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Heidi Dearinger |
Jenny Foster |
Jason Mayer |
Laura Ahlstrom |
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Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs):
June 30, 2010
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One often overlooked benefit that packs are powerful punch is the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). An EAP provides 24/7 access to licensed counselors and other professionals who can provide support and resources in virtually any area related to well-being. From legal and financial assistance, to telephonic and online counseling resources, to researching the best child or adult day care facility, EAPs offer a myriad of resources. |
While traditional health plans have not covered relationship or marriage and family counseling under the mental health benefit, EAPs fill a much needed gap for those dealing with relationship and/or divorce and family stress. An employee may call the EAP with anything ranging from a true crisis to simply a request for resources on doggy daycare so they can be mentally present at work without worrying about Fido the dog.
Employee utilization of EAPs has traditionally been very low, however, over the past few years more employees have reached out to tap this valuable resource. It's no coincidence that EAP use has increased during the economic crisis. More people are out of work, living with budgets that do not balance, attempting to manage serious health conditions without insurance, and worse.
According to the attached article from NW Jobs, requests for foreclosure support rose 137% from 2008 to 2009! The article also underscores this issue by noting that employees are calling EAP helplines to deal with multiple issues at a time, a change from prior utilization.
At EHL our goal is to help our clients retain the very best, most effective employees while proactively managing productivity. An Employee Assistance Program is one way to provide resources to your staff at a nominal cost ($1.80 to $4.00 per employee per month) that now more than ever can provide a positive return on investment. These programs demonstrate to your employees that you care, and are more likely to be used now than ever before. We all know that a stressed out employee is a less productive employee. An employee living in a fog of "presenteeism" is like a slow leak in the faucet of profits. In some industries these employees can create a physical or liability risk (operating machinery or dangerous equipment, driving, entering the residence of a customer, workplace violence, etc.).
The decision to add an EAP to your benefits lineup should not be based on fear but on the facts. With employee education and promotion of the Employee Assistance Program this benefit will more than surely pay for itself even if only one employee becomes 25% more effective on the job.
We hope the brief attached article is of interest and value to you.
Thank you for your continued trust in our agency.
Small business lack of emphasis on Risk Management has long lasting impact
June 25, 2010
I work with small to medium size commercial clients daily and am seeing an alarming trend that can have dire long lasting impact in our communities. Risk management and insurance goes hand in hand and should compliment each other not replace each other. Risk Management ranks relatively low among the many priorities facing small business owners, is the finding of a new survey conducted by Travelers.
The survey, conducted at America’s Small Business Summit 2010, held May 17-19, 2010 in Washington, D.C., also found that nearly half of small businesses are operating without a Business Continuity Plan.
“Small business ownership, while potentially very rewarding, also carries with it great risks,” said Marc Schmittlein, President and Chief Executive Officer, Travelers Select Accounts. “Owners largely focus their efforts on growing their business and, too often, they overlook risks that could stunt that growth and/or even shut their doors for business permanently. The most successful owners are those that balance their pursuit of growth with a prudent approach to risk management.” There are risk for the business owner as well as the community at large. Economic and social responsibility goes beyond taking your financial responsibility to insure. Insurance is a financial risk transfer. How we manage, mitigate and sometimes eliminate risk is just as important.
According to the survey, business owners’ priorities are listed as:
1. Marketing and sales
2. Managing cash flow
3. Attracting financing
4. Attracting and retaining employees
5. Identifying and managing insurable risks
6. Compliance with federal and state regulations
7. Protecting against litigation and lawsuits
In addition to the relatively low priority placed on risk management, 44 percent of small businesses are operating without a Business Continuity Plan and only 36 percent have ever spoken with an insurance agent about developing one, despite data from the American Red Cross that indicates that as many as 40 percent of small businesses do not reopen after a disaster.
The survey found that business owners are confident that their businesses are protected against insurable risks that can result in significant financial losses or even cause them to go out of business altogether. In fact, only six percent of business owners are not at all confident that their business is adequately protected; 53 percent are somewhat confident and 41 percent consider themselves extremely confident. This confidence comes despite the fact that 39 percent of business owners are unable to make the time necessary to effectively identify and manage operational risks, given competing priorities.
Schmittlein continued: “While confidence is key to a small business owner’s success, so much of what can derail a business is outside of the business owner’s control. There is no reason for a business owner to bear risks that can be avoided. Developing a Business Continuity Plan is a critical success factor for business owners with a long-term view.”
At EHL, we work with our client to develop business continuity plans to manage, mitigate and in some cases eliminate the risk they face while keeping our eye on their other business responsibilities. We have a purposeful and strategic process where we seek to understand and analyze the risk our clients face. Contingency planning is critical to the success of your Business. Let EHL be your trusted advisor so you can focus on your other business priorities.
For more information on developing a Business Continuity Plan or to have a free executive overview of our services, visit www.ehlinsurance.com or call Jason Mayer 360-779-4448.
source: HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- .
Divorce in a Special Needs Family
June 22, 2010
Let's talk about something quite personal - divorce rates within families who have children with Special Needs....
I know the rate in Autism, in some studies has been as much as 80%! Being a mother who fits right into that statistic, I know the tragic effects that it has on a family.
Having been through it, I interpret the added stress of the dependant with Special Needs as a lens - that magnified every issue at hand. The issues were there, and under "normal" circumstances they may not have been as big of an issue. But when you add into the equation that the stress level is so much higher, communication is likely down, money is tighter, free time is nearly impossible to find, your network of "normal" friends dissipates... Your life becomes raising this blessing. Your life changes, and there is nothing that can stop that change. If the change is more than can be handled together....
It is after all, nearly impossible to walk a parallel life with a spouse, if one makes a right hand turn from that parallel road due to the change and the other makes a left - or just stays on that parallel course. Either way, there is more distance between the two and sustaining the relationship may not be possible.
I unfortunately do not have the answer to this issue.
What I can offer is information on the insurance aspect of what happens when a divorce occurs. EHL makes this aspect as simple as possible. We obtain data on what is occurring, which property goes where and with whom, and review risk profiles of each party. In the midst of all that is happening with your divorce, this aspect can be one of the easiest pieces for you. As your Risk Advisor, we want to insure that all parties are taken care of. Often these situations can take some time to sort out. We carry the complication on our shoulders so as not to add further burden to yours.
In the midst of this confusing and complicated time - having a relationship with a trusted Risk Advisor is of increased importance. EHL Insurance takes good care of both parties without judgment towards either.
“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path.”
~Paulo Coelho
Until next time....
Good risk; bad risk. When risk is worth it.
June 21, 2010
| As I power lounged poolside in Orlando last week (my first real vacation of course since last year and grossly overdue), a tightness came over my chest as I anxiously checked my watch. Converting the three hour time difference between Orlando and Seattle, I began to play out the events in my mind of what my daughter must have been doing as she prepared for her first major horse competition. Our Florida trip was planned long before we knew she would be riding in this prestigious event, and I had never missed any of her performances. As a parent, no matter how tranquil the tropical setting around me, it was torture! |  |
As I waited hour after hour for a text or voice mail update from my parents who were watching her, I thought about the journey that brought her to this day. An extraordinarily shy child who had triumphed over asthma and other health problems, I had observed my daughter blossom as each month and year of riding brought an increase in her confidence and self esteem more than any other sport or activity ever had. Her bedroom is a living bulletin board of pushpins displaying a rainbow of horse show ribbons, I have to say with an emphasis on blue ribbons…first place.
Finally the comforting chime of a voice mail notification from my iPhone. I could hear the emotional exhaustion in my mom's voice on the other end. She’d clearly been crying at some point. Now sitting straight up on my lounge chair, the palm trees, the beating sun, the humming of the pool filter, all faded to the background as I clung to each word of the phone message from grandma in charge. “She’s okay, but she was thrown… hard. She got back up and took the jump again and the horse threw her again!” My mom was clearly mad at the horse at this point. My phone broke up and I made out the words “got the wind knocked out of her” followed by “it wasn’t like her; she didn’t get up for a while.” I thought I might lose my lunch right there amidst my fellow sun worshippers.
Thankfully my mom went on to say that my daughter had only been thrown during warm ups. While everyone had seen it and she was embarrassed and angry, she went on to take a blue ribbon in her first event that immediately followed, and a not to be ashamed of 4th as well! Knowing I would be home in time to watch the third and final day of the event was no consolation to me now as I sat 3,500 miles away from the apple of my eye, wishing I could cheer her on, and give her the hug she would surely need when she was ready.
The mother of an equestrian pre-teen should never read sports injury statistics, but as a health insurance broker involved in public health and medical claims, I've nearly seen and heard it all. Married to a Risk Manager and having worked for an insurance and risk management firm for more than eight years, it's a wonder I venture from the safety of my home! According to a study by Williams & Wilkins of Baltimore Mariland, "horse riding carries a high participant morbidity and mortality. Whereas a motor-cyclist can expect a serious incident at the rate of 1 per 7,000 hours, the horse-rider can expect a serious accident once in every 350 hours, i.e. 20 times as dangerous as motor cycling!"
My daughter the hunter-jumper recently made her step-dad a name badge that he actually wore to work that read "Official Fun Sucker." We'll surely laugh about it for years. Has insurance, safety, loss control, risk management, human resources become precisely that....fun sucking? I venture to say that while it often feels like those of us in the field of insurance live to say the words "no," we do so based on what most understand as "calculated risk."
For business owners, the best time to consult your professional risk advisor is BEFORE you consider an activity or new venture, not AFTER. We all likely know someone who may has been critically injured in a situation that could have been prevented following best safety practices. On a personal note, do I delight in the fact that my daughter chose one of the most dangerous sports as her passion..."no!" However, much like in a business, our family has done the analysis of "good" vs. "bad" risk and because our daughter's barn follows good safety practices, because she has a top notch helmet and gear, because she has an experienced coach, we grit our teeth and watch her sail over jumps smiling ear to ear. For us, the risk is outweighed by the value she gets out of the experience every time. For others this may not be the case. My attempts to incent her to take up embroidery or choir have failed miserably. How does one compete with the magic that exists between a girl and a horse?
When the judge at this recent horse show, asked her to stay in the arena after receiving her last ribbon and awarded her the championship in equitation and the overall Best Child Rider for the entire three day event, the tears in our eyes and the look on her face could not be quantified into an easy risk evaluation equation. While the fear of her being seriously injured plagues this otherwise overprotective mom, the guts it took for her to rally and ride the rest of the events with poise and patience were inspiring, and I have to say that I'd let her take that risk again to see the joy and sense of accomplishment written across both of those fair dimpled cheeks.
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While I pray your child does not select a high risk sport, we all find ourselves as parents and business owners alike facing tough questions. Can "bad" risk be made better? Is some risk worth the potential dividends? For help with your personal or business insurance and risk management needs, contact EHL at (800) 929-1669 |
Cell Phone Law
June 15, 2010
I love teaching distracted driving at my clients' safety meetings. One of the more common discussion points is cell phone use… everyone gets irritated at people driving and talking on the phone… yet they themselves continue to do the same thing. Ironic but that’s part of the reason why we have a new law in Washington state. The main reason is the statistics around driving while texting, talking and emailing on a cell phone are startling.. 4X more likely to crash then driving under the influence. YIKES! But I believe it.
Washington's hands free cell phone law is now in effect. It is a primary offense for unlawful use and state troopers can now cite drivers if they observe them failing to use a hands free device while talking on a cell phone and driving.
There will be no leeway in enforcement. In an article published last month, State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste said, "We will fully enforce this law from day one."
Following is a Q&A published earlier this week in The Olympian.
Q&A: Officers will pull people over if they're texting, holding handsets
Isn’t it already a violation to text or have a cell phone on your ear while driving?
Yes. State laws banning texting while driving and requiring a hands-free device for talking on a mobile device while driving went into effect in 2008. But under the law, the violations were considered “secondary offenses,” citable only if an officer pulled you over for a another violation. Still, the Washington State Patrol has written about 3,000 tickets and given 5,900 warnings since the laws went into effect.
What’s new?
The 2010 Legislature made both texting and driving with a non hands-free cell phone primary offenses. That means police can pull you over if they see you texting or on the phone. The WSP has said troopers will immediately start enforcing the primary offense Thursday – it considers two years an ample grace period.
Drivers with instruction permits or intermediate licenses cannot use any type of wireless device while driving, except for emergencies.
What type of mobile phone use is covered by the law?
The law states “a person operating a moving motor vehicle while holding a wireless communications device to his or her ear is guilty of a traffic infraction.” It does not cover the use of a device in “hands-free mode” with a speaker, headset or earpiece.
Does this mean that hands-free devices are safe to use while driving?
No. Here’s how the Washington Traffic Safety Commission puts it: “This law is not meant to encourage the use of hands-free devices. Hands-free devices offer no safety benefit. Parking your phone is the only safe way to drive. Pulling to the shoulder to talk on the phone or text is rarely a safe option and should only be done in an emergency.”
Are there any other exemptions?
Yes. The law exempts:
Drivers of authorized emergency vehicles and tow trucks responding to disabled vehicles.
Drivers reporting illegal activity, calling for medical or emergency help or using the device to prevent injury to a person or property.
Transit and for-hire operators communicating by radio with their dispatch.
A driver using a hearing aid.
Who’s covered by texting ban?
A driver who “sends, reads, or writes a text message” using an electronic wireless communications device while operating a moving motor vehicle.
Is dialing a phone considered texting?
No, the law exempts a driver who “reads, selects, or enters a phone number or name … for the purpose of making a phone call.”
How about using my dashboard navigation system?
The law exempts “a voice-operated global positioning or navigation system that is affixed to the vehicle and that allows the user to send or receive messages without diverting visual attention from the road or engaging the use of either hand.”
What’s the penalty for an infraction?
A ticket will cost you $124. It will not go on your driving record or be reported to your employer or insurance company.
Sources: News Tribune archives, Substitute Senate Bill 6345, bill report, Washington Department of Licensing, Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Washington State Patrol.
My Super Hero
June 8 2010
I think the key to achieving happiness in this life comes from an ability to learn, teach, humble oneself, and remove ego. There is no one better at this than my son....
A few years back I participated in a writing exercise. The following is a result of that:
My Super Hero
My Super Hero fights battles that no one else can
He suffers in silence, not knowing how to ask for a hand.
My Super Hero soars to great heights without leaving the ground
Pay attention, he'll take you with him, if you are around.
My Super Hero rescues those around him with just his smile
Those who know him love him instantly and always stay awhile.
My Super Hero has a hard time writing
But the stories he creates about squishies are brilliant.
My Super Hero has the warmest heart.
When I told him that Santa cannot get him a $400.00 Lego set because then he'd have to get one for every kid, he picked a $3.00 toy to ask for.
My Super Hero files information in his brain differently than I do
But once it is filed correctly, he never forgets!
My Super Hero sees things differently than I do
And each day I am blessed with his perspective.
My Super Hero may not accomplish as much as other children
But each thing he accomplishes brings such joy to all those around.
My Super Hero receives a lot of help from those around him
And they are all blessed by having the chance to love him
And we are all so grateful for their love!
My Super Hero brings joy to all those around.
His love is pure
His mind is innocent
His heart is genuine
My Super Hero has Autism.
As many are aware, Autism now affects 1 in 110 children. It is an extremely fast growing area of disability in our country and others and is something to pay close attention to.... Not just because of the number of those affected, but because those who have it can teach us so much. He teaches me - every time I'm wise enough to pay attention and find the message.
I think a large portion of our life should be spent - paying attention....
This is the first of many future writings that will come of a unique program that we are putting together at EHL Insurance. In the future, I will share information with you on more Insurance related aspects of the Special Needs community - but for now, I simply wanted to share one of the gifts that I was given in this world. It is after all the reason I have such passion for assisting other families. Without him - I'm afraid that my job would be just that - a job.... But since I'm lucky enough to be able to assist other families just like mine - with areas of disabilities all over the map - what I'm able to achieve is a sense of content passion in my career. In this day and age, that is something that can be quite rare.
Until next time.....
Laura Ahlstrom
Special Needs Coordinator
Personal Risk Advisor
EHL Insurance
