Welcome to the DF Insurance Intelligence Blog. Our aim with the articles in this section of the Deerfield Advisor Knowledge Base blog is to provide relevant and helpful information for businesses seeking to minimize their exposure to risk. It’s a risky world out there so it helps to be well informed about all the things that can cause loss. As always, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or comments.
The Deerfield Team
Critical Illness Insurance: What It Is and Whether Employees Need It
Simply having health insurance does not guarantee that an emergency health situation won’t cripple your or an employee’s finances. Critical illness costs an average of $35,500, largely in lost wages. Of the over 60% of U.S. bankruptcies involving medical problems, over 75% of people were insured when the illness started. Continue reading…
Harassment in the Workplace: How to Respond to Complaints of Harassment
You did everything right. You read parts 1 and 2 of our series, so you know what harassment is and how to prevent it. You’ve disseminated a perfect anti-harassment policy, run fantastic trainings, and carefully vetted new hires. Then one day an employee walks into your office claiming that your best manager has been harassing her for weeks.
Harassment in the Workplace: What Makes Good Policy and Training?
In our previous article, we outlined what harassment is and how state laws govern most harassment-related legislation. We also mentioned the conditions, outlined by the Supreme Court in Vance v. Ball State University, under which an employer in any state is liable for an employee’s harassment. The employer is liable if the perpetrator is the victim’s supervisor, i.e. a person who has authority over employment decisions or the daily work activities of an employee. The employer is also liable if the company has been negligent, i.e. has no process in place to prevent harassment.
Harassment in the Workplace: An Overview
An elderly employee is called “grandpa” by his coworkers. A young employee complains that the art on the office walls makes her uncomfortable. A supervisor jokes that a female employee might get a promotion if she gets a drink with him after work. A white employee sends derogatory emails to an African American employee. A female supervisor reprimands a male employee for being late to work three times in a row. Which of these instances are forms of harassment?
Retaliation claims & what you need to be aware of to prevent them
For six years, reports of retaliation have been more common than any other type of discrimination in the workplace. In 2014, retaliation claims made up a record 42.8 percent of all charges reported to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. That percentage represents 37,955 charges nationwide (double the number filed in 1998) – 3,708 filed in Texas alone!
Employee, Contractor, or Something Else? Why it Matters
“What’s in a name?” asks Juliet—and so should business owners. Does it matter what you call an individual working for you? Though a rose might smell as sweet by any other name, not all labels are equal to the IRS. How you refer to your workers should accurately reflect your relationship with them, including how much responsibility you have for their taxes. Continue reading…
Umbrella Liability Coverage
Have you ever heard the phrase “you don’t have to be a millionaire to be sued like one?” Well, it’s true. It happens every day in the court systems all across Texas. There are many nightmare scenarios that demonstrate the need for liability insurance protection; so many, in fact, that the most careful, most conservative person I know…yours truly, has an umbrella policy, and I highly recommend it for our clients as well.
Law & Ordinance
One of the most important or potentially important types of property or homeowner’s insurance coverage available in some policies & also one of the most commonly overlooked is a coverage called Law & Ordinance.
The Deerfield Advisor Blog 