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A recent study by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) spotlights the value of employer sponsored disability coverage in helping meet the health and financial well-being of workers. According the Social Security Administration, one in every four employees will use their disability coverage at some point. Despite this need, the nationwide survey found that fewer than two in five workers (39%) in the private sector have short-term disability (STD) coverage through their employers and only one in three (33%) have employer sponsored long term disability coverage (LTD). Studies by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Mathew Greenwald & Associates have found similar rates of participation in these programs. CFA Executive Director Stephen Broback says, “Surveys have shown that disability insurance is a critically important part of the social safety net”. . . “that plays an essential role in protecting the emotional and financial lives of workers.” Based on the study’s findings, he urged “all employers to offer the option of obtaining disability coverage.” The survey also found that when businesses don’t offer LTD, many workers would buy it for themselves if they could receive the lower group rates available through employer sponsored coverage. Most disability plans cost workers between $10 and $30 per month, and the average monthly premium for STD coverage comes to $18. More and more employees are benefiting from these plans, an estimated 650,000 disabled workers received employer sponsored LTD payments last year. If you’d like to offer your employees this valuable “peace of mind” benefit, or for a complimentary review of your disability plan,– feel free to get in touch with us at any time. It’s our pleasure to serve you.

From drinking or texting while driving to using a designated driver, there is a disconnect between what teenagers acknowledge as risky behavior and what they actually admit to doing behind the wheel, according to a survey from Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). While teens know certain behaviors and situations are risky, many don’t apply that knowledge when it comes to getting behind the wheel. For example, a good number say that it is acceptable for a designated driver to have alcohol or that a designated driver is simply the most sober person in a group. Also, a majority of teens admits to using a cell phone while driving despite knowing the danger. Drink and Drive According to the survey results, teens claim to understand the dangers surrounding drinking and driving: The majority (86 percent) of teen drivers consider driving under the influence of alcohol to be extremely or very distracting Only 1 percent of teens define driving under the influence of alcohol as acceptable Only 5 percent of teens admit to at least sometimes driving under the influence of alcohol However, when asked about actual driving behavior involving alcohol, driving “under the influence” takes on a different definition: One in 10 teens who say they never drive under the influence acknowledge that they occasionally drive after having an alcoholic beverage More than two-thirds of teens (68 percent) who admit to driving under the influence of alcohol say they have done so after having more than three alcoholic beverages According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a quarter of fatal crashes involving young drivers resulting from drinking and driving. “While many teens seem to have gotten the message about these driving dangers, the real challenge is to make sure they understand that even a sip of alcohol or a quick text at a red light can be deadly,” said David Melton, driving safety expert with Liberty Mutual Insurance and managing director of global safety. “Teens need to realize it’s not acceptable to put an allowable limit to their engagement in these behaviors – they need to be eliminated entirely when they are behind the wheel.” Defining ‘Designated’ While underage drinking is never acceptable and always illegal, many teens and parents consider a designated driver to be a safe alternative to impaired driving. In fact, more than half of parents (58 percent) encourage teens to use designated drivers to avoid driving under the influence, and almost half of teens (47 percent) admit to using one. However, teens’ definitions of “designated” are concerning: Designated Means “Basically Sober”: 21 percent of teens define their designated driver as allowed to have “a little” alcohol or other drugs, as long as they aren’t too impaired to drive Designated Means “Least Impaired”: 4 percent of teens describe their designated driver as the “most” sober person in the group “With teens reporting these lax definitions of what it means to be ‘under the influence,’ a zero tolerance approach is the only answer to prevent potential tragedy,” said Stephen Gray Wallace, senior advisor for policy, research and education at SADD. “The parents and community have a responsibility to initiate and maintain an open dialogue with teens about exactly what driving under the influence means.” SADD is peer-to-peer youth education, prevention, and activism organization. Talking and Texting According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 3,300 deaths were reported in 2012 alone as the result of distracted driving, many attributed to talking or texting on a cell phone. Teens seem to understand the dangers of these behaviors: Nearly all (96 percent) teen drivers understand that using a cell phone while driving – either talking or texting – is at least slightly distracting 62 percent of teen drivers think texting and driving is extremely or very distracting However, according to the new data, teen drivers often do not grasp the dangers of what it actually means to use a phone while driving: The majority of teen drivers (86 percent) still admit to using a cell phone behind the wheel Nearly half (47 percent) of the teen drivers who say they never text while driving still admit to texting at a red light or stop sign 68 percent of teen drivers admit to reading or replying to text messages while driving “It’s critical not only for teens, but all drivers to understand that any time you pull out your phone when you are driving, whether you’re moving or at a stoplight, your attention is diverted and you put yourself, passengers and others on the road at risk,” said Melton. “If you need to use your phone while driving, find a safe place to pull off the road to make a call or send a text. It’s not worth the risk to respond at a stop sign or before the light turns green.” About the Study Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD commissioned ORC International to conduct a qualitative and quantitative methodology to measure teen driving attitudes and behaviors. The study was initiated with a series of focus groups held in Philadelphia, Pa., and Dallas, Texas from May 29 – May 30, 2013, followed by a survey of 2,537 eleventh and twelfth graders from across the country. Overall the findings from the study can be interpreted at a 95 percent confidence interval with an error margin of +/- 1.68 percent. Error margins for subsets such as licensed drivers will be wider. Additionally, the study surveyed 1,000 parents of high school aged teenage drivers, providing an overall error margin of +/- 2.94 percent. Content provided by http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/03/18/323582.htm

Although more than three in four businesses offer their employees wellness programs, fewer than half believe that these programs provide an effective return on investment (ROI). That's the bottom line on a recent nationwide survey by Business Insurance of more than 300 companies. Check out these highlights from the study: More than nine in ten respondents (93%) describe their programs as "extremely successful," "very successful," or "somewhat successful." More than four in five (81%) measure the success of their programs primarily by employee participation rates, while more than two in three (68%) rely on feedback from employees. The great majority (85% of public companies and 70% of privately held firms and nonprofits) offer employees money or other incentives linked to participation in their programs. Nearly three in four (59%) see improving employee health as the main objective of their program. Fewer than one in three (28%) focus on reducing health care costs. Experts say that employers can improve their ROI (directly or indirectly) from wellness programs by shifting focus from broadly-based activities (on-site health screenings and immunizations, weight-loss and stop-smoking programs, etc.) to individual health care -- such as personal coaching, workplace safety evaluations, wellness newsletters, and classes on stress management and nutrition. Companies can also boost their ROI by evaluating their programs at least once a year. The Business Insurance survey found that nearly one in three respondents (32%) failed to measure the participation rate or effectiveness of their programs on an annual basis. If you'd like a comprehensive review of the benefits your employee wellness program provides, just get in touch with us.

A recent nationwide study found that more and more businesses and workers are benefiting from voluntary employee benefits programs. According to the Prudential Insurance Company State of Group Voluntary Benefits survey: More than six in ten employees surveyed (63%) believe that voluntary benefits increase the value of their company's benefits program. The percentage of employees who would like to receive more benefits grew to 34% from 24% a year ago. One in three employees feels that losing their voluntary benefits would be disruptive and expensive. "Employers and employees agree on the value of voluntary benefits," says Bob Patience Prudential Group Vice President, Voluntary Benefits Insurance. "Employers see an increase in employees' satisfaction with these programs, while employees appreciate their employers' endorsement of the products offered, and believe they get good value because of their employers' involvement and diligence." Voluntary benefits offers workers a number of advantages, including the education and resources they need to make informed decisions based on their needs. Taking full advantage of these programs is a great way for employees to improve their "wellness" - both physical and financial. What's more, voluntary benefits offer workers the convenience of employer-based enrollment systems and "pain free" payroll deduction. What employees saw as the primary advantage of voluntary benefits varied based on age, education, and gender. More than three in five workers (62%) over the age of 60 focused on the guaranteed coverage feature. More than half (56%) of college graduates preferred the wide range of available products. A slightly higher percentage (53%) of women than of men (45%) chose the convenience of payroll deductions. Our agency's professionals would be happy to advise you on creating or updating, your Voluntary Benefits program - just give us a call.

Cyber and workforce risks rising concern for U.S. businesses. American business leaders worry about the same major risks as they did in 2014, however rising levels of concern over cyber risks and the ability to attract and retain talent have shifted the ranks in some subtle and no-so-subtle ways. 1. Medical Cost Inflation - Medical cost inflation still leads the list of top perceived risks despite a nearly 10 percentage point drop in general concern from 67% in 2014 to 60% in 2015. 2. Cyber Risks - Making the greatest leap from fifth in 2014 to second this year, concern over cyber risk has grown considerably, particularly among large businesses. In fact, 9 out of all 10 industries surveyed report cyber risks and data breaches among their top 5 concerns. 3. Increasing Employee Benefit Costs - Closely related to concerns over medical cost inflation, worry over increasing employee benefit costs, has also fallen, from 62% to 56% since last year. 4. Legal Liability - Although general concern over legal liability has decreased only 2% since last year, its ranking has dropped to fourth from third in 2014. 5. Attracting & Retaining Talent - U.S. businesses are increasingly worried about the challenge of finding and retaining skilled labor, with a 3% increase since last year resulting in a jump from last to fifth on the list of top risk concerns. 6. Regulatory Compliance - Nearly unchanged since last year, among the 51% of all businesses concerned about complying with laws and regulations, 29% worry a great deal. 7. Broad Economic Uncertainty - U.S. business owners showed a slight reprieve from worry over the economy, with concern about broad economic uncertainty down in level (by 6%) and ranking (by 4 places) since 2014. Many U.S. Businesses Still Feel Unprepared for Top Risks While the ranking of top concerns may have slightly shifted, the gaps between how much U.S. businesses worry verses how prepared they feel to manage these risks remains large. In fact, the top risk concerns are often among the 3 to 5 risks businesses feel the least prepared to handle. Furthermore, only 50% of companies report having a written business continuity plan. Global and Political Conflict, Extreme Weather Emerging Concerns While not quite making the cut of top risks, concern over geopolitical conflict has risen significantly among U.S. business leaders. One-third surveyed (32%) worry about global and political conflicts, while one-quarter believe political unrest is of greater concern today than it was five to 10 years ago. More than half of all business surveyed (52%) believe the frequency of severe weather events has increased over the past few years. More importantly, one-third believe these increases in extreme weather also increase the threat of damage to company property and equipment.

In an issue of Corporate Counsel an article entitled It's a Systemic World Out There discusses the EEOC's pursuing large "systemic" cases. For example, in fiscal year 2011 they conducted 580 systemic investigations, filed 84 systemic lawsuits, and settled 35 systemic cases for total $9.6 million. Although your company might not be large enough to be on the EEOC's radar screen, I can tell you that attorneys are also suing small to midsized companies on a class basis. An employee walks into a lawyer's office because they didn't receive their final paycheck, and before you know it they're filing a class-action lawsuit against your company for missed overtime and meal periods. The article provided a few golden nuggets of advice: When responding to an EEOC inquiry, don't use the phrase "pursuant to our consistently applied policy." This only invites a broader request for information. Do not submit more information than is necessary. Conduct your own statistical analysis before submitting data. Do preventative analysis looking for adverse impacts in the hiring, promotion, or termination practices. Validate pre-employment tests. Conduct preventative compensation analysis periodically. Cover all internal analysis with attorney-client privilege. This might be impossible in smaller organizations, but you can certainly retain outside counsel to instruct you on how to conduct such analysis and report back to them. Listen to your employees. As I have always recommended, you should survey your employees, including use of the Employee Compliance Survey that can be found in HR That Works. Invigorate that underutilized internal complaint system. Again, go one step further and ask if there's a problem –don't wait for them to tell you there is one. Stay current with legal trends. This is one reason why HR That Works membership is so valuable. Walk the talk. Are you sensitive to the potential for your practices to cause adverse impacts? Frankly in my experience I can tell you that some business owners could care less about whether a practice causes an adverse impact. All they care about is getting the best employees they can, damn the EEOC. Of course, few companies appreciate a risk until they're hit with it. Finally, the article points out how large corporations can gather the data requested by the EEOC easily because they have such large HRIS systems. However, most companies with less than 500 employees don't have this data readily available, and t collecting it can be an over-burdensome process. This is one reason to make sure that you hire an attorney any time you receive a communication from the EEOC or another regulatory agency.