Helpful Links

Keep the Lid on Workers' Comp Costs During a Layoff

Between December 2007 and July 2009, the U.S. economy lost almost seven million jobs. In times of economic uncertainty, employees worried about their jobs may look toward the workers' compensation system for supplemental income. Workers who have ignored aches and pains over the years and haven't reported them might decide that the time is right to make a claim. Others who may have been healthy and who suffer an injury that they might have previously ignored may now decide they have nothing to lose by reporting it. Employers facing the possibility of having to lay off employees must be aware that their workers' compensation costs may rise. However, there are steps they can take to keep a lid on costs.

Once a risk manager learns that a workforce reduction is coming, she can prepare in a number of ways. She should become familiar with the unemployment insurance laws in each affected state, including the levels and durations of benefits and how they affect workers' compensation benefits. Contact us for more information >>

Flood Insurance for Your Business

Floods can strike anywhere at any time and with almost no warning. Pictures of submerged land are common on the television news. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 caused massive flooding in the south, but devastating floods have also attacked the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic states and New England in recent years. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. flood losses between 1994 and 2004 averaged more than $2.4 billion per year.

While most floods affect homes and commercial properties near water bodies, locations away from the water are not immune. FEMA reports that 25 percent of flood insurance claims comes from areas with a low-to-moderate risk of flooding. In these areas, flooding can result from torrential rainfalls, rapid melting of heavy snows, and breakage of water mains. Business owners who have not paid attention to their insurance coverage may be surprised when floods occur. Contact us for more information >>

Crime Prevention Tips for Your Business

Robbery Safeguards

* Ensure that your establishment is well lit from both within and without.
* Avoid cluttering your front windows with bulky displays or signs.
* Keep the cash register near the front of the store in a visible location that can be seen by both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Burglary Safeguards

* Use deadbolt lock systems for all exterior and interior security doors.
* Remove obstacles to make the interior of your business visible to the outside.
* Install mesh covered exterior lights for all access points and have adequate interior lighting when the store is closed.

Reducing Vandalism

* Install good exterior lighting to illuminate potential areas which may be vandalized or spray painted.
* Clean up exterior graffiti as soon as possible. Try to employ paint resistant material or prohibit access to the exterior of the building with prickly hedges or shrubbery, or even metal fencing.
* Prevent access to stairwells or other exterior blind spots which might conceal vandalism activities.

Reduce Shoplifting

* Identify and eliminate blind spots within your business.
* Train employees how to identify potential shoplifters and the methods they employ.
* Have only one point of entry and exit where possible and place the sales counter near the exit. Have your register manned or locked at all times.

Playing with Fire: What Will the Tenant's Liability Insurance Cover?

Insurance companies, agents and buyers tend to focus on the major coverages within the Commercial General Liability policy: Liability for injuries caused by a business's premises, operations, products or finished projects, and liability for property damage. However, for businesses that do not own the buildings where they operate, there is an often-overlooked coverage that could be very important. The policy declarations refer to it as Damage To Premises Rented To You, although it has traditionally been known as Fire Damage Legal Liability Coverage. It provides limited coverage for tenants who cause fire damage to rented premises.

Fire Damage Legal Liability is a "give-back" coverage. Coverage A - Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability contains 14 exclusions - clauses that describe types of losses to which the coverage does not apply. Contact us for more information >>

Protecting Household Inventory

If your home were damaged or destroyed by a fire, theft, or natural disaster, would you be able to recall every item you own? In the event of a total loss, you will be expected to provide a list of all your personal property that was damaged, along with its estimated value. A Household Inventory can not only make it easier to settle your insurance claims, but can also help determine if you have the right type and amount of insurance for your home and its contents. Follow these simple steps to complete a Household Inventory.