Employee Spotlight: Ashley McKenzie
Q: Tell me how you started with LUBA and your role today.
I started with LUBA when they first created their audit department. I was one of the first in-house auditors hired. I was hired as a payroll auditor and was promoted to senior auditor several years ago.
Q: As senior premium auditor, what is a typical day for you like at LUBA?
There really isn’t a typical day; every day is a little bit different. I work with other departments within the company to answer questions from both agents and policyholders. I also assist policyholders who are completing their audits. We work very hard to make the audit process as efficient as possible and our department is here to make sure that happens – whether it’s talking directly to clients or working with other LUBA team members.
Q: Can you explain what a premium audit is?
Our customers pay based on an estimation of payroll they think they will have throughout the year, but there is almost always a variance once the policy year is finished. At the end of the year, we receive the actual numbers and adjust everything.
Q: How do you help LUBA agents and policyholders?
We need to audit every policy, every year, to make sure the businesses we insure have the correct coverage and do not have exposure they may not be aware of. One of the ways we do this is to make sure employees are classified in the correct class codes. Sometimes that is in the insurer’s favor and sometimes it is not, but we keep an open dialogue and are willing to work with them as we take them through the process.
Q: What would you want agents to know about LUBA?
We truly have great customer service. We are willing to help anyone with questions. Sometimes I have customers that call me that are not necessarily my accounts but are used to calling me, and I’m happy to help them. We are on a first-name basis with all of our agents and most of our customers, and I think that says a lot. As an employee, I believe LUBA is a very good company to work for. They really care about us like family and everyone is very close.
Q: I know you’ve recently had a major personal accomplishment. What motivated you to make such a significant healthy lifestyle change?
I am happy to say I’ve lost over 100 pounds now! It was initially for health benefits. I have Crohn’s disease, and the weight loss started off as a way to manage the disorder but then it grew into something way more than that. I’ve started going to self-defense classes and have recently gotten into kickboxing. My next goal is to take my level test in self-defense.
Q: Being in the workers’ comp industry, it is important to have a safe workplace, but it is also very important to have a healthy workforce as well. What would you say about that?
Absolutely! Being healthier can give you more energy and improve your attitude. LUBA has a wellness program that brings in speakers and trainers — we actually had a stretch class earlier today. The class focused on ways to stay active throughout the day even while working at a desk. Sitting for long periods of time can cause issues, and we learned that you can counteract that by periodically stretching throughout the day.
Q: What is your favorite activity to do in the summertime?
I love to hang out by the pool and am also excited for softball season. We have a corporate co-ed team called the LUBANS that I play on. We actually won the championship last season!
Q: What is your personal work philosophy?
Success is achieved through a balance of passion for what you do, a positive attitude, and strong work ethic — the balance between these can allow someone to achieve anything they set their mind to. I also believe that working hard will bring success. Being successful is important to me, and working hard to prove that I’m worthy of increased responsibility and new projects is very important. I’m not entitled to anything. I have to work hard to earn it.
