July 6, 2018 - In This Issue:
A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO 

Before you know it, school kids will be heading back to class and we'll be talking about Friday night football. But wait, it's still summer and there are plenty of weekends yet to enjoy. Many businesses around the nations have been giving their employees some extra time to enjoy what seems like a shortened summer by offering Summer Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

CBS Sunday Morning aired a story about this perk recently and I thought it was something we could share with you. Click here to watch. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taking-fridays-off-why-its-good-for-business/ 

The idea for Summer Fridays is to give your employees just a little down time as a reward for good work, or to help with motivation. Many businesses offer this by just closing a couple of hours earlier, those that can. Of course, it's much easier for an office to do this as opposed to a retail store or restaurant.

Some activities that can help increase productivity to allow this to happen can be simple, like completing the toughest tasks first, prioritizing a list of things to do. Also, don't schedule meetings on Fridays. A recent Harris Poll notes that 23% of employees say meetings, emails and co-workers dropping by waste most of the time. So, keep Friday clear of meetings. Another way to find time to depart work a little early and start the weekend, eat lunch at your desk and work through that regular time normally set aside to leave the office for a half hour or hour. Even starting the work day an hour early and leaving an hour early can help motivate employees to work harder and become more loyal.

According to the CBS story, 42% of Fortune 1000 companies offer some type of Summer Friday, and that's up from 21% from two years prior.

One Summer Friday we're looking forward to is next week, the annual Chamber golf outing, the Valero Cup, at the Jaycees course. A huge thank you to all of the sponsors and those donating prizes for our golfers who will be enjoying a day on the links.

So, if you're looking for ways to reward your staff or just give them something extra for motivation, try a Summer Friday or two. Just don't forget, high school football starts in seven weeks.
 
If you missed fireworks this week, you missed a great show in downtown Chillicothe. A shout out goes to Chamber member Dave Thomas of Affordable Concrete and Foundation Repair. Dave is living his dream by also shooting off fireworks with Ohio Pyro Art Guild. That group provided the awesome fireworks show this past Independence Day. If you missed it, another Chamber member, Litter Media, put together a fantastic video accompanied by the soundtrack from Chamber member WKKJ. Click here to relive the festivities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mZ4mfgL__E&feature=youtu.be 
 
Enjoy your weekend!


~Randy Davies
President & CEO 


IMPORTANT DATES AND UPCOMING DEADLINES

 


The secret to happiness is freedom...and the secret to freedom is courage."
~Thucydides

It might help businesses to think of the workers' compensation year in three parts: Education, Evaluation, and Enrollment. Spring is generally the time for "Education", with our seminars and the Ohio Safety Congress taking place. As we've now moved on to the middle of the year, we've reached the "Evaluation" phase. Here at CareWorksComp, we're working hard and making sure that we form the strongest and most stable programs, as well as, incorporating any BWC changes so that we can offer your business the best possible options for the 2019 policy year. If you're not currently a CareworksComp client, we will be reaching out to you soon so that we can provide you with potential savings in our program. CareWorksComp will soon be sending out our invitations to these various alternative rating programs, which will begin the "Enrollment" phase. In the coming months, CareWorksComp will be contacting you about enrolling in the Program that is the best fit for your business. We look forward to discussing the various Programs with you in the near future.

Important Dates and Upcoming Deadlines (for Private Employers):

*         July 1, 2018         
  • Start date of the 2018 policy year, including new 2018 rates and programs.
 
*         July 31, 2018
  • Final day to join a safety council for the 2018 policy year.
  • Deadline to complete DFSP accident analysis training for 7/1 program start date (initial year only!). Please note that new supervisors have 60 days from the date of hire to complete.
  • Deadline to complete the online safety management self-assessment (SH-26) for a 7/1 start date for both the DFSP program and the ISSP program.
 
August 15, 2018
  • Due date for BWC to receive your 2017 payroll True-Up report, as well as any True-Up payment for the July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 rate year.
 
2017 Rate Year True-up : True-Up reconciliation must be completed by 8/15/18 for the July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 rate year. It is very important that your true-up is done timely or BWC may lapse your coverage and/or remove your company from any alternative rating programs. The BWC considers the True-Up complete when payroll is reported and any related premium payments are made.
 
*         August 30, 2018 is the
  • DFSP action plan deadline for 7/1 start date - advanced level only.
 
Unemployment Update: An analogy for paying out an unemployment claim is like a tire warranty!  It is only good for a set amount of miles (money) or a set time frame.  Claimants that qualify are awarded a total amount of money (current maximum is $15,548) and a benefit year within which they can collect the money.  Like a tire warranty, claimants can only collect on the claim while they still are owed money (or mileage) and are within their time limit.  Once either is used up, they cannot collect any more money until the claim year expires.  The money they collect is only dispersed one week at a time, and the total awards do not exceed twenty six (26) weeks.  They can open up their claim and never collect against it (drive zero miles), they can file weeks sporadically or they can use up their entire award (maximum mileage).
CareWorksComp can assist you in controlling unemployment claims and taxes.  If you would like more information on how much a claimant can collect per week, how the amount is determined, and how much you, as an employer, may be charged, please contact Kammy Staton, our Unemployment Manager, at 614.526.7165, or   kammy.staton@careworkscomp.com 
 
Policy Activity Rebate (PAR):  Employers may have heard about a new program developed by BWC, which, according to the BWC, is intended to help employers expand their knowledge of key facets in workers' comp, such as claims management and safety. Participation in this plan enables some penalty rated companies to earn a premium rebate, for completion of specific activities.  Please contact your CareWorksComp representative if you have questions about this, or any other, BWC program.

JULY BUSINESS AFTER BUSINESS 



CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

LUNCH WITH 12 STRANGERS

Are you too busy in the evenings to attend our Business After Business?  
Do large crowds make you nervous or uncomfortable?  The Chamber is paying attention and trying to find opportunities for everyone to make connections and develop relationships.  Our newest venture will be, Lunch With 12 Strangers.  Most people get a lunch break and why not use that time to meet some new people?  Twelve is a small group and it will be a very relaxed atmosphere.  Lunch will be on your own or paid individually.  We will order lunch, tell a little about ourselves and where we work and what we are trying to accomplish.  The first 12 people to register will attend the event.  It is important that if you register, that you do attend. 
 
Lunch With 12 Strangers will be held on Tuesday, July 17 th, from 11:30am to 1:00pm at Tumbleweed in Chillicothe.  Make sure you don't hesitate, register today!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

QUICK CLIPS FROM OUR MEMBERS
  • Ross County YMCA will be hosting their annual 'Touch A Truck" event on Saturday, July 14th. This family friendly event is free and gives everyone the opportunity to "touch" big trucks, and meet the people who protect, serve, and build our community 
  • Don't forget about the "Monday Night Special" at Tecumseh! Each Monday night they offer a special discount to Ohio residentswith a valid ID. Patrons can save $10 on an adult ticket by bringing at least two cans of food along with their ID 
  • Rainbow Yoga is hosting numerous classes on Saturdays and Sundays. To learn more about their schedule of classes visit www.rainbowyogastudio.com 
  • Mile Tree Screen Printing highlights their business in unique ways. Be sure to follow them on Facebook to join in the fun! www.facebook.com/MTSPCHILLI 
  • Rick Barnes will be playing at Naz Vineyard and Winery on Saturday, July 7th beginning at 6PM. Local food truck Peace, Love & Lunch will also be on site serving their delicous menu 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR QUICK CLIP

JUNE 2018 BUILDING PERMITS

Construction and redevelopment in our community continues to thrive. As a service, the Chamber is pleased to share as much information as we can provide. Click the link below to see commercial building permits for Chillicothe and Ross County. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PERMITS

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS 

-Hometown Hibachi

Click Here to View our Complete Member Directory
UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS      

July 10th- EPIC Morning Coffee, 37 W. Second St. 8-9AM 

July 10th- Hometown Hibachi Ribbon Cutting, 1 Enderlin Circle (Pump House Parking Lot), 11:30AM 

July 13th- Golf Outing- 4th Annual Valero Cup, at 12100 Pleasant Valley Rd. 

July 17th- Lunch With 12 Strangers, 1150 N. Bridge St., 11:30-1PM 

July 18th- Business After Business hosted by Wagner's Roadhouse, 15164 Pleasant Valley Rd., 5-7PM 

July 25th- Christmas In July Bar Crawl, Downtown Chillicothe, 5-8:30PM 

August 1st- Ribbon Cutting All Signs of Chillicothe, 10AM, at 12035 Pleasant Valley Rd. 


For more information or to register for any of these events please call 740-702-2722 or 
visit the Chamber Calendar at www.chillicotheohio.com
 

2018 PREMIUM MEMBERS

Platinum Level
Adena Health System
Advanced Services Heating and Cooling
C. Walters Management
Central Ohio Financial Services
Chillicothe City Schools
Chillicothe Paints
Classic Brands
Glatfelter
Horizon
Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC 
Kenworth Truck Co.
McDonald's
Ohio University- Chillicothe
Printex Same Day Printing
Ross County Banking Center
Signature HealthCARE of Chillicothe
WesBanco

Gold Level
National Church Residences   
Staff Source 

Paradise Glo! Tanning Salon Ribbon Cutting

Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce
45 E Main Street *  Chillicothe, OH 45601
P: (740) 702-2722   F: (740) 702-2727
bkellough @chillicotheohio.com

The Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce promotes economic and community development by providing services and addressing issues important to business.