Employers are continuing to face more and more claims for sexual harassment. The number of workplace discrimination suits now represents more than one-fifth of all federal civil lawsuits filed in the U.S. One of the most common causes for these lawsuits is employee e-mail correspondence. Full story on...

Employers need to develop a standard operating procedure to handle employee terminations. You can't do it on a case-by-case basis. A recent arbitrator’s ruling makes that clear. The arbitrator said employers are required to state the basis for any disciplinary action, including termination. Failure to do so could invalidate the disciplinary action. Full story on...

A frequent issue that arises from any merger or acquisition is how to meld the two existing insurance programs. Typically, one insurance program will be selected and the remaining coverage will be canceled. However, a state appellate court in California has issued a ruling that may affect future mergers. Full story on...

The ability of a carrier to pay claims and its financial strength are the two most important factors in determining from which company to purchase insurance, according to a recent survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The survey found that price was the third most important factor. Full story on...

Contracts requiring one party or another to be added as an additional insured to your policy are considered common and effective methods for the concerned party to protect itself from the liabilities created by your actions taken on their behalf. You’re the one “on the scene” and most likely to create the liability. Thus, it appears reasonable that you should bear the primary responsibility for avoiding such liabilities – or, in the event those efforts fail, to be the primary provider of defense and insurance coverage for the claims. But although such provisions may be “common,” whether they are also “effective” is another matter. Full story on...

We all know how important it is to keep in good touch with our customers.

Through this newsletter, we hope to reach out on a more frequent basis to update you on what is going on in the industry. Hopefully you will find something of interest and be able to use it in your business.

We welcome your suggestions for topics you would like us to cover.