April Is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.
The National Safety Council recognizes April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. This event is intended to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and encourage motorists like you to minimize potential distractions behind the wheel. Review the following article for more information on distracted driving and ways you can help prevent it.
Distracted Driving Overview
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving refers to any activity that may divert a motorist’s attention from the road. There are three main types of distractions that can interfere with drivers’ attentiveness behind the wheel, including:
- Visual distractions—These distractions involve motorists taking their eyes off the road. Some examples of visual distractions include reading emails or text messages, focusing on vehicle passengers, looking at maps or navigation systems, and observing nearby activities (e.g., accidents, traffic stops or roadside attractions) while driving.
- Manual distractions—Such distractions entail motorists removing their hands from the steering wheel. Key examples of manual distractions include texting, adjusting the radio, programming navigation systems, eating, drinking or performing personal grooming tasks (e.g., applying makeup) while driving.
- Cognitive distractions—These distractions stem from motorists taking their minds off driving. Primary examples of cognitive distractions include talking on the phone, conversing with vehicle passengers or daydreaming while driving.
Regardless of distraction type, distracted driving is a serious safety hazard that contributes to a significant number of accidents on the road. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that more than 2,800 people are killed and 400,000 are injured in crashes involving a distracted driver each year—equating to approximately eight deaths and 1,095 injuries per day. Considering these findings, it’s crucial to take steps to prevent distracted driving.
Distracted Driving Prevention Tips
Whenever you get behind the wheel, keep these distracted driving prevention measures in mind:
- Put away your phone. Silence your phone and store it in a location that is out of reach while driving to lower the temptation to check it.
- Plan your trip before you leave. Program your navigation system prior to hitting the road to get familiar with your journey and feel confident in your route.
- Don’t fumble with your playlist. Select a radio station or plug in a predetermined playlist before driving to limit the need for music adjustments.
- Secure passengers. Ensure kids are properly situated in car seats (if needed) with seat belts fastened. Keep pets stationary in the back seat.
- Avoid multitasking. Never complete additional tasks—such as eating or personal grooming—behind the wheel.
- Stay focused. Concentrate your mind on the road by keeping distracting conversations to a minimum and looking straight ahead.
For additional driver safety tips, contact us today.
- Published in Blog
The RISQ RECAP – March 28th – April 1st, 2022
March 28th – April 1st, 2022
Each week, you’ll find specially curated news articles to keep you up to date on the ever-evolving world of insurance and risk management. The articles are divided out between items relevant to Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits/Human Resources, and Compliance. We’ve included brief summaries of each item as well as a link to the original articles.
PROPERTY & CASUALTY
Cloud Apps And Cloud Storage: The Cyber Risks Associated With Both
“Cybercriminals have become more successful at delivering malware through cloud apps. Netskope, a threat and data protection provider, has blocked an increasing number of malware downloads from cloud apps, which now make up an increasing share of total malware downloads. The percentage of malware downloads from cloud apps increased from 46 percent to 73 percent and then plateaued at 66 percent. Google Drive replaced Microsoft OneDrive to become the top app for malware downloads in 2021. The number of credential attacks against managed cloud apps remained level in 2021 compared to 2020. These attacks comprise more than half of all managed cloud app instances. However, the number of sources of these attacks increased markedly in 2021, with each source carrying out fewer login attempts.” Full Article
– Travelers
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HUMAN RESOURCES, & COMPLIANCE
ACA Round-Up: Recent Developments “Federal officials continued to issue guidance on the Affordable Care Act in early 2022. This article summarizes the status of the so-called SUNSET rule, new materials for the 2023 plan year, Section 1332 waiver applications for Minnesota and Virginia, new risk adjustment data validation results, and guidance from the Internal Revenue Service and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the ACA and the eventual unwinding the public health emergency.” Full Article – Health Affairs
On Remand from Supreme Court, Eighth Circuit Rules That ERISA Does Not Preempt State PBM Regulation “Following the reasoning of the Supreme Court in Rutledge, the Eighth Circuit found that none of the challenged provisions in the North Dakota law had an impermissible connection with the ERISA plans. The court stated that the provisions at issue did not: [1] Regulate a central issue of plan administration, [2] Interfere with uniform plan administration, or [3] Force a plan to adopt a specific structure in terms of coverage or choice of insurers.” Full Article – Hall Benefits Law
No Surprises Act: Guidance for Health Plans and Insurers “Recently enacted legislation has restricted surprise medical billing for health plan participants who receive services at out-of- network health provider facilities in emergency contexts. The legislation also restricts surprise medical billing for services provided by health providers at in-network facilities and includes protections involving air ambulance services. Effective beginning in 2022, the legislation imposes significant compliance requirements for group health plans and insurers.” Full Article – Thomson Reuters
Benefits Issues That Arise Upon Misclassification of Employees “The effects of worker misclassification on employee benefit plans may include, but are not limited to: [1] failure to provide employee benefit coverage and appropriate remedial action; [2] failure to make employer and employee contributions to retirement and other employee benefit plans; [3] failure to provide the individual with required benefit plan disclosure and administrative notices; and [4] excise taxes under the ACA for failure to provide required health plan coverage.” Full Article – Foley & Lardner LLP
New Illinois State Law Imposes Disclosure Requirements on Group Health Plans “The CCDA requires employers that sponsor group health plans with employees in Illinois to disclose a comparison of the plan’s coverage to certain ‘Essential Health Benefits’ required by Illinois state law. The CCDA broadly applies, regardless of the employer’s size or its location, to fully insured and self-funded group health plans. Additionally, the Illinois DOL has taken the position that the CCDA also applies to ERISA-covered self-funded group health plans.” Full Article – Miller Johnson
Congress Reopens Door for HSA with No-Deductible Telehealth, But with a Hole “The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 restores the exception for telehealth and other remote services, but only for the period from April 1 through December 31, 2022. This means that if a plan’s year started at any time from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022, and the plan did not impose the minimum deductible for telehealth or other remote services from the start of the plan year through March 31, 2022, the plan would not be a high-deductible health plan for that period. Consequently, participants covered by the plan would be ineligible to make or receive HSA contributions for that period.” Full Article – Proskauer
STATE & INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE
In addition to the RISQ Review, RISQ Consulting also provides a resource that features changes and updates to State and International Compliance measures. We’ve included brief summaries of each item below, and also provided links to the original articles if you’d like to read further.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Supreme Court broadens employers’ substantial relationship defense to conviction record discrimination claims
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court recently issued a significant (4-3) decision in Cree, Inc. v. LIRC (Cree), rejecting the view that domestic violence crimes cannot substantially relate to employment.” Full Article
– Godfrey Kahn
California
California May Relax Background Check Process
“Many employers undertake routine background checks as part of their hiring process. To be effective, of course, the process has to be completed in a timely manner. Yet, a recent court decision, All of Us or None v. Hamrick, 64 Cal. App. 5th 751 (2021), made that process appreciably more difficult by prohibiting searches of criminal court records with the use of a person’s birth date or driver’s license number.” Full Article
– Proskauer Rose LLP
Oregon
Oregon Extends Exemption for Certain Payments from Equal Pay Act
“Last year, the Oregon legislature temporarily amended Oregon’s Equal Pay Act to exempt vaccine incentives, hiring and retention bonuses from pay equity considerations. SB 1514 permits employers to continue offering vaccine incentives and hiring and retention bonuses through the end of Oregon’s COVID-19 state of emergency, plus 180 days, without running afoul of the Act.” Full Article
– Jackson Lewis
Florida
Florida ‘Stop WOKE’ Bill Could Impact Employers’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts
“The Stop WOKE Act prohibits employers from requiring employees to participate in certain types of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training. The bill was recently passed by the Florida House and Senate; Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign it into law shortly.” Full Article
– Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Tennessee
Tennessee Expands Employee Protections Relating to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
“Governor Bill Lee has signed into law a bill that expands protections for employees who are subject to employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The new law supplements existing state law that prohibits private employers and other entities from compelling or taking “adverse action” against a person to compel the person to provide proof of vaccination.” Full Article
– Proskauer Rose LLP
- Published in Blog
Excessive Phone Use And Associated Health Risks
This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.
Ever stop scrolling on social media and realize you’ve been on the app for way too long? That’s the reality for many people as every video view, swipe and double-tap add up. According to data.ai, the average American spent 4.8 hours each day on mobile devices in 2021—that’s one-third of daily waking hours.
This article explores responsible and excessive phone usage, the impact of too much screen time and tips for improving your relationship with your smartphone.
How Much Is Too Much?
The pandemic has accelerated existing mobile habits, but it’s essential to understand the difference between necessary and excessive usage.
Smartphones have become a necessity for communication, entertainment and convenience for many people. The latest smartphones are essentially pocket-sized computers, making them an efficient way to get work done on the go. However, it can be a slippery slope if you use your smartphone for most daily tasks or fun.
Consider the following warning signs that smartphone use is becoming unhealthy:
- Anger or irritation if phone use is interrupted
- Dangerous behavior (i.e., using a smartphone while driving)
- Impaired sleep
- Isolation from loved ones
- Poor work performance
As a general rule, experts say adults should limit daily screen time to less than two hours per day outside of work.
The Impact of Excessive Screen Time
Smartphones have made our lives so much easier, but they can also impact our physical and mental well-being. Excessive smartphone use has been reported to change brain activity, reaction times and sleep patterns. As a result, you may be less concentrated and productive during the workday and often forget tasks and goals. Research has also shown that excessive phone use can increase stress, anxiety and feelings of loneliness.
The pandemic has only made matters worse as work, social connectivity and entertainment are tied to hand-held devices. Lines are blurred between necessary and excessive use when work and social connectivity depend on hand-held devices. Fortunately, there are ways to take control and ensure phone use is balanced.
Tips for Cutting Back
The first step to cutting back on your smartphone use is determining how much time you’re spending on your phone. Many smartphones have digital well-being features that break down how much time you’re using your phone for calls, texts, emails, social media and more. You may be surprised to find out how often you’re scrolling or reading on your smartphone.
To build a healthier relationship with your phone, consider the following tips:
- Set clear boundaries. If you are always waiting for work or personal messages, you may feel chained to the device. It’s helpful to set boundaries that outline when you’ll be available.
- Turn off notifications. Disable notifications for social media apps or mute group chats to avoid being tempted by constant notifications. In general, text messages and calendar reminders are helpful, but other frequent notifications may interrupt your productivity.
- Change your screen to grayscale. Removing colors can make your phone less visually appealing. This feature should be available in your phone’s display settings.
- Rearrange your apps. Another way to make your phone less alluring is to limit what’s on your home screen and hide tempting apps in a folder.
- Check at specific times. Create achievable boundaries by checking your phone for notifications at a designated time, such as your lunch break or every two hours. Leaving your phone in a separate room to charge is another idea.
- Avoid use before bedtime. Try to cut down on phone use in bed or right before sleeping. The bright screen can signal to your body that it’s time to be awake, so you may have trouble falling asleep or experience lower sleep quality. Save the news feed scrolling and video watching for during the day.
- Use an old-fashioned alarm clock. When you use your phone as your alarm clock, you likely will spend time scrolling on your phone when setting, snoozing or turning off the alarm.
With minor adjustments, you could be a more mindful smartphone user. If you think your phone use may be unhealthy, create an action plan that works for your life and schedule. To achieve a healthy balance, focus on apps and content that enrich your life or are necessary for work.
- Published in Blog
Smishing Explained
This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.
Most businesses and individuals are familiar with phishing, a cyberattack technique that entails cybercriminals leveraging fraudulent emails to manipulate recipients into sharing sensitive information, clicking malicious links or opening harmful attachments. While these email-based scams remain a pressing concern, a new form of phishing—known as smishing—has emerged over the years, creating additional cyber exposures for businesses and individuals alike.
Smishing relies on the same tactics as phishing. The sole difference between these two cyberattack techniques is that smishing targets victims through text messages rather than emails. As a growing number of individuals utilize their smartphones for both personal and work-related purposes (e.g., interacting with colleagues and clients on mobile applications), smishing has become a rising threat. In fact, recent research found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of organizations experienced smishing incidents in the past year, while just 23% of the workforce recognizes this term.
With these numbers in mind, it’s evident that businesses need to address smishing exposures within their operations. The following article provides an overview of smishing and offers best practices for businesses to protect against this emerging cyberattack technique.
What Is Smishing?
Smishing follows the same format as phishing, using deceiving messages to manipulate recipients. These messages are generally sent via text, but can also be delivered through mobile instant messaging applications (e.g., WhatsApp). In these messages, cybercriminals may implement a wide range of strategies to get their targets to share information or infect their devices with malware. Specifically, they will likely impersonate a trusted or reputable source and urge the recipient to respond with confidential details, download a harmful application or click a malicious link. Here are some examples of common smishing messages:
- A message claiming to be from a financial institution, saying the recipient’s bank account is locked or experiencing suspicious activity and asking them to click a harmful link to remedy the issue
- A message impersonating a well-known retailer (e.g., Amazon, Target or Walmart), encouraging the recipient to download a malware-ridden application to receive a gift card or similar prize
- A message claiming to be from an attorney or law enforcement, saying the recipient is facing legal trouble or criminal charges and urging them to call an unknown number for more information
- A message impersonating the government, asking the recipient to click a suspicious link for details on their taxes or participation in a federal loan program
- A message claiming to be a research organization, requesting the recipient download a malicious application to complete an informational survey
- A message impersonating a delivery service, informing the recipient that they are receiving a package and providing them with a fraudulent link for tracking the item
If a recipient is tricked into doing what a smishing message asks, they could end up unknowingly downloading malware or exposing sensitive information, such as login credentials, debit and credit card numbers or Social Security numbers. From there, cybercriminals may use the information they obtained from smishing for several reasons, such as hacking accounts, opening new accounts, stealing money or retrieving additional data. Since individuals may use their smartphones for work-related tasks, smishing has the potential to impact businesses as well. For example, an individual who falls for a smishing scam could inadvertently give a cybercriminal access to their workplace credentials, allowing the criminal to collect confidential data from the victim’s employer and even steal business funds.
The nature of smishing has made this cyberattack technique a significant threat. This is because individuals are typically not as careful when communicating on their smartphones compared to their computers, often engaging in multiple text conversations at a time (sometimes while distracted or in a rush). After all, research from Experian found that individuals between ages 18-24 exchange around 4,000 texts each month. Considering these findings, individuals may be less wary or observant of a text message from an unknown number than an email, making them more likely to interact with a malicious text.
Furthermore, many individuals falsely assume that their smartphones possess more advanced security features than computers, thus protecting them from harmful messages. However, smartphone security has its limits. Currently, these devices are unable to directly safeguard individuals from smishing attempts, leaving all smartphone users vulnerable. That’s why it’s important for businesses to take steps to protect against smishing.
How to Protect Against Smishing
To effectively minimize smishing exposures and prevent related cyberattacks, businesses should:
- Conduct employee training—First, businesses should educate employees on what smishing is and how it could affect them. Additionally, employees should be required to participate in routine training regarding smishing detection and prevention. This training should instruct employees to:
- Watch for signs of smishing within their text messages (e.g., lack of personalization, generic phrasing and urgent requests)
- Refrain from interacting with or responding to messages from unknown numbers or suspicious senders
- Avoid clicking links or downloading applications provided within messages
- Never share sensitive information via text
- Utilize trusted contact methods (e.g., calling a company’s official phone number) to verify the validity of any request sent over text
- Report any suspicious messages to the appropriate parties, such as a supervisor or the IT department
- Ensure adequate bring-your-own-device (BYOD) procedures—Apart from providing smishing training, businesses should establish solid BYOD procedures to ensure employees act accordingly when utilizing their personal smartphones for work-related purposes. Such procedures may include using a private Wi-Fi network, implementing multifactor authentication capabilities, conducting routine device updates and logging out of work accounts after each use. These procedures can help deter smishing attempts and decrease the damages that may ensue from smishing incidents.
- Implement access controls—Another method for limiting smishing exposures is the use of access controls. By only allowing employees access to information they need to complete their job duties, businesses can reduce the risk of cybercriminals compromising excess data or securing unsolicited funds amid smishing incidents. To further protect their information, businesses should consider leveraging encryption services and establishing secure locations for backing up critical data.
- Utilize proper security software—Businesses should also make sure company-owned smartphones are equipped with adequate security software. In some cases, this software can halt cybercriminals in their tracks, stopping smishing messages from reaching recipients’ devices and rendering harmful links or malicious applications ineffective. In particular, smartphones should possess antivirus programs, spam-detection systems and message-blocking tools. Security software should be updated as needed to ensure effectiveness.
- Purchase sufficient coverage—Finally, it’s vital for businesses to secure proper cyber insurance to protect against potential losses stemming from smishing incidents. Businesses should reach out to their trusted insurance professionals to discuss specific coverage needs.
Conclusion
In summary, smishing is a serious cyber threat that both individuals and businesses can’t afford to ignore. By staying aware of smishing tactics and implementing solid mitigation measures, businesses can successfully protect against this rising cyberattack technique, deterring cybercriminals and minimizing associated losses.
For more risk management guidance, contact us today.
- Published in Blog
The RISQ RECAP – March 21st – March 25th, 2022
March 21st – March 25th, 2022
Each week, you’ll find specially curated news articles to keep you up to date on the ever-evolving world of insurance and risk management. The articles are divided out between items relevant to Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits/Human Resources, and Compliance. We’ve included brief summaries of each item as well as a link to the original articles.
PROPERTY & CASUALTY
Spring Storm Safety Tips for Businesses
“Spring can bring about some of the year’s most dangerous weather and wreak havoc on many aspects of a company’s operations. This article discusses the weather threats to watch out for during spring and measures businesses can take to minimize damage.” Full Article
– Zywave
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HUMAN RESOURCES, & COMPLIANCE
President Biden Signs Executive Order Promoting Pay Equity and Transparency “In addition to digesting OFCCP’s release of a new directive on compensation, government contractors may soon see new regulations around inquiries into and the use of prior salary information. In conjunction with Equal Pay Day, President Biden signed a new Executive Order on Advancing Economy, Efficiency, and Effectiveness in Federal Contracting by Promoting Pay Equity and Transparency.” Full Article – Jackson Lewis
EEOC Issues Reminder That Caregiver Duties Continue Even As COVID Surge Wanes “On March 14, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a new technical assistance document, “The COVID-19 Pandemic and Caregiver Discrimination Under Federal Employment Discrimination Law,” reminding employers that caregiver obligations continue notwithstanding our gradual return to normal.” Full Article – Squire Patton Boggs
How to Create a Level Playing Field in the Workplace Through DEI Efforts “We know that a more diverse workforce is more competitive, more lucrative, and better for employees and businesses as a whole. And there are many ways that HR professionals and company leadership can manage workforce diversity to achieve success, both in their organization and employees’ individual careers. The concept of equal opportunity employment has long been established in the HR space. But in recent years, companies have been moving toward not only avoiding discrimination, but actively promoting inclusion.” Full Article – Phelps Dunbar LLP
Enforcement Against COVID-19 Related Fraud: Two-year Anniversary Update “On the eve of the pandemic’s two-year anniversary, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released updated statistics on its efforts to combat COVID-19 related fraud and announced the appointment of a director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement. To date, DOJ has charged over 1,000 individuals with criminal offenses involving losses exceeding $1.1 billion; seized over $1 billion in Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) proceeds; and conducted over 240 civil investigations into more than 1,800 individuals and entities for alleged misconduct in connection with pandemic relief loans totaling more than $6 billion.” Full Article – Morrison & Foerster LLP
EEOC’s Advice to Employers on Accommodating Religion and COVID-19 Vaccines in the Workplace “As employees return to the office, many employers have questions about how to address requests for religious accommodations for COVID – Day Pitney
-19 vaccination requirements. As a result, on March 1, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance on responding to such accommodation requests. As a general matter, employees and job applicants can request an accommodation for an employer’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement if it conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances.” Full Article
IRS Issues Guidance on the Tax Court’s Review of Employment Status Determinations “The IRS issued Notice 2022-13, effective February 7, 2022, regarding the Tax Court’s review of an IRS determination as to whether a worker is properly classified as an employee or an independent contractor. The new guidance modified and superseded Notice 2002-5 and Rev. Rul. 2009-39 so that formal IRS notice under section 7346 is no longer a requirement for a taxpayer to petition the Tax Court for review of an IRS’s worker reclassification determination.” Full Article – Steptoe and Johnson
STATE & INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE
In addition to the RISQ Review, RISQ Consulting also provides a resource that features changes and updates to State and International Compliance measures. We’ve included brief summaries of each item below, and also provided links to the original articles if you’d like to read further.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Supreme Court broadens employers’ substantial relationship defense to conviction record discrimination claims
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court recently issued a significant (4-3) decision in Cree, Inc. v. LIRC (Cree), rejecting the view that domestic violence crimes cannot substantially relate to employment.” Full Article
– Godfrey Kahn
California
California May Relax Background Check Process
“Many employers undertake routine background checks as part of their hiring process. To be effective, of course, the process has to be completed in a timely manner. Yet, a recent court decision, All of Us or None v. Hamrick, 64 Cal. App. 5th 751 (2021), made that process appreciably more difficult by prohibiting searches of criminal court records with the use of a person’s birth date or driver’s license number.” Full Article
– Proskauer Rose LLP
Oregon
Oregon Extends Exemption for Certain Payments from Equal Pay Act
“Last year, the Oregon legislature temporarily amended Oregon’s Equal Pay Act to exempt vaccine incentives, hiring and retention bonuses from pay equity considerations. SB 1514 permits employers to continue offering vaccine incentives and hiring and retention bonuses through the end of Oregon’s COVID-19 state of emergency, plus 180 days, without running afoul of the Act.” Full Article
– Jackson Lewis
Florida
Florida ‘Stop WOKE’ Bill Could Impact Employers’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts
“The Stop WOKE Act prohibits employers from requiring employees to participate in certain types of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training. The bill was recently passed by the Florida House and Senate; Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign it into law shortly.” Full Article
– Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Tennessee
Tennessee Expands Employee Protections Relating to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
“Governor Bill Lee has signed into law a bill that expands protections for employees who are subject to employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The new law supplements existing state law that prohibits private employers and other entities from compelling or taking “adverse action” against a person to compel the person to provide proof of vaccination.” Full Article
– Proskauer Rose LLP
- Published in Blog
Career Gap in Resume? Nearly Half of Employers Believe You Are an Untapped Talent!
By Casey Kirkeby, Strategy Consultant
Nearly half of professionals changed their job last year. The other half either stayed where they were, went part-time, or took a leave of absence from the workforce altogether citing a variety of reasons. Where does that leave employers? They need people and they need them now!
According to this 2019 SHRM article about evaluating employment gaps, Peter Yang, CEO and co-founder of ResumeGo, a résumé-writing service, was quoted as saying, “Those with gaps in their work history run the risk of being seen as lazy or unfocused with their careers, and not as an in-demand asset in the eyes of potential employers.” After 3 years and a Pandemic, you don’t have to be embarrassed or sheepish about it as much. More than ever, people have taken breaks to either focus on family or mental health.
Some hiring and résumé experts say the current labor shortage, as well as the pandemic’s personal toll on workers, has made recruiters more receptive to applicants with gaps in employment. A recent survey by LinkedIn found that “nearly two-thirds (62%) of employees have taken a break at some point in their professional career, and just over a third (35%), mostly women, would like to take a career break in the future.”
My advice if you are looking for a job in the current market? Don’t be afraid to tell the truth about your work history. The market is ripe for the picking and there are plenty of jobs to choose from, so shine like you never have before, because employers want talented people just like you! Make it a choice you feel good about as you advance forward in your working (and sometime not working) life.
I’d also like to plug my workplace because we are hiring and here are our current job postings RISQ Consulting Job Posts. Happy Hunting!
Article: https://www.morningbrew.com/hr/stories/2022/03/04/don-t-mind-the-career-gap
- Published in Blog
Attraction and Retention Tips for Small Businesses
This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.
Businesses of all sizes are currently facing attraction and retention challenges. Successful efforts to win over employees can require an investment of time and carry high costs. Unfortunately, small businesses often don’t have an excess of resources to invest in attraction and retention efforts in today’s worker-friendly labor market.
In what’s been labeled as the “great resignation,” an increasing number of employees are leaving jobs not only for better compensation and benefits but also to prioritize desires such as flexible work arrangements or career development opportunities. Losing an employee is particularly costly for small businesses, impacting both attraction and retention. Along with costs associated with recruiting, hiring and training a replacement, the employee that left was likely a key contributor in the smaller environment, potentially leading to a significant impact on the operations and culture of a workplace.
Amid these labor obstacles, smaller employers should focus on what’s feasible. Often, small employers have the agility to respond to the employment market with new strategies. This article highlights some attraction and retention tips for small businesses.
Select the Right Benefits
According to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, small firms are less likely to offer health insurance versus businesses with more employees. Health insurance is valued highly by workers who often don’t have access to this coverage, which often includes part-time employees, those in the service sector—and workers employed by small businesses. Thus, for small businesses, even simply offering packages that include health care can offer a competitive edge against those that don’t.
Health insurance is just one component to consider as part of a benefits package, and small businesses should tailor their offerings to meet the specific demands of current and prospective employees. One way to start this process is by surveying employees on what types of benefits would interest them the most and then using that data to inform benefits decisions. The best benefits to offer will vary in each small business depending on the needs of the workforce—but they can be leveraged to attract and attain the right employees.
Revamp Recruiting, Hiring and Onboarding Practices
Small businesses often have limited resources when it comes to recruiting, hiring and onboarding, so it’s important to be as efficient as possible. These restraints may include insufficient financial resources to put into these practices—but also a lack of time. Often, it’s an owner, manager or lone HR professional who also takes on recruiting duties. However, a thorough review of the current status of these practices may uncover ways to create improvements.
Leveraging technology is one way to improve these practices. The good news for smaller employers is that many tools available today are relatively feasible to set up—even for a team of one— and often cost-effective.
Employers can consider using tools such as an applicant tracking system that collects and stores candidate resumes and helps automate common recruiting and onboarding tasks. To further ease the onboarding process, employers could consider leveraging cloud-based and digital tools designed to help manage the process for completing Form I-9 or direct deposit, which can be tedious for both the new hire and the employer.
By improving these processes, employers can reduce costs, and recruiting efforts can focus on finding new employees rather than dealing with tedious tasks. Every employer will be at a different place in terms of their existing processes and their current operational challenges, but a best practice to get started is to focus on what the current pain points are and how they can be improved.
Expand Recruiting Reaches
If an employer isn’t receiving the number of quality job candidates they desire, it’s worth strategizing to grow this pool. A good starting point for small businesses looking to grow their recruiting reach is to expand their online presence. This may include creating and maintaining multiple online profiles, posting content regularly and educating prospective workers about job opportunities. If limited by time, it’s OK to focus on managing one or two key profiles. It’s best to pick a platform where potential employees may likely be and focus on developing an active presence—even if it just means putting in a few minutes per day.
Employers can also focus on managing how potential candidates view their employer brand—or reputation as an employer. While small businesses may not have as developed an employer brand as their larger competitors, they may have more agility to establish—or revamp—their branding. An example of this could be to focus on highlighting the core values and impact of their organization. Surveys find that a majority of employees are more likely to work for an organization with values that align with their own.
These illustrate a few ways small employers today are expanding their reach into the employment market. Ideally, the right strategies can lead to more passive recruiting leads and improved efforts to attract employees.
Focus on Developing Employees
Attraction and retention challenges aren’t always about bringing enough employees through the doors—today, many small businesses face skills gaps. In fact, a survey in 2020 from GetApp found that one in five small businesses cited a lack of employee skills as the single biggest challenge they faced in response to COVID-19. For example, an employer’s workforce might lack the skills to use technology effectively. These gaps could also exist with soft skills, such as communication abilities or emotional intelligence. While a solution to this may be to recruit for specific skills to close these gaps, existing employees are often overlooked. While recruiting for talent with desirable skills may require significant resources, small businesses should also consider how they can bridge these gaps in-house.
Small businesses generally won’t need to develop skills for large groups, so it’s a good idea to focus on individualized learning. Some ideas or opportunities include providing career pathing plans, creating mentorship programs, offering microlearning workshops to focus on a specific skill, or paying for employees to attain certifications or further their education outside of the workplace.
Learning and development efforts can not only help employers address skills gaps; they can help employers retain existing employees and even attract new ones. Surveys find that employees are more likely to stay with an employer if they feel the organization is investing in their careers. Putting a plan to action can not only help win over employees but help prepare an employer for its future talent needs.
Offer a Flexible Work Environment
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees have been afforded the opportunity to work remotely or have flexibility with their schedules. Surveys overwhelmingly indicate that many employees prefer to retain flexible work options. These offerings include work-from-home arrangements, hybrid work schedules (working part of the week in the office and part of it remotely) or flexible work schedules. If a business has primarily administrative employees, remote or hybrid work could continue to be an option even as COVID-19-related precautions loosen. For small businesses, offering these types of arrangements can help maintain a competitive edge over competitors that don’t offer such flexibility.
However, not all organizations allow for remote or hybrid work. If a small business is in the service industry, for example, remote work may not be an option. Yet, even working with employees to create flexible scheduling options can go a long way. The feasibility of a small business being able to offer these types of flexible arrangements will vary, but these offerings remain a priority for many workers today.
Create a Strong Workplace Culture
While topics such as compensation and benefits matter for attracting and retaining employees, so does the culture of a workplace. Even if they have limited resources, small employers should focus on fostering a desirable workplace. A healthy company culture can help retain employees—and, in turn, create an environment that is attractive to prospective job seekers. In fact, company culture is important enough that it often drives employment decisions.
As such, many small businesses are focusing on creating a strong workplace culture. Leaders are pursuing initiatives such as training managers on how to identify employee burnout, designate fair workloads and support the needs of their individual team members. In addition, many small businesses are developing programs to help create an inclusive work environment.
These types of efforts can help foster a healthy workplace culture. Each small business will be at a different place concerning the current and desired state of their work environment—and leaders can consider what types of efforts can help bridge this gap.
Employer Takeaway
Like most organizations, small businesses face a set of challenges with attracting and retaining the employees they need. Fortunately, smaller businesses have the ability to stay agile and should consider what strategies they can leverage to compete in today’s labor market.
Contact us today to learn more about attraction and retention or for additional resources on any of the topics discussed in this article.
- Published in Blog
The RISQ RECAP – March 14th – March 18th, 2022
March 14th – March 18th, 2022
Each week, you’ll find specially curated news articles to keep you up to date on the ever-evolving world of insurance and risk management. The articles are divided out between items relevant to Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits/Human Resources, and Compliance. We’ve included brief summaries of each item as well as a link to the original articles.
PROPERTY & CASUALTY
Nationwide Expands Use of Leak Sensors for Homeowners
“Nationwide Insurance has become the latest large insurer to expand its use of leak-detection and other sensors for homeowners, offering a small discount on premiums. The company announced this week that it has teamed up with Notion, a firm affiliated with Comcast, the national TV cable and communications company. Customers who opt in to the Nationwide smart home program will receive a discount on the monitoring systems and a $50 reduction in annual premiums.” Full Article
– Insurance Journal
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HUMAN RESOURCES, & COMPLIANCE
Variation in Patients’ Use Of, Experiences With, and Access to Telehealth During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic “During the first year of the pandemic, 37.4 percent of nonelderly adults and 46.2 percent of elderly adults had at least one telehealth. Publicly insured nonelderly adults were more likely to have had a phone visit, as opposed to a video visit, than those with private insurance, which may reflect differences in patient access to video technology or the telehealth modalities insurers cover.” Full Article – Urban Institute
Health Plan Transparency and the Case for Welfare Plan Fiduciary Committees “The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 adopted a series of transparency requirements that apply to employer-sponsored group health plans. A subset of these transparency requirements, while not likely well suited to class action claims, will nonetheless prove vexing. Provisions relating to mental health parity seem perfectly designed to attract class actions claims. The motherlode for the plaintiffs’ bar however is in the broker/consultant compensation disclosure rules.” Full Article – Mintz
Texas District Court Vacates Arbitration Provisions of HHS Regs Under No Surprises Act “The court held that the arbitration procedures of the rule conflicted with the express terms of the No Surprises Act in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). This decision, while a ‘win’ for providers, leaves the details of the arbitration process under the Act uncertain for now, as the agencies presumably go back to the proverbial drawing board.” Full Article – ArentFox Schiff LLP
Implications of Hospital Price Transparency on Hospital Prices and Price Variation “This brief offers perspectives on factors contributing to hospital pricing and price variation, discusses potential stakeholder uses and impacts of emerging transparency data, and offers an actuarial perspective on emerging transparency requirements.” Full Article – American Academy of Actuaries
Feds Clarify At-Home COVID-19 Test Coverage Rules “The original guidance left several questions unanswered concerning delivery of at-home tests and what effect shortages of tests might have on plan sponsors. The February 4 FAQs outline how plans can comply with the original mandate but grant latitude to deal with testing kit scarcity and other issues.” Full Article – Fisher Phillips
President Continues COVID Extensions “President Biden has extended the COVID-19 National Emergency, which was declared on March 13, 2020, and was scheduled to end March 1, 2022. This latest extension of the National Emergency is expected to last for at least one year. Extending the National Emergency also extends temporary delays of certain deadlines applicable to group health plans.” Full Article – The Wagner Law Group
STATE & INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE
In addition to the RISQ Review, RISQ Consulting also provides a resource that features changes and updates to State and International Compliance measures. We’ve included brief summaries of each item below, and also provided links to the original articles if you’d like to read further.
New York
New York Employers: Continue Implementing Your Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plans and Review Your Masking Policies
“New York employers must continue to implement airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans, pursuant to the New York Health and Essential Rights (NY HERO) Act, through at least March 17, 2022. The law, however, no longer requires many New York employers to mandate their employees wear masks in the workplace.” Full Article
– Greenberg Traurig
California
California Supreme Court Clarifies Burden of Proof in Whistleblower Retaliation Claims
“The California Supreme Court has clarified that state whistleblower retaliation claims should not be evaluated under the McDonnell Douglas test, but rather under the test adopted by the California legislature in 2003, thus clarifying decades of confusion among the courts.” Full Article
– Hunton Andrews Kurth
Illinois
Illinois Supreme Court Eliminates Defense to Biometric Privacy Class Actions
“Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) has spawned a tsunami of class actions against employers who utilize biometric timekeeping or security systems. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court in McDonald v. Symphony Bronzeville Park, LLC has eliminated a defense invoked by employers facing claims under BIPA: the exclusivity of workers’ compensation.” Full Article
– McDermott Will & Emery
D.C.
D.C.’s Non-Compete Law Poised To Be Delayed Until October 1, 2022
“The District of Columbia’s ban on non-compete agreements is delayed again. As we previously reported, the DC Government enacted The Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act in January 2021, which creates one of the most comprehensive non-compete bans in the country.” Full Article
– Proskauer Rose
Virginia
Virginia Begins Process to Revoke Permanent COVID-19 Workplace Safety Standard
“The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s (DOLI’s) Safety and Health Codes Board convened and voted to recommend revoking the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 permanent workplace safety standard. This action comes after newly-elected Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 6 directing the Board to convene an emergency meeting to consider whether there is a continued need for the permanent workplace safety standard.” Full Article
– Reed Smith
- Published in Blog
We’ve Gone Soft on Soft Skills
By Jennifer Outcelt, Creative Content Architect
Covid gets a lot of the blame for everything we don’t like about our current society. While no one could claim Covid as beneficial without first being berated for such a callous insinuation, perhaps Covid does deserve a few props for exposing some existing societal gaps that might have otherwise snuck under the radar. I’m talking about the dwindling emphasis on soft skills in the classroom.
This week my father sent me a link to the article, COVID has revealed the soft skills gap among America’s youth: It’s time we address it. The context of this article within his email was regarding his pride for how I turned out as a working adult and how he believed my mastery of these endangered soft skills were directly correlated with my successes. After reading the article I immediately felt a terrible sadness for the upcoming generations. My dad was right; honing soft skills were a huge part of my schooling and extracurricular actives. Without that emphasis I’m not sure I would have carried myself as far as I have.
Please don’t read my above statement as synonymous with the stereotypical sentiment of the elderly that, (to be read in a wilting aged voice) “this generation of young whippersnappers is inferior compared to my generation!” Indeed, I do not hold this belief. Each new generation builds forward from the hard work and sacrifices of the previous one and deserves to create a world that belongs to them. As our societies evolve, so do our perceptions of what is important. Many of these changes can be justified, yet some can be detrimental. We may not realize which is which until it’s too late.
Sometimes technology renders previously important skills obsolete for the majority of people. For example, darning socks. What used to be a necessary skill for the upkeep of a scarce commodity, is now relatively unnecessary based on convenient and cheap access to new socks.
What technology will not take away is the need for leadership, interpersonal communication, empathy, time management, and creative thinking skills. Unfortunately, these are not formally taught skills in the public school curriculum. These skills are fostered in extracurricular activities like sports, debate, theatre, JROTC, Odyssey of the Mind, scouts, and any other program that brings together a group of youths to accomplish common goals. The pandemic (and let’s face it, a bit of laziness on societies part as a whole) has taken away these extracurricular activities and rendered millions of children deficient in these soft, yet invaluable, skills.
Check out this article to read more about why this has happened and what toll it could take on our future.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/covid-revealed-soft-skills-gap
- Published in Blog
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