Today on AirTalk, the jury reaches a verdict on the Bell trial. Then, are privacy issues involved in CVS's new wellness program that requires employees to report their medical information? Later, Police Chief Beck answers questions about Dorner, realignment, pocket parks, ankle bracelets, and more. Also, we'll discuss how the workplace is affected by March madness, the pros and cons of delaying marriage and Tracie Bennett talks about her role as Judy Garland in "End of the Rainbow."
CVS proposes voluntary health screenings, but are they really voluntary?
In today’s economy, many businesses are looking for ways to cut costs across the board. Many of these efforts are focused on health insurance programs for employees. Typically, companies will offer incentives to their workers who voluntarily submit to health screenings of their vital signs, as well as tests for blood sugar, diabetes, obesity and cholesterol. The economic incentives provide relief to employees, and amassing health data is beneficial for companies to know which areas their employees need to focus on, thus saving money on medical costs in the long run. However, one company is bucking the trend of offering incentives, and instead will penalize workers on the company’s health plan who don’t submit to such screenings.
The company refers to this as a voluntary practice, but critics find it impossible to call something voluntary when there is a financial punishment attached. Forgoing the screenings would cost each employee $50 a month, totaling $600 a year. For middle-income earners and below, that’s nothing to sneeze at, and critics of the plan worry such workers will feel browbeaten into doing the screenings.
So is this program really voluntary? What are the privacy issues here? Should employees have to report such information to their employers? Are these incentive programs working?
Guests:
Deborah Peel, MD, founder of Patient Privacy Rights, a group dedicated to ensuring that Americans control all access to their health records
Helen Darling, President & CEO, National Business Group on Health, described as the nation's only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers' perspective on national health policy issues, since 1974; CVS Caremark is a member of the National Business Group on Health
LAPD Roundup with Police Chief Charlie Beck
We’re well into 2013, but Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has had his hands full dealing with ghosts of the past.
Last month, the police department reopened the 2007 disciplinary case that resulted in the firing of Christopher Dorner -- the former police officer who took four lives before dying in a fiery blaze in the Big Bear mountains. Meanwhile, the year-and-a-half-old prison realignment effort is having both expected and unexpected outcomes on the local level. A small uptick in property crime in Los Angeles? Possibly related and perhaps expected. Thousands of paroled sex offenders going unpunished after disarming their GPS trackers because the county jails are too full? Not expected. These same sex offenders have troubles of their own, however, if a movement started by the community of Harbor Gateway takes off. The neighborhood will soon be home to a tiny “pocket park” – a little piece of green with a big mission of driving away the offenders in the neighborhood. Further north in Hollywood, the police have cracked down on 20 MS-13 gang members who have allegedly extorted local food truck operators for over five years. At the same time, car chases seem to be an ever-present feature of Los Angeles freeways, causing some to wonder whether the punishment doled out to these high-speed bandits is severe enough.
How is LAPD’s top cop dealing with all of this?
Guest:
Charlie Beck, Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
Beware the Ides of March! Madness invades the workplace
Depending on who you talk to, March Madness can be a boon or a bust for employers. A recent survey by the job outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas says that nearly a third of employees spend an average of 3 hours per work day watching games – an addiction further enabled by access to streamed online coverage of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. That plus the time spent by hoop-hoppers speculating, rehashing and organizing office pools costs businesses $134 million in lost productivity, according to the company.
But other reports cite a boost in employee morale that more than makes up for the loss. In fact, some employers find there’s a method to March Madness – making it an office-wide event can benefit the whole team. Granting time-outs to check scores, fostering friendly competition, allowing workers to wear team colors and being flexible with off-court time are just some of the ways to make keep their team engaged throughout the season.
Are you an employer who dreads college basketball season? If you’re a fan, have you found ways to get your hoop fix at work, or do you use up your sick days every March? Does your employer give you a pass on productivity, or do you get the penalty box?
Guest:
Kris Dunn, partner and chief human resources officer, Kinetix, a recruitment process outsourcing firm; founder of the HR Capitalist blog and former assistant basketball coach for University of Alabama at Birmingham
Who are the winners and losers of delayed marriage?
A recent report from the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project has both good news and bad news. The study showed delayed marriage as a rising trend across all economic classes. The good news? College-educated folk, especially women, are reaping the financial benefits. The bad news? They seem to be the only ones. Twentysomethings with less education are on board with delaying marriage, but they’re not necessarily delaying childbearing, according to the report, titled “Knot Yet.”
On average, women in this group have their first child two years before marriage – that’s compared to their college-educated peers, who typically wait two years after marriage. Reversing marriage and the baby carriage is a trend on the rise for the middle class and a serious problem, according to the researchers behind the study. Drifting into parenthood before marriage has been shown to result in less emotional and financial stability for the child – one that could create a vicious cycle entrapping the next generation in economic immobility.
Could we be headed towards an even more stark divide between the haves and have-nots because of this marriage trend? Is a culture shift or a poor economy to blame for having children before marriage? Why is marriage rather than intentional relationships the recommended prerequisite for children?
Guest:
Kelleen Kaye, Co-author of the study “Knot Yet” and Senior Director of Research at The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
Jury reaches verdict in Bell trial
The jury has reached a verdict in the Bell trial, where six former elected officials in Bell have been accused of abusing public funds by giving themselves high salaries. Victor Bello, George Cole, Oscar Hernandez, Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal were found guilty on various counts, but Luis Artiga was found not guilty on all counts.
An audit revealed that the city illegally raised taxes and other fees to fund their own bank accounts. Former city manager Robert Rizzo had an annual salary and compensation package worth $1.5 million, reported the Associated Press. During the trial, witnesses testified that Rizzo convinced other city officials that they deserved high salaries and manipulated them to sign major financial documents. The former Bell officials said that their salaries were deserved.
The jury has been deliberating since February 28, but the trial had to restart when a juror was dismissed for misconduct on the fifth day.
Guest:
Corey Moore, KPCC reporter at the courthouse
Going over the rainbow with Tracie Bennett
Tonight, veteran English stage actress Tracie Bennett, goes on stage at the Ahmanson to enact the final years of the late, great Judy Garland’s life in “End of the Rainbow.” This musical drama by Peter Quilter is about the last stage of Garland’s life, and Bennett’s portrayal has already won acclaim on the London and New York stages. Many have noticed Tony-nominated Bennett’s tireless performance as she sings famous songs such as “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”
Bennett has been playing Judy Garland in various plays for more than a decade and refers to herself as the “former chorus girl who is finally being offered her big break,” according to the New York Times. In many interviews, the 50-year old Bennett has talked about her previous theater work, the grueling on-stage performances, and how she’s been able to keep her stamina.
Bennett joins Larry to talk about “End of the Rainbow” opening in Los Angeles, her portrayal of Judy Garland and her journey to the Broadway stage.
Guest:
Tracie Bennett, English Stage and Television Actress starring as Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow
"End of the Rainbow" opens tonight at the Ahmanson Theatre. Click here for information and tickets.