ECBM: How top liability concerns are covered by employment practices liability insurance
Employers today are more likely to have an employment practices liability (EPL) insurance claim than a property or general liability claim. EPL provides protection against claims made by employees, whether former, current or potential, regarding discrimination — age, sex, race, disability, etc., wrongful termination, sexual harassment and other employment-related allegations. When looking to have your […]
UPMC Health Plan: How employee assistance programs keep a finger on the productivity pulse
The modern employee assistance program (EAP) is an employer-sponsored benefit designed to support the achievement of employer health and productivity goals. EAPs also have evolved to become a strategic partner to maximize the human capital of an organization. “An EAP’s main goal is to resolve problems before they interfere with work attendance or productivity. And, […]
ChamberChoice: How to approach your 2014 benefits plan and comply with the ACA
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) will have a profound effect on most employers that offer health plans in 2014. “Passing the law was the easy part. The process of issuing regulations and guidance between three separate federal agencies — Health and Human Services, Department of Labor and the IRS — is the […]
NAI Daus: How to modernize warehouse and distribution facilities in today’s market
A flight to quality during the recession saw businesses move to more modern warehouse and distribution facilities. In some cases, companies relinquished functionally obsolete buildings that have the potential to be modernized. Bob Brehmer, CCIM, SIOR, principal at NAI Daus, says when businesses can’t find what they want in an existing facility, they’ll build. However, […]
Today's Business Products: How surveys can help improve customer service
It’s difficult to know for certain what your clients want if you never ask them. “Businesses should be asking their customers: What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? What could we do better? If they’re not asking these questions, apparently they do not care about their customers,” says Rick Voigt, president of […]
John O. Alizor – How to get to the bottom of what's ailing your business
It’s often easier to put a lot of time and effort into planning for the big problems that can afflict a business. What if our network crashes? What if the big storm knocks out our power for a week? What if something happens to you, the CEO? While it may be easier to come up with […]
Andrew Berlin used straight-up leadership to turn around a struggling packaging company and baseball team
Alco Packaging was a troubled company when Melvin Berlin purchased it in 1988. At the time, he offered his son, Andrew, the chance to be part of the negotiating process and then serve as general counsel and director of marketing at the newly acquired company. Within a year, Andrew became the company’s president. A second-year […]
Joseph James Slawek – Six areas you need to be cognizant of when planning the future of your business
Strategic succession is essential in every work group within an organization, not just CEOs. It touches all aspects of the business: family ownership responsibilities, boards, executive teams, management teams, work groups and even new employee on-boarding. Here are six key areas that make up a complete and successful succession at any level. The transfer of […]
SeibertKeck: Insurance coverage for Santa, from his home to the toy factory
Here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus Lane. He’s got a bag that’s filled with toys, but does he have coverage for those he employs? The North Pole is very dynamic — Santa Claus has a personal home, reindeer, a toy factory and a sleigh for business use. Like many business owners, he needs […]
Robert J. Ciaruffoli isn’t afraid to put employees first at ParenteBeard LLC
Robert J. Ciaruffoli isn’t afraid of hiring too many people to come work at ParenteBeard LLC. His fear is exactly the opposite — a situation where he wakes up one day, looks at his team and realizes he doesn’t have enough people to service the accounting firm’s clients in a high-quality manner. “It takes a […]