NCCI Changes Position, Gives Employees American Flags (Boca Raton, FL) NCCI Holdings, Inc., today announced that it has changed its position on flags in its workplace and offered any employees who wanted them American flags and red-white-and-blue lapel ribbons as they entered the workplace this morning. President & CEO Bill Schrempf said he was meeting with employees this morning to explain the company's change and apologize for not permitting them to display the American flag on Friday during the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. In announcing the change, Schrempf indicated that NCCI's senior management team met over the weekend and decided to reverse the company's longstanding position, which had been intended to protect employees. This morning, the company took the following actions concerning the display of the American flag by its employees: 1. Any interested employee can display an American flag on their desktop. Flags will be provided for this purpose, if employees would like to have one to display. 2. Red, white & blue lapel remembrance ribbons are being provided for those who want to wear them. [email protected] wrote: > > Subject: > > GREEN-D Digest Volume 01 : Issue 256 > > Today's Topics: > #1 [GREEN-L] Fw: This Is Outrageous F [barbara <[email protected]>] > > Administrivia: > To unsubscribe from GREEN-D, send a message to > > [email protected] > > that contains in the body of the message the command > > unsubscribe > > and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software > requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. > > ______________________________ > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: [GREEN-L] Fw: This Is Outrageous From My Cuz Don > Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 20:32:54 -0600 > From: barbara <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > > Thought this was worth sharing, in light of the recent tragedy suffered by > America. If sharing offends anyone, I apologize. > Barb > > > Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 6:23 PM > > Subject: This Is Outrageous From My Cuz Don > > > > > > Sunday, September 16, 2001 > > Florida Sunday, September 16, 2001 > > Florida Company Bans Old Glory From Offices > > > > In a shocking example of out-of-control political correctness, a Boca > Raton, > > Florida company ordered managers to confiscate American flags from > > employees' desks, calling them "divisive" symbols that might offend > > someone's tender sensibilities. > > > > At a time when Americans all across the nation were being asked to display > > Old Glory in honor of the thousands who died in New York and Washington > > Tuesday, this outrageous assault on the company's employees' patriotism > was > > justified by a top official of NCCI Holdings, Inc. as a gesture of > > compassion for those employees who might be offended by the sight of a > flag > > for which tens of thousands of Americans laid down their lives to defend > in > > past wars. > > > > The company which monitors workers compensation insurance data, told its > 850 > > Boca Raton employees that displays of nationalism had no place in the > > office. > > > > "Divisive statements or actions, political or religious discussions and > > anything else that could be divisive or mean different things to different > > people are not appropriate in our work environment," wrote Chief Executive > > Officer Bill Schrempf in a memo to employees, according to the Palm Beach > > Post. > > > > "It just boggles my mind that here in America or anywhere in America, one > > would be restricted from displaying it," one employee wrote in an e-mail > to > > Schrempf a copy of which was sent to The Palm Beach Post. "Too many people > > these days, including yourself, it seems, seem to forget what the flag > > symbolizes and that many men and women served to defend that flag. I think > > you should show a little more respect." > > > > Incredibly, one employee told the Post she was suspended and told to go > home > > Friday morning when she refused to remove a small flag from her desk. The > > company refused to confirm whether it had asked any employees to leave, > the > > Post reported. > > > > NCCI spokesman Michael Bullard told the Post the company has a > long-standing > > policy of prohibiting employees from bringing political or religious > symbols > > into the workplace. > > > > Fewer than 10 flags were removed from cubicles, Bullard said. "It seems to > > me only a small number of people are upset about this," he said. > > > > Perhaps readers would like to let NCCI know that far more than a few > people > > are upset over this disgusting display of anti-American bigotry. Their > > address is 750 Park of Commerce Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33487 and their > phone > > numbers are (561) 994-8572 and (561) 997-1000. You can e-mail them through > > their website: www.ncci.com > > > >

I work for a state insurance dept. and my job takes me in daily contact with NCCI. Yes, this happened. I don't always agree with NCCI and, frankly, I'm glad I don't work FOR them--but there is a little more to the story than is being reported. I was on a conference call today with Bill Schrempf, many NCCI top brass, and almost all of the states that use NCCI for workers' comp info. The scoop is this--NCCI has a long-standing policy of not allowing personal displays of religious or political nature. The reason is that they had an employee several years ago that did a display showing support for the SERBS during their war with Croatians. They felt that this was not appropriate to the workplace and, in fact, had some employees that were of Croatian descent and it could have caused many problems--so they banned this type of display. What happened Friday is that several people brought in flags to display. One person brought a large flag and was asked to remove it because they were going to display it by putting pins into their cubicle wall (which damages the wall). They refused their immediate supervisor's request. It sounds like there was a disagreement between the supervisor and the employee and the supervisor suspended the employee. This was done without talking to human resources or his supervisor. Emotions were running high. In fact, NCCI allowed employees to attend memorial services during business hours Friday and had their own display of the flag. None of the upper "brass" even knew this was happening until late Friday afternoon--and as soon as it was known, they voted to change the policy--but it was too late Friday. I am not a big fan of NCCI--but I think they are not getting a fair shake here. -----Original Message----- From: Bill Caddell [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 10:45 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [GREEN-L] Re: GREEN-D Digest V01 #256 UPDATE NCCI Changes Position, Gives Employees American Flags (Boca Raton, FL) NCCI Holdings, Inc., today announced that it has changed its position on flags in its workplace and offered any employees who wanted them American flags and red-white-and-blue lapel ribbons as they entered the workplace this morning. President & CEO Bill Schrempf said he was meeting with employees this morning to explain the company's change and apologize for not permitting them to display the American flag on Friday during the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. In announcing the change, Schrempf indicated that NCCI's senior management team met over the weekend and decided to reverse the company's longstanding position, which had been intended to protect employees. This morning, the company took the following actions concerning the display of the American flag by its employees: 1. Any interested employee can display an American flag on their desktop. Flags will be provided for this purpose, if employees would like to have one to display. 2. Red, white & blue lapel remembrance ribbons are being provided for those who want to wear them. [email protected] wrote: > > Subject: > > GREEN-D Digest Volume 01 : Issue 256 > > Today's Topics: > #1 [GREEN-L] Fw: This Is Outrageous F [barbara <[email protected]>] > > Administrivia: > To unsubscribe from GREEN-D, send a message to > > [email protected] > > that contains in the body of the message the command > > unsubscribe > > and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software > requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. > > ______________________________ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: [GREEN-L] Fw: This Is Outrageous From My Cuz Don > Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 20:32:54 -0600 > From: barbara <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > > Thought this was worth sharing, in light of the recent tragedy suffered by > America. If sharing offends anyone, I apologize. > Barb > > > Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 6:23 PM > > Subject: This Is Outrageous From My Cuz Don > > > > > > Sunday, September 16, 2001 > > Florida Sunday, September 16, 2001 > > Florida Company Bans Old Glory From Offices > > > > In a shocking example of out-of-control political correctness, a Boca > Raton, > > Florida company ordered managers to confiscate American flags from > > employees' desks, calling them "divisive" symbols that might offend > > someone's tender sensibilities. > > > > At a time when Americans all across the nation were being asked to display > > Old Glory in honor of the thousands who died in New York and Washington > > Tuesday, this outrageous assault on the company's employees' patriotism > was > > justified by a top official of NCCI Holdings, Inc. as a gesture of > > compassion for those employees who might be offended by the sight of a > flag > > for which tens of thousands of Americans laid down their lives to defend > in > > past wars. > > > > The company which monitors workers compensation insurance data, told its > 850 > > Boca Raton employees that displays of nationalism had no place in the > > office. > > > > "Divisive statements or actions, political or religious discussions and > > anything else that could be divisive or mean different things to different > > people are not appropriate in our work environment," wrote Chief Executive > > Officer Bill Schrempf in a memo to employees, according to the Palm Beach > > Post. > > > > "It just boggles my mind that here in America or anywhere in America, one > > would be restricted from displaying it," one employee wrote in an e-mail > to > > Schrempf a copy of which was sent to The Palm Beach Post. "Too many people > > these days, including yourself, it seems, seem to forget what the flag > > symbolizes and that many men and women served to defend that flag. I think > > you should show a little more respect." > > > > Incredibly, one employee told the Post she was suspended and told to go > home > > Friday morning when she refused to remove a small flag from her desk. The > > company refused to confirm whether it had asked any employees to leave, > the > > Post reported. > > > > NCCI spokesman Michael Bullard told the Post the company has a > long-standing > > policy of prohibiting employees from bringing political or religious > symbols > > into the workplace. > > > > Fewer than 10 flags were removed from cubicles, Bullard said. "It seems to > > me only a small number of people are upset about this," he said. > > > > Perhaps readers would like to let NCCI know that far more than a few > people > > are upset over this disgusting display of anti-American bigotry. Their > > address is 750 Park of Commerce Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33487 and their > phone > > numbers are (561) 994-8572 and (561) 997-1000. You can e-mail them through > > their website: www.ncci.com > > > >