by admin_lauth | Nov 11, 2016 | Private Investigations News, Tips & Facts
The Family Medical Leave Act protects employees positions from termination in the event they have to take time off to care for a sick family member. According to FMLASource as much as 10.7% of the U.S. workforce is on FMLA leave at any given time. While countless employees have benefited from FMLA, others have taken advantage of the program for their own gain. FMLA fraud costs business million. Here’s how you can stop it.
Require proof
If an employee needs to use the FMLA then they should always be required to provide proof of the medical problem causing them to take leave. Workers can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave under FMLA so it’s fair for companies to require employees provide adequate proof. Make sure you comply with state and federal regulations governing what medical records you legally can and can’t ask an employee to provide.
Familiarize employees on FMLA
Is enforcing the Family Medical Leave Act difficult? Not if you have a good team of informed employees. Supervisors being educated about FMLA will make abuse more difficult because the supervisors will know what to look for and how to respond. It will also save time since supervisors will be able to answer employee questions themselves. Keeping other employees informed about FMLA will clear up confusion about what is required for someone to go on leave. Consider training for employees on FMLA.
Take FMLA seriously
Creating an environment that appreciates the seriousness of FLMA will show employees the importance of treating the program with respect. Companies cannot allow FMLA to be treated as a way to get easy time off. Take potential FLMA abuse seriously. Report fraud to the proper authorities and investigate further as needed. It’s unfair to employees and the company when people take advantage of programs like FLMA. It makes it more difficult for honest employees to receive it and costs businesses millions of dollars.
Keep records organized
Kevin McCarthy from the Kalamazoo Human Resource Management Association said, “Many certifications for intermittent leave list the period of the need for the leave as ‘indefinite’ or ‘permanent.’ ..the employee will never have to ask for an extension of the intermittent leave. Unless the employer receives good information that the individual’s medical circumstances have changed significantly or that the need for an intermittent leave is no longer valid, the employee will never have to submit a recertification. In the types of abusive situations discussed above, this is a major problem…”
Employees may only ever file for FMLA once but will remain eligible for the benefits indefinitely. Employers must stay on top of who is and is not certified and for how long. Spread sheets can be particularly helpful for this task. Organizing all of your employees FMLA records into one place will make it easy to quickly identify who is eligible and for how long.
by admin_lauth | Oct 4, 2016 | Personal Investigations, Private Investigations News, Tips & Facts
Hiring a private investigator has never been easier. Type “hire a private investigator” into Google and your screen will be filled with results. Some of the results are for independent locally owned businesses like Lauth Investigations International. Others are franchises or contracting agencies that rely on minimal information to connect you with an investigator quickly.
The most obvious reason to hire a locally based private investigator instead of a franchise is that local P.I.s are guaranteed to know the area better. Living and breathing in the area they work gives local investigators a huge advantage over contractors. Local investigators are in the city where you need them 24/7.
Has your child runaway? Local P.I.s will know where kids hang around and be able to check the spots with an understanding of which ones are more likely to yield results. Local firms won’t waste time searching closed down arcades or movie theaters, because they’ll already know it’s been shut down.
On the other hand contractors might not live within 50 miles of the city you need searched. Franchises contract investigators with a minimal application process and could assign someone to your case out of convenience rather than expertise. Get help from someone who walks the streets every night, not a tourist.
Investigators rely heavily on networks of sources cultivated from years of working the same areas. You don’t meet locals and find out out where people go in a town without getting out and talking to the natives. Establishing trust with sources requires repeated face-to-face interactions that can’t be fast forwarded through.
Contracted investigators may know a guy or two, but local investigators are swimming amongst their neighbors when they work a case in their backyard. It’s easier for a local P.I. to get a favor done, because the person doing the favor knows the P.I. will still be there tomorrow if they need something. Local P.I.s have an investment in their neighborhoods that the community understands and contractors can’t replicate.
Investment in the community is a major difference between local firms and franchises. Local private investigation firms build their businesses from the ground up in the cities they serve. They vet all of their employees thoroughly and only work with people they know they can trust. Local firms don’t hire contractors after filling out a short application. They hire known commodities and promote from within.
Promoting from within means local firms invest in their employees with training to expand their skill set. Franchises maximize their profits by taking on a high volume of cases and spreading them around to the cheapest contractors they can find. Sometimes those contractors will perform quality work, but can you risk your case being passed off to the lowest bidder?
Local firms make their money by performing quality work for clients. When you check the reviews for a local firm, you’re seeing the results of the investigators you’ll be working with. Past cases offer local P.I.s references and testimonies from those they’ve served directly. Franchises are nothing more than middle men who pass the buck to someone else. Which do you want to rest your hope and faith in?
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
![How Private Investigators Can Help During your Custody Battle]()
by admin_lauth | Sep 27, 2016 | Private Investigations News, Tips & Facts
Divorce is difficult. Even more so when children are involved. Figuring out custodial agreements is challenging and presents opportunities for disagreement that can span years. It’s important that parents understand all of the resources available to them and how private investigators can be valuable assets in the fight to protect their children and secure custody.
Is your child coming home with signs of abuse?
If you suspect your child is being abused, you need to begin documenting all of the evidence immediately. Bruises or marks, no matter how small or faint, must be photographed as soon as they are noticed. Photographic evidence is some of the strongest evidence you can produce.
It can be difficult to prove child abuse has taken place. Depending on the age of the child they may not be able to articulate exactly what happened. If the abuse was traumatic enough it could cause confusion when the child tries to explain what occured. The importance of adequately documenting potential abuse cannot be overstated.
Private investigators have the equipment and insight to properly record suspected instances of abuse. Dealing with the court system is a private investigator’s forte and they understand what the courts need to see and how it must be presented to prompt the courts to take action. When it comes to your child’s safety, you cannot afford to delay seeking help.
I’m concerned my ex is using drugs around our children.
Across America a heroin epidemic is breaking out. Drug abuse is impacting people of all social and economic backgrounds. Recently a picture circulated news and social media of two adults passed out from a heroin overdose in their SUV while a four-year-old boy sat helplessly in the back seat.
The female in the passenger seat is the boy’s grandmother. She lost consciousness after shooting-up while her boyfriend drove. Upon being stopped by police for driving erratically, the boyfriend passed out too. The grandmother had only had custody of the boy for 5 weeks when this occurred.
No one knew the grandmother’s heroin abuse was so bad or she never would’ve been granted custody in the first place. But this raises the question of how anyone could have known her addiction was this in strong? What red flags were missed that could’ve kept this boy out of danger? Was this the first time the couple used drugs with the child present?
Private investigators are trained to pay attention to and take note of people’s abnormal behavior. Surveillance by a P.I. may have led to the discovery of the grandmother’s drug abuse before the child was put in this potentially fatal scenario. Thankfully the police were able to intervene and get the boy to safety.
My ex isn’t spending their visitation time with our kids. What can I do?
When the courts determine visitation time they do so expecting the parents to spend that time with their child. This isn’t always the case though. Sometimes the parent will take the child for visitation time, but drop them off with a family member or baby sitter.
One parent passing their child off to someone else during visitation time not only deprives the child of time quality time, but it prevents the other parent from seeing their child as well. Depending on your state and custodial agreement, it’s possible it’s a violation of the law as well.
The Right of First Refusal stipulates that when one parent plans to have a third party babysit their child during visitation time, they must first give the other parent a chance to say they will or won’t watch the child instead. Private Investigators can provide records and documentation that demonstrates when visitation isn’t being properly utilized to make sure the parents who want time with their child are getting it.
I’m worried about the new people my ex is bringing around our kids.
One of the scarier parts of a divorce is knowing sooner or later your child is going to be introduced to new people you won’t get the chance to know beforehand. No one wants their child around strangers, but it’s an inevitable reality of separate parenting. It’s possible the new people in your ex’s life are wonderful, but why take any chances?
Private investigators can help alleviate these concerns. Investigators routinely perform background checks that can help you to better know who’s around your child. Concerned about where your children are being taken when they’re not with you? Surveillance can keep you informed about your children’s condition and whereabouts when you can’t be there.
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
by admin_lauth | Sep 27, 2016 | Private Investigations News, Tips & Facts
Private investigators do a variety of work for individuals and businesses. The majority of P.I.s are honest and work diligently to satisfy their customers and close cases quickly, but like any other industry, there are bad apples in the bunch. Here are some ways private investigators get bad reputations.
Dishonest pricing
Sometimes people come to private investigators in a tight situation and needing help quickly. Individuals can feel pressure to get assistance as fast as possible, especially if it’s a scenario involving their children. Some P.I.s may sense the stress a potential client is facing and exploit it for their own gain. Bad investigators might overcharge these clients who are in a rush to get the work done or aren’t familiar with the industry.
In order to drum up business P.I.’s may give clients below market rates to secure their business. Investigators may offer lower prices for the first job only to raise prices for follow-up work. It’s a classic bait-and-switch.
In both instances the best way to protect yourself from unfair pricing is to shop around and do your own research to compare prices. Don’t accept the first estimate you hear. Request estimates from other private investigators and consult with individuals who have worked with P.I.s before you finalize a deal.
Creating false expectations
Whether it’s a missing item, missing child, or background check on someone you don’t know, you wouldn’t be considering hiring a private investigator if it wasn’t important. A mistake some P.I.s make is promising too much and creating false expectations in the minds of their clients.
The odds of a successful investigation varies from case to case. Investigators need to be accurate and honest when assessing a client’s request. Descent investigators will be upfront with clients about the chances of successfully fulfilling their needs. Private investigators you should avoid will promise results they know they’re unlikely to deliver just to get a paycheck.
It benefits both the client and investigator to understand the challenges they’ll face. Adequately communicating the chances of solving a case prevents the client from unrealistic expectations and potentially heart breaking disappointment. It will also enable the client to better understand the steps and methods the investigator takes. Honesty and integrity are vital to a healthy client-investigator relationship.
Failing to get results
No one wants to spend money on a service that doesn’t get results, especially when it comes to the kind of sensitive matters one employs a private investigator for. It’s frustrating to feel like you’re throwing money down the drain and wasting time on the wrong resources.
Investigations are a difficult line of work, but a quality investigator consistently closes their cases. When you’re looking for a P.I. to assist you, make sure you check online for reviews through services like Google, Yelp, and Angie’s List. Investigative firms should be able to offer references or previous client testimony to help you know you’re making the right choice. You wouldn’t try a new restaurant without checking reviews so why treat your investigate needs any different?
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
![How Private Investigators Can Help During your Custody Battle]()
by admin_lauth | Sep 27, 2016 | Private Investigations News
The internet age has made it easier than ever to save time and find the right private investigator to suit your needs. Websites that aggregate reviews make it simple to check multiple firm’s reputations at once. Utilizing email means investigators can respond to your inquiries lightning quick. With that in mind, here’s a few tips to help you find the right private investigator.
Find customer reviews and ask for references
Every business aims to satisfy it’s customers and private investigation firms are no different. One of the biggest benefits of the internet is the ability to quickly find reviews of just about anything. The Better Business Bureau, Yelp and Angie’s list are examples websites dedicated to keeping customers informed by aggregating reviews.
You can go to any of those sites and read hundreds of reviews from customers to help you figure out where to do business. Sometimes customers will give bad reviews for reasons outside of the business’s control. Luckily most review centric sites show the average of all reviews to help you determine if that bad review was an isolated incident or not.
Another way to determine where to spend your money is by asking the firm directly for references. Quality firms will be able to present references on request and if they can’t then it should set of alarm bells for potential clients. Always ask for references and reach out to as many past clients as you can.
You shouldn’t have to wait for a response to your inquiries
When you inquire with an investigation firm about doing business with them you should expect a quick response. With the advent of email it doesn’t make any sense that you would have to wait days to find out if you’re going to do business with a company or not. You may not get a fleshed out response right away, but it’s reasonable to expect acknowledgment of your request as soon as possible.
It benefits the client and the firm to respond expeditiously. Fast correspondence helps lay the groundwork for the level of service a client can expect and reflects the attention and importance with which a firm will serve them. Firms responding slowly or sporadically to your inquiries could be indicative of how they’ll handle your case. Do you want to wait for information about your case or do you want to know everything as soon as your investigators do?
Can they offer you a written cost estimate?
Ask anyone what the three most important considerations for where they do business are and you’re guaranteed to hear “price” listed early and often. Everyone is working within the constraints of their budget. Knowing what you’re going to spend ahead of time can help you maximize available funds and prevent unneeded stress.
Veteran investigators should be able to provide you with an estimate of the costs of your case, but it’s important that you get it in writing. Getting a written estimate will minimize the chances of miscommunication and confusion when the final bill arrives. Clients shouldn’t be caught off guard by the costs of the investigators work and veteran P.I.s understand this.
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
by admin_lauth | Sep 19, 2016 | Corporate Investigations, Personal Investigations, Private Investigations News
1. We Locate People
The individual could be a witness, heir, a missing child, or a criminal. Maybe the individual is a former disgruntled employee who could whistle-blow about corporate misconduct or fraud. You might needing locate a subject in possession of the proverbial “smoking gun”—as in the case of stolen assets. Whether it’s an interview, serving papers, or investigate individuals, a Lauth PI can help you to identify and locate the subject.
2. We Locate Assets
Lauth Investigators are skilled at locating assets such as real estate, unclaimed property, and other valuable property like: artwork, antiques, collectibles, motor vehicles, aircraft, vessels, etc. A Lauth investigator can also help attorneys to identify the location both domestic and offshore bank accounts.
3. We Can Leverage for Negotiations
A Lauth Investigator can pull together key sources and intelligence to inform your side during litigation, in an M&A deal, during an internal investigation, or any other adversarial situation. It can make the difference between a favorable settlement and an unfavorable one.
4. We Can Help Attorneys Enforce Judgments
Obviously, a judgment is only useful if you are able to enforce it. A Lauth Investigator can help attorneys to identify current assets and uncover efforts to hide or misrepresent them through the transfer to family members, friends or other parties.
5. We Can Connect the Dots
Lauth Investigators can help you to know who is actually sitting on the other side of the table during litigation or a potential business deal. You can gain immeasurable negotiation power by identifying who is actually behind a faceless corporation or tying together undisclosed connections.
6. We Can Generate A Historical Reconstruction/Timeline
A historical reconstruction may be helpful in a number of different areas. Perhaps you need to review the history of a family to locate heirs. It could be a corporate history or a chain of title issue in a real estate matter. Whatever the issue, a Lauth Investigator can help to identify and piece together long lost documents, facts and witnesses.
Aaron Snyder — Research Investigator and Blog Writer — Lauth Investigations International
