2017 | JGS Insurance 

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  1. Breaking into the Insurance Industry

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    By Conor Moran, Assistant Vice President – Commercial Lines

    A Millennials Point of View

    When I graduated from the College of Charleston I had plans to take on the world. Funny thing was, I wasn’t sure of the career path. However, there were two things I knew I wanted: a career in sales and a career that was portable.

    What I mean by portable, is a career that would prep me with the skills to land a new job wherever it may be; whether it be California, Ireland or as far east as China. The most obvious choice for me was to consult with my best friend and hero, my father. He suggested I check out the world of Property & Casualty Insurance.

    I had a few preconceptions about insurance, mainly that it was a necessary evil for all businesses and individuals to have, and therefore selling insurance to everyone would be a piece of cake. I have since come to realize this preconception was very far from reality!

    I started simple and created a foundation of beliefs that centered around insurance products that people and/or companies needed that I could provide. These products are more required than desired, so that is the position I took and the direction I was heading. I became confident that as long as I could understand a business and its related risk, I could customize an insurance program to best fit the needs of that client. Sales would be more like a real estate transaction – price is king – and I was certain I could find the best one.

    As I get deeper into the world of insurance, I’m realizing that I have much more to learn. I now understand that insurance is much more than a policy to cover insured losses; it is about risk management “best practices” to protect the assets of companies.

    I am lucky to have gained some hands-on experience by shadowing senior producers, risk control consultants and underwriters. Did you ever wonder how everyday products like ricotta cheese or windows become a finished product? I never would have thought that being in the insurance industry would mean that I would be touring facilities to learn about how products are manufactured, how family businesses get started, and how these finished products eventually get to retail shelves or end users. I’ve come to learn that by touring these operations we must assess business exposures in their workforce, distribution via their own fleet of vehicles, potential liabilities arising out of their products and sustainability/contingency after a catastrophic property loss.

    During one facility visit in particular, we identified potential risks that could result from employee negligence. Management had assumed that training their employees when they came onboard was enough. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. More often than not, small incidents can lead to big claims. Attention to detail is how accidents can be avoided and getting the management team to buy into a culture of safety is a crucial step. If management is behind the idea, it then sets a precedent within the company that steps up efforts to promote safety awareness. Not only is this important for their employees, but it will keep their insurance costs down as well. Exposure analysis is just one of the many proactive services that are offered. With every renewal comes a service timeline for the policy period, providing visual evidence of what is expected from their insurance broker throughout the period.

    I’ve since learned a critical piece of information: that businesses must have a solid partnership with their insurance brokers to develop a proactive risk management program. For example, most people will see a doctor when they have health issues. They get their prescription, get fixed and go on their way. Whereas when people visit a dentist, they get their routine teeth cleanings, then the dentist develops a six month plan for another routine visit so that you don’t have to worry about gum disease or cavities. I am learning that
    at JGS, we are similar to a dentist – we help clients stay out of trouble with our proactive service approach.

    If a buyer can’t completely understand what they are buying, it then creates a lack of control that the buyer has over the situation. What you don’t understand, you cannot control, which is a huge reason why people hate insurance.

    My knowledge is ever expanding as I soak up all that I can day by day. I will be attending a two-week course at the Hartford Insurance School to gain the fundamentals of insurance coverage. I know that this is the start to the beginning of a great career, no matter where in the world it takes me.

     

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  2. Leading a Multigenerational Workplace

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    By Ross E. Rutman, Assistant Vice President – Habitational

    What can we expect from the American generations currently in the US workforce? There is a serious problem in the workplace and it has nothing to do with the typical issues such as competition. In fact, the problem at hand is managing the different generations on your team. In order for a business to maximize effectiveness and efficiency, a strong leader should take the time to understand generational characteristics and learn how to implement his or her findings.

    There have been a number of terms used to name the American generations over the years. Every time we blink, there seems to be a new term describing the younger generations. And you may have the four latest generations in your workplace: the Baby Boomers, Generation X (Gen X), Generation Y (Gen Y, also known as Millennials), and Generation Z (Gen Z). In addition to these four generations, we now have Generation C (Gen C) which is not actually an age group—it’s a mindset! Gen C is a new force in consumer culture. They are people who care deeply about creation, curation, connection, and community.

    These generations have different views on many facets of life: core values, work ethics, families, education, money, and especially how they communicate.

    Each generation has its own attributes and, of course, ISSUES! Don’t we all? No one is perfect. There once was a time when one generation led the other. Welcome to 2017, a new era, where the generations work alongside each other and work towards the same goals.

    I know, I know. You’re asking yourself, how can we all work together when we are all so different? Especially when we know how some, if not all, of the generations struggle to even live with one another! The world we live in has drastically changed over the past several years and who knows what to expect as we move forward. In my opinion, as time goes on, more of the population will transition to Gen C. The next generation is on its way!

    Let’s “combine forces” and “bridge the gap”!

    How do we do that? Suppose we look at this from a new perspective: all American generations can be better together!

    Step one in this vital journey is cracking the code of how you and your team operate. Are you a Gen X communicator while your right-hand colleague tends to hide behind his or her keyboard? In that case, a tool such as collaborative intra-office software may be the key to progress. If you are a Baby Boomer stuffed full of moral fiber and grit who has to show a team of Gen Y Millennials what work really looks like, then maybe out-of-office, team-building days are your best approach. Maybe you’re a Gen Y leader with a team full of Baby Boomers, and you are the one bringing technology and training in as a solution.

    All of this is to say that without truly taking the time to understand the multiple generations on your team, you can’t develop strategies for them to work most efficiently. Be a leader and use your multigenerational team to your advantage! Collaborate with, and obtain a consensus from, your team. The resulting different ideas and skill sets can become a productive combination in ANY industry. Great business is based on the understanding of others.

     

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  3. Succession Planning For Business Owners

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    By John McEnery, Board of Directors

    A successful succession plan requires time and strategizing

    Whether planning to pass on a family-owned small business to your children, or to a valued leader at your firm, or just sell the company, you need to have a corporate estate plan in writing upon the conception of your company—and ideally five to six years in advance.

    To let it slide leaves you vulnerable, as are 92 percent of companies which fail to have in place a “comprehensive development program,” reports the American Management Association. About a quarter of companies have no succession preparation at all.

    Here are ten reasons for having a preplanned exit strategy:

    1. Wait too long and you or your family might have an unexpected death or catastrophic illness that would spike the cost of life insurance compared to a policy purchased when the principals are healthy.
    2. The more in advance you buy policies, the lower the premiums may be. The cash value of life insurance builds with time, so by year five (or higher), you’ll have significantly greater value.
    3. Thus, you may be more able to afford life insurance policies not only for owners but also for the firm itself. Or you can use the proceeds to pay a departing owner an impressive annual stipend without overburdening the company. You also might financially reward key personnel to ensure they’ll remain with the company.
    4. A transfer of power is complex enough without you or your heirs being emotionally raw or financially insolvent. Plan carefully to resolve any pitfalls that might lead to family discord, or worse, litigation.
    5. Amassing assets may take years, especially should you hope to fund a twenty-year or longer fret-free retirement.
    6. You can arrange any sale or transition to occur at the best moment for you, when your income is liquid and you have time to determine the value of customer lists and other intangibles.
    7. A trusted transition team can be in place, including not only your in-house leaders and family members but also attorneys to arrange a smooth buy/sell and/or passing of the baton; a tax accountant with knowledge of local, state, and federal taxes to maximize tax shelters or laws, or set up stock-purchase plans where key employees become owners; investment bankers who can wisely accumulate adequate funds; and an insurance broker to target the best life insurance policies and to arrange a non-qualified pension plan that enables you to pass the company to new owners without debts.
    8. It’s far easier to enact and enforce a buy/sell agreement that was set in motion when the company was launched. You can plan for potentially difficult contingencies, such as unexpected deaths or an owner’s wish to retire or divest. Surviving partners and investors may not want the deceased owner’s spouse to have partial control of the business. And the widow or widower might not be willing to helm the business.
    9. Some family members may be interested in, and capable of, continuing the business. Others may not. It’s complicated enough to be fair and satisfy the changing wishes of family members without imposing a deadline, such as your retirement.
    10. Once you have a succession plan, it’s far easier to update it as life events change the equation. These may include major product developments, or family events such as births, marriages, divorces, or deaths. Prenuptials can include—or exclude—a new family member.

    Disclaimer: These views are intended to provide an overview of succession issues. This article is intended to be for educational purposes only. Seek your own legal, accounting, and insurance advice before forming a succession plan.

     

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  4. Superstorm Sandy: Five Years Later

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    By Ryan Hager, Assistant Vice President – Commercial Lines

    The 1,000 Year Storm

    October 29th, 2012 is a day that will forever be ingrained into the memories of both residents of New Jersey and business owners alike. Superstorm Sandy was the 1,000 year storm that no one ever thought would hit in their lifetime.

    As a result of this thinking, businesses were extremely unprepared for the damage that ensued. High winds and flooding were the driving causes of loss during the storm.

    Now, we are talking about Business Income, which was one of the bigger claims that resulted from Superstorm Sandy, much of which was NOT covered.  According to IHS Global Insights – losses from wages, electrical power, and production cost business owners $20 billion.  Many New Jersey businesses suffered losses stemming from power outages which resulted in business interruptions and loss of business of income.

    To understand Business Income coverage under a commercial property policy, we must understand the list of conditions to be present in order for a loss to be covered.  In the event of a loss these conditions are:

    1. a discrete event of direct physical loss or damage;
    2. to property of the type insured;
    3. from a risk of loss;
    4. with no exclusion applying;
    5. which causes an interruption of business operations;

    Then the policy covers:

    1. the defined loss;
    2. for the defined period of interruption.

    Back to the question: What was the cause of loss?  As discussed earlier, flooding and high winds were the proximate causes of loss from the storm. Soon after the storm, it was discovered that many New Jersey businesses lost power due to flooded substations and downed overhead transmission lines. Of course, flooding is an excluded peril on the commercial property form. For those businesses that thought they had a saving grace from coverage from wind, they had more heartache.  The only Hail Mary for businesses would have been that flood and Utility Interruption Services (with overhead transmission lines) were endorsed on their policies.

    Business income insurance is one of the most vital lines of insurance to a company, and yet it is one of the most overlooked coverage’s. Do you recall how you derived to your business income limit? Most companies I meet with either haven’t adjusted their limit in years, or have no clue how it was originally derived. It is critical that this limit is properly adjusted each year by filling out a business income worksheet. Don’t fall into a trap of having uncovered claims or insufficient limits, resulting in you having to pay out of pocket.

     

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  5. Show Your Employees You Care

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    By Meaghan Tyndale-Williams, Vice President – Commercial Lines

    Get Your Employees Back to Work & Avoid Litigation

    Despite our best efforts workplace injuries happen. These accidents can be costly and leave you vulnerable to expensive litigation if not handled properly.

    Being suspicious, indifferent, or callous can cost your company dearly. If your worker hires an attorney, expenses skyrocket to $62,652—nearly eight times the average for claims without attorneys—reports the California Workers’ Compensation Institute. That’s because lawyer-assisted paid-disability leaves last an average of 74.5 days—triple the length of days off for those who make claims without an attorney.

    So show you care and avoid such crises with these eight steps:

    Educate

    Encourage safety awareness, including expectations for staff if they file for workers’ compensation.Forty-six percent of those who hire attorneys do so because of miscommunications about claims. They assume the claim has been denied when actually it has yet to be processed, reports a Workers’ Compensation Research Institute survey of 6,823 injured employees. So announce any action you’ve taken to help them, such as alerting insurers about the injuries. Give the address, phone number, claim number, and name of the claims representative, and let them know that if they don’t hear back within a certain time frame, they should phone you and you’ll look into the delay.

    Comfort from the get-go

    If the injury is serious, accompany your employee to the hospital.

    Reach out

    Don’t let workers feel ignored, which makes them feel disconnected and more likely to linger at home, quit upon returning, or worse, file a lawsuit. Each day they fail to hear from you, the more likely they’ll turn to an attorney. So check in; be empathetic, not adversarial;  caring, not intrusive. Ask how they’re feeling. Reassure them their job awaits and they’re missed.

    Offer aid

    Ask if they need financial assistance till their first workers’ comp check arrives. Get claims officers to launch pay “without prejudice” to cover prescriptions and physical therapy before final approval.

    Don’t assume

    Don’t assume a claim has been processed just because you filed it or has been approved because it was merited.

    Offer help

    If you suspect an employee will struggle with complex paperwork. You’d rather the employee relied on you than an attorney.

    Check in

    Once staffers return to work part-time, touch base with the employee. A resentful supervisor may have given the returning employee more arduous duties or worse hours. Step in and fix it.That’s how businesses breed loyalty. Fear, frustration, and unreasonable terms breed litigation. So don’t demand doctors’ notes weekly or threaten replacement if employees don’t return by an arbitrary date. Don’t post their jobs as vacant since coworkers might alert them.

    Accept

    In rare cases, their motivation is greed. You can’t do much about that—other than avoid giving them ammunition. If the injured feel you’re accusatory, they’ll be more likely to retaliate with a lawsuit. And, as you know, that’s not healthy for your bottom line.

     

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  6. The Affordable Care Act-What You Need To Know

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    By Barry Fields, Vice President – Employee Benefits

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that certain employers (those with at least fifty full-time equivalent employees) provide health insurance coverage to their employees that meets “Affordability” and “Minimum Value” guidelines.  If your medical plans did not meet those requirements and an employee purchases individual insurance through the Marketplace (or “Exchange” or “Obamacare”), the employee may be eligible for a subsidy for the individual insurance.  If the employee receives a subsidy, this may trigger a penalty from the IRS:

    • If you had fifty or more full-time equivalent employees last year and the employee received a subsidy through the Exchange, you will not be assessed a penalty if the coverage you offered met the Affordability and Minimum Value requirements.
    • If you had fewer than fifty full-time equivalent employees last year and the employee received a subsidy through the Exchange, there will be no penalty because the Employer Mandate does not apply and the coverage you offer does not need to meet the Affordability and Minimum Value requirements.

    The US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is routinely sending notice letters to employers that had some employees purchase coverage through the Exchange and receive a subsidy.  The purpose of the notice is for the HHS to check the subsidy eligibility of these individuals and allow employers to address or avoid any potential penalties.  Employees who received the subsidy (their names will be listed on the letter) will have reported that they

    • were not offered health care coverage through the employer (this is why having signed waivers on file is very important);
    • were offered health care coverage but it was not affordable or did not meet minimum value; or
    • were in a waiting period and unable to enroll in health care coverage.

    If an employee was eligible for the health care coverage offered through the employer (based on full-time status or working the required number of hours per week), the employee is not eligible for the subsidy and the employer will need to file an appeal. The appeal instructions are on the letter, but it just involves completing the appeal form and mailing or faxing it to the Health Insurance Marketplace (fax and mailing information are in the letter). You have ninety days from the date of the notice to request an appeal.  The Marketplace will review the information to determine if the employee is indeed eligible for a subsidy.  You should note that only the IRS can determine whether a penalty will apply to the employer.  Since the appeal is filed with HHS, a separate appeal may be required if the IRS determines the employer owes a penalty when, in fact, there is no liability.  This will be determined after reviewing the 1094 and 1095 reports.

    If the employee was not eligible for the health coverage offered through the employer (because the employee was part-time or temporary or does not meet the eligibility requirements), then the employee should be entitled to the subsidy. You do not need to file an appeal.  The appeal is only to advise the Marketplace that the individual is not entitled to the subsidy and the reason(s) why.

    This is a good opportunity to remind you that any eligible employee who waives coverage needs to complete, sign, and date a waiver form.  This is your proof if the employee ever claims that he or she was not offered coverage.

    The ACA requires employers to provide employees with a written notice informing them about the Marketplaces where they can obtain individual health coverage.  A lot of employee confusion and follow up by HHS can be avoided if you meet the requirements of providing employees with this notice.  The notice is very important because it helps clarify whether the employee will be eligible for Marketplace subsidies (eligibility for subsidies depends on whether the health plan meets certain standards related to coverage and affordability).  The concern is that employees are accepting the subsidies from the Marketplace even though they are not eligible, because eventually, the employees will need to refund the money.  The annual notice will serve as an important reminder about the eligibility for subsidies.

    The notice requirements were originally effective on October 1, 2013, but it is often overlooked that new employees must be given the notice within fourteen days of their date of hire.

    Open enrollment in the Marketplace for 2018 runs from November 1, 2017, to December 15, 2017.  It is advisable to provide all current employees with the notice prior to your open enrollment every year so they are reminded of the eligibility requirements to receive a discount on their health insurance.

     

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  7. JGS Insurance Selected as a Finalist for NJBIZ 2017 Business of the Year Award

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    JGS Insurance, a market leading New Jersey insurance agency, announced today that it has been named a Top 100 Property/Casualty Agency by Insurance Journal. The Top 100 list is ranked by total property/casualty agency revenue for 2016.

    JGS Insurance is honored to announce their place as a finalist for the NJBIZ 2017 “Business of the Year” award in the 51-100 employee category.

    The Business of the Year awards program celebrates New Jersey’s most dynamic businesses and business leaders who share a commitment to professional excellence, business growth and the community. Finalists were selected in six categories: Business of the Year (1-50 Employees), Business of the Year (51-100 Employees), Business of the Year (101+ Employees), Corporate Citizen of the Year, and Emerging Business of the Year.

    Finalists were chosen by an independent panel of judges including: Mary Ann Christopher, Vice President of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Larry Samilow, Chief Customer Officer of Update Legal & Discovery, and Mike Triosi, former Vice President & General Counsel of Haier America Company. The winner will be announced during an awards ceremony in December.

    “I feel incredibly proud of our organization for being recognized as a finalist for this esteemed award as we approach our 100-year anniversary,” says Vinnie Hager, President of JGS Insurance. “This award exemplifies where we have come, where we are today and what we see in store for the future of our company. Thank you to our valued staff for their dedication, loyalty, hard work and commitment. Thank you to NJBIZ and the community for acknowledging JGS and congratulations to our fellow finalists.”

  8. Mind the Down Time

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    By Ryan Fleming, Director – Habitational Group

    There are people in every industry, sport, or walk of life that are unbelievable performers.

    We see them accomplish incredible amounts of work and perform what looks to be impossible feats of balance, speed, success, and the like. Most of the time, we attribute their abilities to DNA that we are just not born with. We assume that they are sacrificing parts of their lives that we are simply unwilling to sacrifice. That must be it. They can’t be normal human beings just like us, faced with everyday distractions, responsibilities, and stresses. I think most of us convince ourselves that their level of performance is unattainable or that the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze. I’d like to challenge that thought pattern.

    I drive quite a bit, and during those drives, I typically try to listen to as many books or podcasts as I can. One of the most insightful podcasts I consistently listen to is The Tim Ferris Show in which Tim deconstructs world-class performers to ultimately find out what makes them who they are or what gives them the success they’ve earned. He’s interviewed everyone from Olympic gold medalists to the world’s most innovative business minds to motivational greats such as Tony Robbins. Through all of these interviews, you can see that most, if not all, of the interviewees have eerily similar belief systems. Tim does an incredible job of really getting to the core of how each guest can, so consistently, produce results.

    Exercise routines and diet are always a given for any world-class performer, but for the sake of this column entitled “medicine for the mind,” we will focus on thought patterns and practices instead. One of the most important things I noticed is that each of these guests makes sure to mind his or her down time. What I mean by this is that it’s far more important to consistently move in your intended direction every minute of every day than it is to produce an incredible result for short periods of time. Life is a marathon not a sprint. The story of the tortoise and the hare is a perfect example. That incredibly talented hare didn’t mind his down time and lost the race to a tortoise, which simply made sure to put one foot in front of the other on a more consistent basis.

    Each of us has a point at which we internally feel that we’ve earned some sort of break or reward of relaxation. While this break may be warranted, it’s often abused and comes more often than it should, drastically limiting our ability to succeed. The question we need to ask ourselves is, at what point should we be satisfied with our progress? Simply setting a higher bar or throwing more passion at what we want to achieve will help limit our down time and increase our focus on success. Personally, blocking out time each day for a specific purpose shows me visually where my time is spent. Although I use lists in the form of a bubble diagram (trademarked Juggle Bubbles by my incredibly organized wife), feel free to explore other options, whether it is a graphical pie chart, a timeline, or a simple hourly calendar.

    World-class performers have the same twenty-four hours each day that we do. They just spend more of it fighting for what they want to achieve. Goal setting, exercise, diet, time management. All are important, but if we can start with simply “minding our down time,” we may see results we never thought possible.

     

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  9. JGS’ New Location at Bell Works

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    By Ken Hager, COO

    In August of 1969, our family moved to Holmdel and set up roots that went deep into our hearts and souls.

    Our father, Sam Hager, had been working for JGS Insurance since 1962 (the same year Bell Labs was completed) and felt the time was right for a move. He had a growing family, and he wanted a small rural town to raise his family in. When we first moved here, it was definitely that. Shortly after moving into town, the chief of police personally stopped in to welcome us. I still remember driving past the distinctive “transistor water tower” lit up at night. As we approached the building, it looked to me as though a UFO had just landed, and Dad muttered, “What the heck is that?”Fast forward to 1993 when JGS left Middlesex County for Monmouth County and quite naturally ended up in Holmdel at 960 Holmdel Road. We remained there until August 2017 when we moved into the iconic building now known as Bell Works. That transistor water tower remains where it has always stood, at the entrance to Bell Works, and is the focal point of the breathless view from my office.

    The Bell Works building itself is truly spectacular. It is a 2,000,000-square-foot, mirrored, glass-encased building with a cross-shaped atrium that spans over one hundred feet in width. It is actually four buildings connected by that atrium, two of which were completed in 1962 and then expanded twice (in 1966 and 1982) to its current size.

    The building is set on over four hundred acres of a park-like setting, with two man-made lakes and a larger lake and bird sanctuary located on the other side of the building. Glass walls line the interior walkways allowing visitors a peek into all of the offices operating out of the building, including our very own office.

    JGS worked closely with the architects and engineers at Mancini•Duffy to design a space that wasn’t your typical insurance agency office. We wanted a bright, open space that encouraged collaboration between teams and team members. This will help to assure that our clients benefit from the many services and opportunities available to them from JGS. In our old space, we found ourselves always looking for a place to have a quick huddle to discuss claims issues or the results of loss-control visits from our risk management department.

    At our new space, we incorporated a number of different huddle rooms, conference rooms, and quick collaboration spaces to foster communication. We also added four “phone booth” rooms, small rooms that people can step into for making personal calls or a series of cold calls by our sales teams. We also have a state-of-the-art training center that can be configured into a classroom setting or a large, square-box-like setting. The main wall is “Winked” (as are all of our huddle rooms), which essentially makes the wall a large whiteboard.

    The theme of Bell Works is “Work Inspired.” In keeping up with that theme, we surveyed our employees about some of the features they would want in our new work environment to inspire and motivate them. In trying to make our space up-to-date and “cool,” we asked our employees about stand-up desks and would this be something they could use or benefit from. Surprising to us, almost half of the employees requested stand-up desks, and we supplied them to those that asked. There is a nice mixture of stand-up or standard desks throughout the space that serves to break up the monotony of everything looking the same. Perhaps more surprising to us is the fact that almost everybody that has a stand-up is using it on a daily basis.

    Some of what employees hoped for in a workplace is being provided by the building itself. For example, day care on the premises so that if an issue developed with a child, a quick visit may set both the parent’s and child’s mind at ease. Then there are things coming soon that didn’t even occur to our employees, such as dog care, a walk-in clinic, retail shopping, restaurants, and a huge gym open to the tenants.

    The employees had been talking about starting a JGS “fun” committee to organize and develop fun things to do together. There is a ping-pong table located in the atrium, a foosball table in the café, the different restaurants and bars that will soon be located here, and a five-story rock-climbing wall to top it all off. There are plenty of fun activities to come get excited about, with more being announced quite frequently. There is a lot of buzz and excitement at our new space here at Bell Works. Stop in, say hello, and catch the buzz!

     

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  10. Don’t Mess With The DOL

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    By Barry Fields, Vice President – Employee Benefits

    Regulations For Electronic Distribution of ERISA Disclosures

    With the recent increase in audits by the Department of Labor (DOL), one of the most frequently asked questions JGS Insurance receives is under what circumstances can documents be distributed electronically by email, by company intranet and the like.

    DOL regulations contain a safe harbor under which employee plans may use electronic means to distribute certain documents and other information required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

    The following documents and notices may be distributed electronically if certain conditions (described below) are met:

    Summary Plan Description (SPD)
    Summary of Material Modification (SMM)
    Summary Annual Report (SAR)
    COBRA Notices
    Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)
    Notice of Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage Options

    Work Email

    Documents can be sent to an employee’s work email address without consent as long as all of the following is in place:

    1. The work email is specifically for, and used by, the employee on a regular basis as a part of daily work responsibilities.
    2. An actual receipt of transmitted information is confirmed such as through a failure-to-deliver notice, a periodic review or survey of employees to confirm materials are being received, or a confirmation receipt received by the sender from the recipient.
    3. The email includes a statement as to the significance of the document.
    4. The email explains the right to request a paper version at no cost and provides instructions on how to request a paper copy.
    5. The notice content does not contain any identifiable protected personal information.

    Personal  Email

    If employees do not have a primary work-issued email address, they may elect, with written consent, to provide the employer with a personal email address for receipt of specific electronic notice. This consent must be obtained yearly and must include the following:

    1. The types of documents to which the consent would apply.
    2. The fact that consent can be withdrawn at any time without charge.
    3. The procedures for withdrawing consent and for updating the participant’s, beneficiary’s or other individual’s address for receipt of electronically furnished documents or other information.
    4. The right to request and obtain a paper version of an electronically furnished document including whether the paper version will be provided free of charge.
    5. Information on any hardware and software requirements for accessing and retaining the documents.

    Company Intranet

    Employers may post documents to a designated site on the internet. Under this method, the employer must ensure employees have the ability to access these documents at will during and after business hours. Employers must provide a separate notification sent via an electronic or nonelectronic method to each employee notifying them of:

    1. the document’s availability;
    2. the importance of the information contained in the documents; and
    3. the right to receive this information by another acceptable means, nonelectronic or electronic, as described above.

    JGS Insurance can provide you with sample documents that address a variety of these circumstances such as the Consent for Electronic Delivery, Email Notice of Important Document, and an Acknowledgment of Receipt of Important Documents.

     

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