Maria Clyde, Author at Newark, DE Insurance

Mar 27

Families First Coronavirus Act (FFCRA)

By Maria Clyde Personal Insurance

Please see below for the latest on FFCRA – updated DOL guidance, a Q&A doc, and IRS guidance on the tax credits.

Visit the DOL website for more Q&As, fact sheets, posters, etc. You must comply with the notice provisions below by April 1, 2020.

Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health released a notice on Essential Services Screening Recommendations for COVID-19, also below.

DOL Guidance on FFCRA Employer Leave Requirements

Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Questions and Answers

IRS Issues Guidance on Tax Credits for Coronavirus (COVID-19) Paid Leave

FFCRA Poster

Essential Services Screening Policy

Jun 04

Sexual Harassment – Prevention Is the Priority

By Maria Clyde HR Services

Sexual harassment is a serious problem in the workplace and unfortunately, has been for years. Times are certainly changing as now five states in the U.S. have mandated that companies conduct sexual harassment training – California, New York, Maine, Connecticut and Delaware. Regardless of a training requirement, many companies can easily fall into the “not us” trap of complacency. This mindset leads managers and leaders to overlook claims or not investigate them properly, and employees to not report them all.
Read More

May 08

Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance Necessary?

By Maria Clyde Business Insurance, Specialty Insurance

From hiring new workers to assigning duties, each of your decisions affects employees in a unique way. Although these actions are critical to running your business, they also create exposures that could lead to costly claims by employees or governmental regulators. Even if they are not warranted, claims for wrongful employment practices can disrupt operations, damage your business’s reputation, hurt employee morale and negatively impact your bottom line.

Thankfully, businesses can rely on employment practices liability (EPL) insurance to protect against a wide range of wrongful employment practices claims, including wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.
Read More

Feb 05

Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Harassment and How We Made it Here Today

By Maria Clyde HR Services

Thoughts from a DE HR professional about the changing regulations, policies, and legislation affecting our workplace and most valuable assets – our human resources.

I think I say it daily to clients, coworkers, friends and family — “we live in interesting times today.” An understatement, for sure. But how did we get here? How did we get to a time where sexual harassment training is now mandated by state law? Have we simply swept this lack of education, self and social awareness, and disregard for such an obvious standard of workplace dignity under the rug for so long that it has now come to this? You bet we did. But there’s so much more to this subject that I’d like to address.
Read More

Sep 20

Personal Lines Meet the Team

By Maria Clyde Personal Insurance

WHAT is Personal Lines insurance?

- Personal Lines insurance includes property and casualty insurance products that protect individuals from losses they couldn’t afford to cover on their own. Types of personal insurance include auto, home, renters, flood, valuable possessions, watercraft, RV, motorcycle, umbrella, etc. We highly recommend that our clients cover ALL their valuable personal property.

Aug 31

Delaware Business Times Announces the 2018 DBT 40 Awards Winners

By Maria Clyde Announcements

40 under 40 leaders to be honored for Delaware Business Times, DBT 40 awards

Wilmington, DE (August 29, 2018) — Delaware Business Times is pleased to announce the 2018 DBT40 Awards winners. The DBT40 event pays tribute to these ambitious professionals who are making a name for themselves through professional excellence and community involvement. The honorees represent the best in a wide range of fields such as finance, law, non-profit, hospitality, education and technology.

The DBT40 are featured in both print and digital editions of the Delaware Business Times. Now in its 5th year, this special cocktail reception and awards ceremony has sold-out each year. This year’s winners will be profiled in the October 2^nd issue of Delaware Business Times and celebrated at an awards ceremony on October 23^rd at The Baby Grand.

Aug 10

Trouble Recruiting and Keeping Talent? Your Skimpy Health Insurance Is a Likely Cause.

By Maria Clyde Business Insurance, Employee Benefits

The most important decision your company will make for its bottom line just might be the health and wellness program it chooses.

Annual global health spending is now over $3 trillion — and growing rapidly. A good portion of that is driven by millennials, who have both a strong interest in personal wellness and, thanks to the Affordable Care Act (aka, Obamacare), an 86 percent coverage rate (more than 50 percent through individual plans, their parents’ plans or Medicaid). For those in or entering the job market, health insurance is an expectation.

Jun 01

OSHA: Employee Discipline, Drug Testing, and Incentive Programs

By Maria Clyde Safety Services

On May 12, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule, including anti-retaliation provisions, requiring certain employers to electronically submit data from their work-related injury records to OSHA. On Oct. 19, 2016, OSHA published an interpretation of how the anti-retaliation provisions affect employee discipline, drug and alcohol testing, and safety incentive programs.

The Anti-Retaliation Provisions

According to OSHA, the final rule clarifies existing law regarding employee anti-retaliation protections. Specifically, OSHA’s anti-retaliation provisions:

Require employers to inform employees that they have a right to report work-related injuries and illnesses free from retaliation;
Direct employers to adopt reasonable procedures (“not unduly burdensome” and does not “deter or discourage”) that employees can use to report work-related injuries and illnesses; and
Prohibit employers from retaliating against employees solely because they report work-related injuries or illnesses.

May 16

New Jersey Enacts Paid Sick Leave

By Maria Clyde Business Insurance, HR Services

On May 2, 2018, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the Paid Sick Leave Act into law. The Act will require virtually all employers to provide paid sick leave to employees, effective Oct. 29, 2018. Under the Act:

All New Jersey employers must provide paid sick leave to their employees;
Employees will accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year; and
Employees must be paid for paid sick leave at the same rate (and with the same benefits) they normally earn.

Mar 08

Is Your Company Liable for Business-Related Vehicle Accidents?

By Maria Clyde Business Insurance

Regardless of the industry you operate in, it’s likely your employees need to operate vehicles for tasks like client visits, product deliveries, and product pickups. While larger organizations often provide insured company vehicles to their staff for daily use, small and medium-sized business often don’t have that luxury.

If employees use personal vehicles for business-related activities and get into an accident, your organization could be held liable. That’s why it’s critical to have non-owned auto liability insurance, which can provide the following benefits:

Maria Clyde