One Way Prospects Make My Day Fun

You always hear people talking about how work should be fun and how you should make sure you enjoy your work, because as we all know, we are all spending more and more time at it. For me, I know every day will be fun because at least once a day, I will receive a call from a prospect - and note that these folks will remain prospects because I don't ever want them as clients - and they will utter my most favorite line. I wonder if they even realize what they are saying, but I doubt they do and I doubt they really care. In any event, they crack me up and make my job rather entertaining. What is it, exactly, that they say? Well it goes something like this: "Hi, Jim. Listen, I don't know anything about insurance and I don't care to, but let me tell you what we're going to do..." Really? Do you really think I am going to follow your lead after you make it abundantly clear to the world that you have no idea what you're doing? And what's up with a pre-determined team: "what WE are going to do?" I don't think so. I'm not doing ANYTHING with you. But as I say, this is the part of the day I love the most. Even though no money ever comes from these folks, the joy they bring inspires me to do the work that does lead to financial reward.

Fortunately, I have so many great clients who call to collaborate, not negotiate. Clients who know that I believe that nobody wins until everybody wins and that only through trust and aligned interests will they ever achieve their corporate goals. And those are the partnerships that make it really fun over the long haul, with plenty of laughs along the way. So let me tell you what you should do. Keep those calls coming. Either way, I know it's going to be fun.

Why Employment Practices Liability Insurance Costs So Much

See final sentence in Oct 19, 2011, blog entry below.

Why Workers' Compensation Costs So Much

Here is a real claim reported to us today which explains exactly why Workers’ Compensation costs so much. An employee of one of our policy holders wanted to show his co-workers how high he can jump so he jumped up, caught his nose on a hook and ripped his nostril. True fact. No exaggeration. And then you wonder. He will get all his medical bills paid and a healthy, lost time disability payment. If he does not have a job when he gets back from medical leave he will probably sue for wrongful termination, claiming the employer was retaliating for him subjecting the employer to such a ridiculous claim. Oh, and he will probably win his Wrongful Termination suit.

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THE NEW ACORD CERTIFICATES – FRIEND OR FOE TO STAFFING FIRMS???

The recent, radical changes to the standard ACORD Certificates actually creates a great opportunity to strengthen existing business relationships and also build new ones. The approach is very simple:

Communicate: Contact your clients and prospects and let them know that you want to discuss a very important issue that is critical to your mutual success.

Educate: Provide your clients and prospects with a well thought out presentation that addresses the facts and speaks directly and specifically to making your business relationship the best it can be.

Demonstrate: Show your clients and prospects the mutual benefits of addressing and understanding these issues.

Be Great: Let your clients and prospects see, through your actions, that you are committed to making their partnership with you the greatest it can be.

Your ASAC Advocate can help you with this process in their never ending pursuit to facilitate your profitable growth through Enterprise Risk Management. For more information contact Michael A. Schultz at mas@asac-us.com.

AMERICAN STAFFING ASSURANCE COMPANY ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT

December 1, 2010 - The American Staffing Assurance Company (ASAC) Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment of Michael A. Schultz as President of ASAC. Michael will be responsible for overseeing the sales and marketing efforts of the company with an emphasis on new business development, and building the ASAC brand. Michael can be reached at mas@asac-us.com.

The election of Michael as President will allow Jim Farber, Chairman of the Board and CEO, to dedicate greater efforts toward INCA Holdings, the parent company of ASAC. INCA Holdings creates and manages niche insurance companies, like ASAC, dedicated to the best risks within under-served and misunderstood industry sectors. More information on INCA Holdings can be obtained by contacting Jim at jcf@inca-us.com.

When we address the topic of Employment Practices Liability with our Staffing Firm clients, we are often told, "that won't happen to me." Dominique Renaud, an authorized ASAC agent at Houston Business Insurance Agency, Inc. recently did some research on this topic and found that it can happen to anybody and everybody. So we again ask the questions, "Do you know your Ultimate Cost of Risk today and what are you doing to reduce your UCOR for tomorrow?"

RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION: A former employee of a temporary agency sued her former employer, alleging that she was denied a promotion to manager because she was not a member of a particular religious group that predominated at the company. She claimed that a member of the religious group received the promotion even though the plaintiff had six years more experience and an MBA (unlike the woman who received the position). A jury awarded $647,174 in pain and suffering and $5,900,000 in punitive damages.

NATIONAL ORIGIN DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION: The EEOC sued the temporary agency and its client because the client directed the agency to fire 13 employees because of their national origin and five other employees as retaliation for being friends with an employee who had threatened to file a complaint with the EEOC. The parties settled, with the client paying $456,000 and the temporary agency paying $144,000.

SEX/RACE DISCRIMINATION: The EEOC sued a temporary staffing agency for unlawfully coding applicants by race and gender in compliance with its clients’ requests that only employees of a certain race or gender be submitted for consideration. The parties settled, with the defendant agreeing to pay $285,000 and three of its clients paying $50,000 in administrative costs.

AGE/DISABILITY/NATIONAL ORIGIN/RACE/SEX DISCRIMINATION: The EEOC sued a temporary employment agency for allegedly engaging in the following discriminatory actions. First, that the agency complied with its clients’ requests not to refer applicants who were racial minorities or women. Second, that the agency screened out applicants with disabilities by forcing them to fill out a “medical questionnaire” requesting disclosure of such disabilities. Third, that the agency terminated an employee because of her pregnancy. Fourth, that the agency retaliated against an employee who questioned the company’s discriminatory policy against people with disabilities. Fifth, that the agency failed to refer older workers to its clients. After the EEOC sued the clients for making the discriminatory requests, the temporary agency settled for $500,000 and two of the clients of the temporary agency agreed to pay $80,000.

Do you want to get a competitive edge in the Staffing Industry? Talk to an ASAC agent to see if you qualify for acceptance into a program that can generate new top line revenue for your firm while giving you the tools to significantly reduce your UCOR. In Texas, feel free to call Dominique Renaud of Houston Business Insurance Agency, Inc. at 713-979-1001. For other states, please call ASAC at 313-881-8069, and ask for the contact information in your state.