COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates: We’re Here to Care for YOU! Learn More

Archive: Aug 2018

Everything You Need to Know About Planning Your Own Funeral

Dealing with a loss of a family member can be stressful and disorienting. Most of the time, we’re asked to make important memorial and financial decisions while still in a state of grief, which compounds the challenges of making reasonable, sound choices. As if all that isn’t enough, there’s the added burden of trying to ensure that the deceased’s after-life wishes are honored at an affordable price. Depending on those wishes, this may be no small task. Fortunately, you can help prepare your loved ones for these memories by planning your own funeral in advance.

It may seem strange, but planning your own funeral not only guarantees that your life is celebrated and remembered the way you want, but it also eliminates the financial stress put on your surviving family members so they can be free to focus on what really matters – finding emotional comfort in your absence.

The Benefits of Funeral Preplanning

Planning your own funeral carries with it a number of benefits. The most important is that it tells your loved ones exactly what it is you want. This is especially useful in the case of an unexpected passing. It not only ensures that your wishes are taken into consideration, but it also relives your family members of having to make all of the decisions that come into play at your passing.

The average cost of a funeral can run anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000 – no small sum or any occasion, let alone a memorial. By preplanning your funeral, you can take care of those expenses ahead of time, which takes a lot off the plate of a grieving family.

What Costs are Associated with a Funeral?

There’s more to planning your own funeral than just financial decisions. You’ll need to choose whether or not you want a graveside serve or some other post-funeral ceremony. There’s also the option to have a pre-funeral viewing or wake and what sort of reception you’d like, if any. There are religious practices to be taken into consideration as well as personal touches like where you want the services to be held, who you want to conduct those services, and the guests you’d like to be invited.

There are prayers, poems, eulogies, songs, and even charity donations to think about. All of these details make funeral planning a long and arduous process if it is not taken care of ahead of time.

Other Ways To Help Those Left Behind

If you have a life insurance policy, make sure that you’ve left that information available to your family so they can take advantage of that benefit. To that same end, make sure you’ve listed at least one person as a beneficiary of any life insurance policy or retirement plan. You might also want to consider adding a “payable upon death” beneficiary to your bank account to make those funds available as well. Even with planning your own funeral, there are sometimes unexpected costs after the fact, which you’ll want to anticipate and make arrangements for.

 

Illinois OSHA has a Unique Recordkeeping Rule for all State and Local Government Employers

After a recent review of its 2016 final rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses (also known as the electronic recordkeeping rule), Illinois OSHA will require all State and Local Government employers in Illinois to electronically report OSHA 300A injury and illness logs.

The following employers are required to submit Form 300A to Illinois OSHA electronically:

  • Establishments with 250 or more employees that are required to keep OSHA injury and Illness records.
  • Establishments with 20-249 employees in Illinois designated high hazard industries. These categories are as follows:
    • Transportation
    • Department of Public Works
    • Local Fire Protection
    • State Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
    • Water and Sewer Treatment Facilities

All the affected State and Local Government employers are to submit injury and illness data into OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) online portal.

Injury and illness data for calendar year 2017 must be submitted between June 15th and September 30th, 2018. Beginning in 2019 and every year thereafter, submitting the information for the preceding year will be required by March 2nd.

Additional details regarding the final rule can be found on OSHA’s website. Please note that the compliance schedule timelines outlined in the OSHA resource page are superseded by the information and dates provided by the State of Illinois OSHA. 

WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on this website.

Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.