have the Governor come speak at our office. However, this meeting is not party-specific. It is business-specific.

Wednesday, 8 April 2009

Laurus Strategies has participated in this competition for the past two years, and we have been ranked 7th and 4th in previous years. While our official ranking won’t be unveiled until a special event on May 19, 2009, we are very proud to be ranked in the top 20 for the third consecutive year! The Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) - Illinois State Council, and Ledger Publishing are among those sponsoring the competition, which is a combination survey, study and award ceremony established to identify the top places of employment in Illinois. The program engages the services of ModernThink, LLC to process and analyze the survey results. ModernThink is a research and consulting firm that focuses on organizational development and workplace excellence.

Wednesday, 1 April 2009

We are pleased to announce our newest Partner, Jim Michaud. Jim lives and breathes human resources and labor relations, and has vast experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and location realignments in helping clients with restructuring and associated human resource challenges. Most recently, as vice president of human resources for the Americas for the world's largest steel company, Arcelor Mittal, Jim was accountable for all HR strategy and execution, including labor relations. He successfully integrated more than a dozen global companies into the Arcelor Mittal organization, and completed labor negotiations with the United SteelWorkers.

Prior to Arcelor Mittal, Jim served Alcoa for 27 years in a variety of senior human resource and labor relations positions at the plant, business unit and corporate levels. Today Jim also is a guest instructor at the Michigan State University School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, widely recognized as one of the top HR/LR programs in the country.

Wednesday, 1 April 2009

Laurus Strategies is pleased to announce the addition of Renee Mattaliano to the Employee Benefits Consulting team. She will be working out of our Chicago office as a Senior Consultant primarily focused on Workforce Management services including:

Wednesday, 1 April 2009

Laurus Strategies has acquired Kuehler Design, a firm that brings deep expertise across all major categories in print design, custom publishing, direct marketing and online communications. We are now excited to offer clients a full suite of in-house, best-in-class, professional communication and design services including:

Friday, 13 March 2009

Joined by more than 100 business partners and friends, Laurus Strategies and guests enjoyed some pints and a wee bit o’ fun as they raised their glasses in celebration of the successes of the past year, as well as those to come. A long-standing tradition, Laurus Strategies’ St. Patrick’s Day Party has become a much anticipated celebration throughout the industry known for its fun, light-hearted spirit. The guest list grows by the year, and it could be said that the Laurus Strategies employees themselves look forward to it just as much as the guests do.

Friday, 13 Feb 2009

Laurus Strategies announces that Scott Kaniewski has joined the firm as a Partner in its Corporate Financial Consulting Services practice that provides consulting services to companies in a wide range of industries: