Industry News
Strengthen Your Risk Profile During COVID-19
Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
While the effects of COVID-19 on the workers’ compensation marketplace vary among the different business sectors, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) has approved a filing that will increase the 2021 pure premium advisory rates by 2.6%. With impending rate increases on the horizon, it’s more important now than ever to be proactive when it comes to your company’s risk management program. Carriers are already tightening up their underwriting guidelines and limiting schedule credits. In order to earn the most competitive pricing possible, a business must differentiate itself from other businesses. Below are three strategies you can use to strengthen your risk profile during COVID-19.
Choosing the Right Classcode: A Guide to Distinguishing Tree Trimming from Landscape Work
Author, Rory Anderson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Many tree care companies perform work that could be classified as “landscape gardening.” The risk and exposure associated with this class code is minimal compared to those associated with tree trimming. Without the additional tree care exposure, landscape gardening workers’ compensation insurance rates are significantly lower than tree trimming rates. Common questions we receive from our tree care clients are…
Employers Enlist Assistance from HR Experts while Navigating Perils of COVID-19
Author, Chase Hixson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a slew of unknowns to employers across the country, especially as it relates to human resources questions and Employment Practices Liability (EPLI). Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal has been a favorite of our clients ever since its release in 2019. The portal continues to grow in popularity as employers face new challenges as workplace standards and employee interaction changes, almost daily.
Common Sense Strategies for Lowering Risk and Managing Liability
Author, Daniel Frazee, Executive Vice President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
While business owners spend thousands of hours becoming experts in their own field, most know very little about the intricacies of purchasing commercial insurance. Consider exploring these topics further as you prepare for your upcoming renewal cycle.
Post COVID-19 XMODs Threaten a Double Whammy
Author, Kevin Howard, C.R.I.S., Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
COVID-19 has created a multitude of challenges for California business owners in the first half of 2020. A concerning trend is the potential combination of lower payrolls and the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s (WCIRB) recommendation to lower expected loss rates, creating what very likely could be significant Experience Modification Rate (XMOD) increases for numerous California businesses.
Managing Working Capital is Key as Markets Tighten
Author, Andy Roberts, Account Executive, Surety Department, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Contractors often ask us what bond companies are looking for when they are reviewing balance sheets and income statements. The answer isn’t a simple one, because there are many items that underwriters look at when determining if they will write a bond for a contractor. Typically, the first thing an underwriter will do is calculate a contractor’s working capital.
The Importance of Timely Workers’ Compensation Claims Reporting
Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Injuries, accidents, and mistakes happen. When a work-related injury occurs, a common reaction from many business owners is an instinct to NOT report the injury to their workers’ compensation carrier for fear of increasing their company’s Experience Modification (EMR). However, they couldn’t be more wrong. Timely reporting of all claims is the first step in controlling claim costs and lowering their EMR.
Court Agrees Temporary COVID-19 Standards Are Not Needed
Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
On June 11th, 2020, the D.C. Circuit Court denied the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations’ (AFL-CIO) lawsuit against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for not issuing an emergency temporary worker safety standard due to COVID-19.
Landscape Companies with Low Experience MODs Do These 5 Things
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Landscape companies with a low Experience Modification Rating (XMOD/EMR) typically exhibit similar best practices when dealing with work-related injuries. Their proactive approach helps close claims faster and return employees to work sooner than their counterparts.
Top 5 Cyber Threats for Contractors
Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Equipment and material theft as well as jobsite vandalism are exposures that unfortunately contractors have become accustomed to over the years. Over the last decade, however, the construction industry has seen a new threat arise and its name is Cybercrime.
Why Am I Now Required to Bond Such Small Construction Projects?
Author, Matt Gaynor, Director of Surety, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
I received an email from a large Subcontractor client last week requesting performance and payment bonds in the amounts of $87,000 and $133,000, respectively. This client has completed projects in excess of $5,000,000 in the past and was surprised that the general contractor they were working with was requiring such a small amount to be bonded back.
California Workers' Comp Carriers React to Commissioner's COVID-19 Amendment Approval
Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
With California Insurance Commissioner Lara’s recent approval of a special regulatory filing introduced to alleviate the burden COVID-19 workers’ compensation (WC) claims threaten to have on California employers, we reached out to several prominent carrier executives to share their thoughts.
Workers’ Compensation Claim Advocacy: Distinguishing Good from Great
Author, Jim Malone, Workers’ Compensation Claims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As the new normal continues evolving through this pandemic, advocates are needed across all industries and sectors. Businesses and their employees exposed to the risk of workers’ compensation injuries and illnesses need the highest level of advocacy now, more than ever.
OSHA Recording Requirements for COVID-19 Cases
Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As businesses begin to reopen across the country, employers are now faced with the real possibility that one or more of their employees may be diagnosed with COVID-19. Those who are familiar with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recording requirements may be wondering how to handle an employee COVID-19 case on their OSHA logs.
Commissioner Lara Approves WCIRB Proposed Amendments Addressing COVID-19
Author, Dave Garcia, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
California Insurance Commissioner Lara has approved, as filed, the proposed special regulatory filing submitted by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) concerning proposed amendments addressing the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The special regulatory filing is effective July 1, 2020 and will apply retroactively starting March 19, 2020, the day California Governor Newsom issued the Stay-at-Home Executive Order N-33-20. Those amendments are as follow…
Topics Your COVID-19 Training Should Cover
Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As states begin to lift COVID-19 restrictions and move into later phases of reopening plans, and companies begin to bring back their employees, it is important to take the necessary health and safety precautions in the workplace. Your staff should be well informed about safety precautions and resources to keep one another safe. When choosing a COVID-19 employee training, make sure it is comprehensive and includes all the necessary topics recommended by local, state and federal agencies.
Nonprofits Eligible for Free Digital Advertising
Author, Sam Brown, Vice President, Human Services, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
To help avoid a decrease in private donations due to the Coronavirus pandemic, nonprofit leaders have turned their attention to a powerful tool used to increase website traffic and online donations: Google’s Ad Grant Program.
Critical Elements of a COVID-19 Safety Plan
Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As businesses re-open across the country, it is important that we all do our part in preventing and slowing the spread of COVID-19. For many companies in construction and those in the service industry, employees often work in close proximity with others. Keeping your workforce and the public safe should be priority number one.
COVID-19’s Impact on the Non-Profit Insurance Marketplace
Author, Chase Hixson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Businesses of all sizes across the country have been impacted by COVID-19 in some way or another. As we begin to phase back into the “new normal,” the insurance industry is seeing several changes within the non-profit sector that will significantly impact pricing and coverage, moving forward.
Aerial Lift Best Practices
Author, Rory Anderson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Aerial lifts have become extremely popular over the past few years in the arboriculture industry. An aerial lift is an ideal way to reach higher trees safely and securely. They can also make potentially hazardous tree removal safer and more efficient. This equipment requires extensive training to operate responsibly, and the lack of this training has led to an increase in accidents and injuries with aerial lift devices.