Rancho Mesa Congratulates Christina Haake in Becoming a Star in Safety!

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

March 2021, Rancho Mesa’s own Christina Haake, Account Manager for the construction industry, earned her RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ in Construction Safety Certificate.

The RM365 Advantage Safety Star certificate program requires it’s participants to study incident investigation, along with at least two additional safety topics based on their industry-specific risks. Christina chose courses that directly reflect the risks her clients face in the field.

Christina has been a member of the Rancho Mesa family for 10 years and continues to excel in her career in the commercial insurance industry.

If you or a member of your team are interested in becoming a RM365 Advantage Safety Star reach out to us or visit our Safety Star webpage.

Give New Life to a Stale Employee Handbook

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications Manager and Client Services Manager

The employee handbook may seem like a stale document; created years ago that rarely is read. However, that is a misconception. An employee handbook is meant to be  a living document that communicates an employer’s expectations to employees. It can illustrate the company culture. Whether it spells out a dress code or a telecommuting policy, the employee handbook also includes information that is required by state and federal law. So, it’s imperative for employers to make sure their employee handbooks are up to date and compliant.

The employee handbook is an essential tool, used not only to outline policies, but as a way to solidify company culture. According to a 2019 TalentLMS study, 61 percent of new hires are not trained on company culture. So, if your company is obsessed with safety, the employee handbook should reflect an emphasis on safety policies. If your company values a work/life balance for its employees, make sure to include the policies that support your philosophy.  Glassdoor found that 87 percent of employees want their employer to support a healthy balance between work responsibilities and personal commitments. 

So, in order to assist employers in developing and maintaining state and federal-compliant employee handbooks, in 2019, Rancho Mesa launched its RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal (HR portal). It’s designed to be a one-stop shop for human resources advice and guidance to assist businesses in effectively managing their HR responsibilities.

The Living Employee Handbook builder in the HR portal allows employers to quickly develop state and federally-compliant employee handbooks while allowing for customized policies that are specific to individual companies.

In a recent usage report, Rancho Mesa found that over forty clients had already created at least one new employee handbook in the HR portal. These employers decided to generate a new employee handbook, to take advantage of the automated federal and state law update notifications; thus, their employee handbooks are now living documents that continue to evolve as regulations change. With a click of the “Approve” button, their employee handbook verbiage updates to stay in compliance.   

Before incurring the cost of hiring an attorney or HR firm, try using the Living Employee Handbook builder to generate your state-specific federally-compliant employee handbook. If your old employee handbook hasn’t been updated within the last twelve months, it’s time to generate a new Living Employee Handbook. 

To learn how to generate a living employee handbook through Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal, register for our webinar.

COVID-19 Update and Q&A - San Diego County's Current COVID-19 Status

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

The rules, regulations and guidelines, in regard to COVID-19, are changing every day.  So, we thought it would be great to provide businesses with current COVID-19 updates, and give them an opportunity to ask specific questions.

On March 4th, 2021, Gary Johnston, Chief Resilience Officer for the County of San Diego, Office of Emergency Services (OES), joined Rancho Mesa to host a live COVID-19 Update and Q&A Session webinar.  Gary works closely with County and external partners to engage key stakeholders, build consensus, and implement recommendations to build the County’s overall resilience, making him a great source for information.

Following Gary’s presentation on the County’s current status, vaccinations and reopening, attendees asked a variety of questions specific to their needs and overall curiosity.   For COVID-19 resources, posters and materials specific to San Diego County, visit the County’s online COVID-19 resource center.

Rancho Mesa Welcomes Kristina Hauser to the Team

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Spring has sprung at Rancho Mesa and we are in full bloom with our newest Account Coordinator Kristina Hauser. 

Kristina came to us after several years in the childcare industry. She has past experience in customer service and retail, as well, and is attending Grossmont College where she will graduate in June with an Associates Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences. She is a dedicated dog mom and animal lover who spends most of her time with family and friends.

Kristina is new to insurance and is eager to jump in with both feet and progress her career in the industry.  Please help us welcome her to the Rancho family. We can’t wait to see what she will accomplish.

Employee Spotlight: Whitney Chiriboga Earns P&C License

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Whitney Chiriboga, an Account Coordinator at Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, earned her Property & Casualty Broker-Agent License through the California Department of Insurance's (CDI) Producer Licensing Bureau.

As an Account Coordinator, Whintey’s commitment to advancing her career by earning her license, embodies Rancho Mesa’s OneofOne® attitude.

Due to COVID-19, the Property & Casualty Exam Prep Courses looked a little different than usual, as everything was online-based versus in-class sessions. After Whitney completed 52 hours of online courses, she passed the exam in December 2020 and received her license on February 17, 2021.

Congratulations, Whitney!

Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ Podcast Hits 5,000 plays

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

I love StudioOne, so click another play on our podcast, hey, hey! I love StudioOne, we hit 5,000 plays so dance with me!

That’s right, it’s been a year since the launch of our StudioOne podcast, and we are celebrating 5,000 plays. With over 75 episodes recorded, produced and published so far, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve had the pleasure of talking to a wide variety of people ranging from insurance carriers, industry professionals, safety advocates, COVID-19 advisors and even our own Rancho Mesa team, making our podcast a great resource for just about anyone in any industry.

StudioOne is Rancho Mesa Insurance Services' Media Communications department. This innovative and talented team is responsible for producing the company’s marketing materials, newsletter, podcasts, social media posts, videos, and website.

The media communications team uses its nearly 20 years of combined experience in communications,   graphic and web design, marketing, and new media to develop OneofOne® creative materials that showcase Rancho Mesa’s commitment to stand out from the crowd.

The StudioOne podcast is available on most major streaming platforms. New episodes are released weekly so head over to your favorite podcast platform and subscribe today!

Cal/OSHA Covid-19 Prevention Plan Webinar with Carmen Cisneros

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

January 21st, 2021, Rancho Mesa was joined by Cal/OSHA San Diego Consultation Branch Area Manager, Carmen Cisneros, to learn about the standards set in place by Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards.

A wide variety of topics, based around the pandemic, were covered. Face mask requirements, prevention plan requirements, and recording and reporting standards were just a few of the areas addressed during the webinar. 

A good source to bookmark for questions is Cal/OSHA’s FAQ page. Since questions are always being added, they have now provided a date at the bottom of the page to show when it was last updated.

The live webinar lasted just over an hour. Cal/OSHA has a 4-hour webinar available that covers the information in greater detail. The webinars are free and you can register on the Cal/OSHA Consultation website.

We want to remind you that the Cal/OSHA consultation department is here to help you. If you are interested in having a consultant visit your site or provide guidance, visit the Consultation section of the Cal/OSHA website.

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Welcomes Account Coordinator, Mel Chibende

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services is excited to announce the hiring of Mel Chibende, as an Account Coordinator with the Employee Benefits Department.

Mel brings with him several years of administrative and benefits experience, as well as a positive essence and energy that will add to Rancho Mesa’s dedicated team.

Mel was born in Zambia and moved to the U.S when he was 5-years-old. He has lived in Michigan, Texas, Nebraska, Florida, Washington, and now California.

Mel currently resides in Mira Mesa with his wife, Jojet, and their son, Judah. Mel enjoys reading, playing basketball, soccer and has recently gotten into hiking!

Rancho Mesa is thrilled to welcome Mel Chibende to the RMI family!

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Welcomes Account Executive, Trevor Frank

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services is pleased to announce the hiring of Trevor Frank, an Account Executive for Plumbing and HVAC contractors.

Trevor grew up in San Diego East County. He recently moved back after seven years of playing baseball in over half of the United States and three different countries. In his free time, Trevor enjoys many outdoor activities.

Trevor’s background in management, customer service, and teamwork make him an ideal fit for Rancho Mesa’s growing team. He specializes in Risk Management for plumbing and HVAC contractors.

Trevor played seven years professionally in the most stressful job there is in baseball, a closing pitcher. Being in that role, he had to understand the meaning of teamwork, goals and plan of attack. When things were on the line he had to study the situation at hand, relax and get the job done for the team. In the off-seasons, he worked to perfect his communication and customer service skills, while building strong relationships. As a pitching coordinator for a very successful player development facility, Trevor used his skills and knowledge to inspire and fine tune the potential within his pitchers. His team-focused attitude and dedication translates well into coaching his construction clients with their insurance needs.

Rancho Mesa is excited to welcome Trevor Frank to the RMI team!

Becoming a Star in Safety Just Got Easier

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa’s RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ program is designed for supervisors, foremen, safety coordinators and upper management and now it’s even easier to become a Safety Star with our updated program.

To earn the RM365 Advantage Safety Star in Construction Safety, complete the required Incident Investigation and Analysis online module plus two additional approved modules. The modules can be completed 100% online over six months. The certification is valid for two years.

Previously, when assigned a training for Safety Star in Construction Safety program, you would have to watch the trainings and then take a quiz separately. Now, the quizzes will be available to complete right after the video trainings has ended. This will help to streamline the program, make it easier to complete in a timely manner and get more of you on your way to becoming a star in safety.

If you are interested or would like to register your employees for the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ program, please reach out to Emily Marasso at emarasso@ranchomesa.com.