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21 ARTICLES

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21 ARTICLES

A DOUBLE EDGE SWORD: RISK MANAGEMENT IN M&A

M&A is a dynamic, complex, and ever-changing environment and process. Prudent risk management is the backbone of getting it right from strategy to close to integration.

BY Wanda Silva

March 2024

APPROACHING THE 2024 EPLI MARKET

While much of the EPLI landscape has changed in the last couple of years, much is still the same. Companies should look to ensure that they understand the basics of caring for colleagues and promoting a healthy workplace.

BY Frank Huang

March 2024

ASK THE EXPERT: A Q&A WITH PAUL NASH OF BEAZLEY

Paul Nash is an employment practices liability (EPL) underwriter with Beazley. He is the EPL and Safeguard product leader for both the UK and US teams and was instrumental in developing the first SAM/SML policy issued by Beazley in 2006. He has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance. He recently spoke with Paul Hughes of Libertate Insurance about the state of the EPLI market, how he has seen the PEO industry evolve and more. PEO Insider captured their conversation.

BY Paul Hughes

June/July 2023

MY CLIENT MOVES TO A NEW STATE: WHAT ARE MY NEXT STEPS?

The rise in remote work has brought new challenges. Sometimes, a client notifies its PEO that they are hiring an employee in a new state where the PEO might still need to be licensed. So, what should you do? Below are some key points to consider when a PEO does business in a new state.

BY Elisabeth Shaw, ESQ

May 2023

WHY IT’S GOOD BUSINESS FOR YOUR CLIENTS TO HAVE A BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN

It's no secret that small business owners have an overflowing list of responsibilities on their plates. Whether they are in the early stages of starting a business or have been operating for years, the stressors impacting small business owners often make it challenging for them to see beyond day-to-day tasks and short-term goals. 

BY Andrew Scott

April 2023

THE PEO PERISCOPE: A LOOK UNDER THE INSURANCE MARKET

By utilizing the most current and credible information available, Insurance Trends provides quarterly feedback and insights on the insurance industry and its impact on the PEO community. It provides current analysis and futuristic expectations on the terms and conditions that should be anticipated for property and casualty lines of business insurance that impact a PEO and its client companies.

BY Paul Hughes

April 2023

5 Ways PEOs Can Minimize Workplace Safety Liability in California

The COVID-19 pandemic caused workplace safety to be viewed through a lens of magnified importance, but as the world regains a sense of normalcy three years later, many employers have placed it on the back burner. However, now is not the time for complacency in California, particularly considering Cal/OSHA’s vacillating view of PEOs.

BY Hannah Sweiss, ESQ. & Collin Cook, ESQ.

April 2023

NEXT GENERATION PEO RISK DEPARTMENTS

As we all know, the year is 2023, and as PEO risk managers it is important that we embrace the title of a Bob Dylan classic: “The Times They Are A-Changin'.” Given the myriad of changing issues facing the PEO risk manager, a detailed point-by-point examination of the evolving issues would be too lengthy to illuminate within the pages of this article. That being said, this article will focus on two emerging and evolving issues that the PEO risk manager should embrace: dynamic risk analysis and next generation risk department staffing.  

BY Scott Johnson

April 2023

AVOIDING ROADBLOCKS: CREATING IDEAL RISK MANAGEMENT DASHBOARDS

Key performance indicator dashboards instantly produce either awe or fear when brought up in conversation, and for good reason. They can be seen as straightforward, objective models that can do no wrong. Or, they can be seen as confusing, subjective, instruments rife with errors. While you have likely seen examples of many different types of dashboards (the good, the bad, and the ugly) it begs the question: what should a dashboard be in its most ideal form? More specifically, what is the most ideal dashboard for a PEO risk management professional?  

BY Frank Huang

April 2023

NOT SO RISKY BUSINESS: TACTICS TO FRAME YOUR RISK REDUCTION STRATEGY

PEOs are in a unique situation of being the major—and sometimes only—source of HR services and expertise for many businesses that have varying levels of interest and time to put towards these issues. It’s a bit like being an online lecturer at a major university for undeclared freshman. Several may stay after to graciously thank you for the revelations, though you may hear some snoring. Communicating with clients in ways they understand the seriousness of some issues is hard. 

BY Stacy Jensen

April 2023

THE EVOLVING ROLE OF THE PEO RISK MANAGER

To protect their organizations, PEO risk managers need to expand their thinking and competencies to identify and address emerging risk exposures that threaten the reputation and operational ability of their PEOs. The PEO business and threat environment will continue to change.  PEO risk managers will be challenged to continue to effectively identify and mitigate risks while adding organizational value. 

BY David E. Carothers and Hank Johnson

April 2023

DELIVERING VALUE THROUGH RISK MANAGEMENT

Small to medium size companies rely on PEOs to effectively manage critical back-office functions of their businesses such as payroll, employment taxes, employee benefits, human resource functions, and workers compensation insurance.  As a co-employer, PEOs specialize in the most efficient and effective means of supporting their clients by leveraging not only economies of scale, but a firm understanding of the ins and outs of workers compensation and risk management. Just like their PEO partners, carriers also have a positive incentive to improve the viability and efficiency of insureds workers’ compensation programs.   

BY Chris Sullivan

April 2023

DISASTER RECOVERY FOR PEOS

Disasters are inevitable, and their timing is unpredictable. Preparing your company and employees before disaster strikes can make the difference between a catastrophe or an inconvenience. While no one wants to experience a business disruption, especially any technology-related disruption, there are many reasons that you could end up in that position.

BY Hamesh Chawla

March 2023

5 QUESTIONS TO ASK A CLOUD SERVICE PROVIDER ABOUT CYBERSECURITY

One of the questions I’m frequently asked by PEOs is simple: Is the cloud safe?  Actually, this is a trickier question than it seems. The answer is yes, of course, but like any internet-based endeavor, there are certainly many caveats. Cloud security requires you to think about security differently than on-premise security or data center security.

BY Dwayne Smith

March 2023

CULTURAL CHANGES IMPACTING INSURERS AND EMPLOYERS

Whether it be the pandemic, the Great Resignation, or sweeping social and regulatory changes, there can be no denying that insurers and employers alike are going through a significant cultural change that hasn’t been seen since the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

BY Denise Stefan

September 2022

Workers’ Comp Reserves: Finding the Right Number

While walking one day, I ran into a neighbor doing yard work. We hadn’t spoken much before, but upon striking up conversation I soon learned of his love of woodworking. His excitement led him to take me on a tour of his basement, where I saw all manner of intricate saws and Depression-era tools, along with beautiful pieces of furniture. The neighbor was giddy as he showed what was clearly one of the great joys in his life. Similarly, as an actuary, “finding the right number” is one my great joys. Best yet, this topic is applicable to all industries and coverages. So, how does an actuary find the right number?

BY Frank Huang

August 2022

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE: HELPING CLIENTS CREATE A CULTURE OF CIVILITY

While workplace violence incidents may not have dominated the news cycle during COVID, incidents of workplace violence have increased over the past three years. According to one recent survey conducted by a major insurance carrier, 34 percent of small and mid-sized businesses experienced at least one employee threat or violent incident. This article examines some of the fundamental causes of workplace violence and the unique value PEOs can bring to their clients in addressing workplace violence and workplace culture issues.

BY David Carothers

June/July 2022

The CSA in a Multi-State Environment

As the industry has grown over the years, PEOs have evolved naturally in the direction of multi-state operations. This has always been true, but the pace or scope of this effect accelerated with the rise of remote work during the pandemic.  The PEO client service agreement (CSA) is a challenging document. The complexities and ambiguities of the PEO arrangement require a lengthy contract to reasonably address the risks and to protect the PEO. These challenges are magnified by the need to address state-by-state issues. 

BY ROBERT C. RICE, ESQ.

April 2022

The Mysterious WC Carve-Out Arrangement

The term “carve-out” is commonly used in the industry, but how it works may not be quite as clear. For those who are not familiar with the term, it describes an arrangement in which the onsite client secures its own direct workers’ compensation coverage for its workforce. Because that client has contracted to be in a PEO arrangement, the co-employees performing services for that client are covered under the client’s own workers’ compensation insurance policy, not the PEO’s policy. Typically, that coverage is sufficient and no other problems arise. 

BY TORBEN S. MADSON, III, ESQ.

April 2022

SHIFTING FEDERAL REGULATION IN THE WORKPLACE

As employers begin transitioning away from pandemic mode and toward management mode, they also are trying to navigate the changes to the legal landscape governing the workplace. The government has made this all the more difficult with its ever-shifting rules designed to both address the pandemic and reflect the changes in philosophy in transitioning from the Trump to the Biden administrations. Below are just a few of the recent changes that PEOs should be aware of to better service their clients.

BY WILLIAM HAYS WEISSMAN, ESQ.

December 2021/January 2022

RISK MANAGEMENT & INSURANCE ISSUES

At the end of 2020, management consulting firm McKinsey & Company surveyed 899 C-suite executives about the impacts of the pandemic on business operations. One of their conclusions was that the pandemic had accelerated the adoption of digital processes by three to seven years, with B2B firms like those in the PEO space on the higher end of the spectrum.

BY FRANK HUANG, FCAS, MAAA

November 2021
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