WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN?
Our audience will learn when a business owner should consider purchasing Employment Practices Liability Insurance, while gaining an understanding of what the policy covers, what is not protected, and under what circumstances.
EPISODE SUMMARY:
The employer/employee relationship is a cornerstone of any business. But what happens when things go wrong? What happens when an employee accuses an employer of sexual harassment, discrimination, failure to promote, or fostering a hostile work environment?
Most employers don’t want to think about these scenarios, but in reality business owners are statistically more likely to be sued by an employee than by any vendor, customer, supplier, or third-party. High legal costs, lost time, and the court of public opinion contribute to the high overall costs of dealing with claims of company misconduct from an employee.
Aaron’s Profile
linkedin.com/in/theaaronlevine
Website: www.alevinegroup.com
Twitter: @MovesLikeAaron
By Segment
SEGMENT 1
0:42 – 15:07 – Eric welcomes his guest, Aaron Levine, founder and CEO of LG Insurance Agency. The insurance agency provides local and regional expertise for personal, business and other insurance needs. In 2007, Aaron says that while he was in graduate school, he earned his license in insurance and real estate. Aaron says that he chose to take the route of focusing on insurance. He would represent insurance companies and “sell commodity based products” at the time. He then took things to the next level by becoming a consultant and advisor, speaking with businesses of all sizes. He continues to learn and loves school as he is now working on his CRM (Certified Risk Manager) certificate. He speaks about his agency and how successful they are in helping businesses, individuals and families with their insurance portfolios for the past 14 years. Aaron describes this as a passion and how he loves being generous with his time and sharing his knowledge to help others. He discusses with Eric about what EPLI (Employment Practices Liability Insurance) is about and how an EPLI policy can save a business owner from issues such as employee related.
SEGMENT 2
17:22 – 32:04 – Aaron talks more about the importance of an EPLI policy. He talks about the potential issue with third parties like vendors or issues like ADA compliance situations. He mentions how his agency, for example, wants to make sure that a good policy is written that includes important coverage. He goes more into how EPLI policies work based on claims, the size of businesses, and how this affects the cost of incorporating this policy into your business. Aaron talks about the coverage in policies like this and how every policy is different based on the agency as well. He gives himself and his agency as an example as he also has an EPLI policy himself. He goes into the cost and how for him the policy covers harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination. Aaron switches gears into issues like wrongful termination and making sure businesses are also following the right protocols.
SEGMENT 3
33:32 – 44:33 – Eric mentuos the mistake he’s heard some business owners make of believing that an EPLI policy isn’t necessary for them for reasons like being a small business and family owned. Aaron talks about the first EPLI claim he ever experienced which was an age discrimination claim. The mistake in this situation was that the job description for a waitress wasn’t as clear and when a 50 year old woman went in for this job, they were not accepted because of their age. He also mentions a race descimination lawsuit that he worked on. Aaron and Eric also speak about gender discimination, relating these situations to the fear that some employers have of getting rid of poor performing employees because of how some laws can be. Eric talks about a real case he worked on where a former employee sued a business they worked for, believing they were being sabotaged. He emphasizes how cases like these are why EPLI policies are important. They also mention a spike in cases and claims during the pandemic as well as how laws have changed.
SEGMENT 4
46:37 – 57:34 – Coming back from the final break, Aaron and Eric talk about changes in the workplace and trends. Aaron says that one trend he sees being in New York is employers wanting employees to come back into the office, splitting the time from working from home. He also sees strong negotiations happening with employees and employers to come to a common ground. He also mentions everyone being short staffed as well in hospitality and other services. Eric also speaks on what he is seeing today with issues like working from home affecting paid leave and more. With the great resignation, he says that he is also seeing more room for litigation. Aaron also talks about how his agency stands out. He says that he creates time for everyone as much as he can. Aaron says that he has a great team of experts and consultants and does his best to work with his clients based on their specific needs. He says that his agency isn’t just about selling the policy to business but also working on the full program and also helping in other areas like updating employee handbooks and more. You can visit alevinegroup.com to contact Aaron, learn more about his agency and what they do, and his podcast “…And Insurance Podcast.” You can also find LG Insurance agency on Instagram at luxurygroupins as well as on Facebook. On Linkedin, you can search for TheAaronLevine.
About Employment Law Today
Helping Business With Employment Law Issues.
For many business owners, it can be overwhelming to keep up and comply with the federal and state labor and employment laws that govern how they run their business. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there are new laws and regulations regarding hiring, firing, and workplace practices and protocols — all of which can increase business owners’ anxieties about regaining traction or thriving again. On my weekly show, we will be discussing the most common employment law related questions and challenges that business owners have been facing in these uncertain times.
The show will have three main goals: (1) to inform businesses about employment law updates, (2) to inspire businesses by giving them the tools to move forward, and (3) to demonstrate how some business owners have overcome their employment law problems, walked through the challenges imposed by this pandemic, and have taken steps to regain traction during the reopening phases of this pandemic.
Our guests will include professionals who advise businesses from an H.R., legal, and financial perspective, along with thriving business owners who will share their experiences and insights into running a successful company while complying with labor and employment law mandates during COVID-19.