workers comp insurance

Sick of Hearing Your Agent Say There’s Nothing He Can Do To Get You Lower Liability Rates &/or Better Coverage? That Just Changed! Call 914-806-5853 and Apply for a Quote Today!

BREAKING NEWS!  We now offer the GREATEST contractor program for NY. Trades and best in class interior commercial GC’s.  Call and Get a Quote Right Now, Save a Ton of Money and Get Excellent Coverage.  Gary 914-806-5853.  

If you are a tri-state contractor who operates within New York City’s 5 boroughs most likely you’re paying EXORBITANT PREMIUMS for your liability policies (General and Umbrella Liability).

Making matters worse, here we are in 2021, in the middle of a pandemic and insurance companies are increasing renewal rates yet again 10% or more!

This is beyond crazy!  Most contractors feel they work for their insurance companies. Quite a few if their policies included “Labor Law” closed shop.

Did you know 95%+ of the insurance brokers are incompetent when it comes to insuring contractors?  They know more than you but “THEY ARE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR WEALTH!”  That’s because they don’t understand the contractual nuances of the policies they sell you.

Most contractors that operate within the 5 boroughs are insured through “Surplus Lines Carriers.”  Most “SLC” policies have exclusions, restrictions and limitations that are designed to pigeon hole coverage.

For example, “Blanket Additional Insured.”  One form covers all additional insured’s you by contract agree to cover.  Another form covers additional insured’s you ONLY have a signed, written and executed agreement with.  Know the difference?  There’s a big one.

Example: You’re a plumber who signs a contract with a GC.  In the agreement the GC requires you to cover 20 additional insured’s in addition to the GC.  Under the first form everyone would be covered.  Under the second only the GC is covered leaving the other 20 uncovered and YOU with a serious uncovered contractually legal obligation.  You find out the issue at time of claim when your insurance company sends you a denial letter.

How would you like to lower your 2021 rates and get better coverage, less exclusions and less restrictions?  How would you like to have your account marketed to “THE BEST PROGRAMS FOR TRI-STATE CONTRACTORS?”  Know 95%+ of agencies don’t have access to these programs.  WE DO!

Another very important issue is screening subcontractor’s policies.  Would you like someone else to do it for you?  We have a whole department set up for this. Why this is so important is because in your policies there’s very strict wording regarding subcontractors insurance.  Failure to comply can and most likely DOES leave you without coverage.

BGES Group are “Tri-State Construction Insurance Experts.”  This is our specialty and we’ve been insuring contractors for 39 years.  We are “Preferred Agents” for MANY “Main Street Programs” which means we could end up cutting your costs by up to 50% while getting you better coverage.  (We did so for a Queens Contractor.  He was paying $393,000.  We reduced his premiums to $197,000).  We also represent the “Top Programs for contractors” and 50+ “Surplus Line Carriers” too.

You know what Costco and IBM have in common with BGES Group? One has incredible buying power.  The other has very smart people working for them.  That’s what you get working with BGES Group.  Note our group does billions in premium with insurance companies yet you deal with one person who you’ll ALWAYS be able to reach day or evening Monday thru Sunday guaranteed!

BGES Group also offers property, inland marine, bid and performance bonds, auto, workers compensation, N.Y.S. disability, group health and personal lines insurance.

Want better rates, better coverage, better service, call Gary Wallach TODAY by dialing 914-806-5853 or emailing bgesgroup@gmail.com.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

All of the Goodies for Businesses in the $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Act

All of the Goodies for Businesses in the $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Act

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that President Biden signed into law on March 11 contains a number of provisions intended to help small businesses and other organizations hurt by the pandemic.

Foremost, it includes additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to struggling businesses, and a number of special grants to companies in industries that have been especially hard hit, including restaurants, movie theaters, concert spaces and museums.

The measure also includes provisions extending a number of tax credits to employers affected by the pandemic, in order to make it easier for people laid off during the health emergency to access COBRA coverage after they lose their jobs and their health coverage.

ARPA opens up a new opportunity for businesses that have been hurt by the pandemic to access financial aid and assistance to keep their doors open and stay viable. Here are the main points of interest to employers. Many of the programs build on ones introduced earlier in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and extended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA).

PPP extended

The law authorizes another $7.25 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, which offers forgivable loans to small businesses and other organizations that have seen their revenues hit by the pandemic.

These loans are forgivable if 60% of the funds are used on payroll and the rest pays for mortgage interest, rent, utilities, personal protective equipment or certain other business expenses.

The additional money is intended to expand eligibility for the loans to include more nonprofit organizations than were eligible before, as well as digital news services providing local news and public health guidance during the pandemic.

The catch is that the deadline to apply for these loans is March 31. Lawmakers in Congress are in discussions to extend the PPP application deadline from March to June.

Other assistance

There are a number of other provisions of the new law aimed at providing financial aid to small businesses:

  • $10 billion for state governments to help leverage private capital and make low-interest loans and other investments to help their small businesses recover.
  • $15 billion to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan grants program to be given to small businesses in underserved areas, especially minority-owned enterprises.
  • $29 billion to create a grant program that provides direct relief to restaurants. The maximum grant size will be $5 million for restaurants and $10 million for restaurant groups. The Small Business Administration will administer these grants.
  • $15 billion will be added to the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants program, which was launched by the CARES Act. More funds will be made available to museums, theaters, concert and other venues that had to shut down due to COVID-19-induced restrictions. This program has not yet launched.

Tax credits

Originally enacted under the CARES Act and ACC, the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) lets certain employers take advantage of a tax credit for qualified wages paid to employees.

The CARES Act capped the ERC at $5,000 per employee for 2020. The CAA, passed in late December, expanded the ERC to apply to payments of qualified wages made between Jan. 1 and June 30 this year. It also increased the maximum amount of the credit to $7,000 per employee per quarter.

The new stimulus law extends the ERC for an additional two quarters through the end of this year. That means that eligible small businesses can take a tax credit of up to $28,000 per employee for 2021.

Who is eligible: Businesses that were either fully or partially suspended as a result of COVID-19-related government orders that restricted their ability to operate and generate sales. Also, any business that that has gross receipts that are less than 80% of gross receipts for the same calendar quarter in 2019.

ARPA also makes eligible for the tax credit any start-up businesses that also suffered revenue losses as a result of the pandemic.

In addition, ARPA extends through September the availability of paid leave credits to small and midsize businesses that offer paid leave to employees who may take leave due to illness, quarantine or caregiving due to the pandemic and any closure orders.

Employers that offer paid leave to workers who are sick or in quarantine can take dollar-for-dollar tax credits equal to wages of up to $5,000.

COBRA extension

The bill also extends assistance to people who have lost their jobs as well as their employer-sponsored health insurance due to the pandemic, by providing a 100% COBRA premium subsidy to them. This will allow them to continue their health insurance with no out-of-pocket premium costs on the employees’ part. This subsidy is effective April 1 through Sept. 30.

Who is eligible: Workers who are involuntarily terminated and want to remain on their employer’s health insurance. The employer would pass along the subsidy so that qualifying individuals would pay nothing for their COBRA coverage during this period.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

The Risks Behind Conducting Background Checks

The Risks Behind Conducting Background Checks

Employers are increasingly facing lawsuits over how they handle background checks while screening job applicants.

For a lesson in what can happen, take the recent class-action lawsuit filed against a Whole Foods Market Inc. store in Fresno, California. The suit alleges that the store’s online form asking for job applicants’ approval for criminal background checks violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The lawsuit seeks damages of up to $1,000 for each individual from whom Whole Foods obtained a consumer report without valid authorization, plus punitive damages and costs. Whole Foods has used the application form in question since January 2009, according to the suit.

This case highlights two things:

  1. How careful employers have to be while conducting background checks; and
  2. The importance of securing employment practices liability insurance, which will pay for most costs associated with employment-related lawsuits.

Forbes magazine recently published this list of how to conduct background checks without breaking the law:

Be broad and thorough – Look at the spectrum of information, which includes consideration of an applicant’s education, employment and criminal history, driving history, social media, and much more.

Companies lose great candidates when they look at only one specific item. Worse yet, you could become the target of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation for excluding applicants who have criminal records, no matter what the charge or how long ago the offense occurred.

Don’t use the ‘box’ – The EEOC and many states are making efforts to ban the “box,” which is that question on applications that reads, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” Instead, interview and consider all applicants equally. Then you can run a broad and thorough background check.

Follow the law – Before you start conducting a background check, make sure you first obtain a legal release from the applicant, inform that applicant of their rights, and provide them with a copy of the report.

Be consistent – Keep your application process consistent for all applicants. Applicants going for the same job should have the same checks run on them. While the investigation may vary between different job types, if it’s for the same position, keep your process uniform to avoid charges of discrimination.

Communicate – If you find something on a background check that may affect your decision to hire an applicant, you should in the very least ask the applicant about it. So many misconceptions, mistakes and reporting errors can be resolved via face-to-face communication.

Locate patterns – Positive and negative patterns are the best way to evaluate your applicant. A single good act or bad act should not be the defining measure of a person or of their job ability.

Considering consistent patterns of behavior is a defensible way for employers to make hiring decisions.

Don’t seek out only the negative – While most background checks are conducted to ferret out negative information, use them also to find positives that can help you decide on the best candidate.

Use a professional agency to conduct checks – A good screening firm has the experience and processes to be accurate and efficient. It also will prevent you from viewing data that might be a violation of state or federal law.

Employment practices liability insurance

Unfortunately, even if you do everything right, you can still be sued by an applicant for perceived discrimination or other infractions due to your background-check policy. An employment practices liability policy can cover the costs associated with a number of claims, including:

  • Wrongful termination claims
  • Discrimination claims (covering those by current, former and prospective employees)
  • Sexual harassment claims
  • Whistleblower claims
  • Wage and hour claims.

Other employment-related claims – such as libel, slander or other defamation, invasion of privacy, mental anguish, infliction of emotional distress, loss of consortium, assault, battery, breach of contract, negligent hiring, supervision, promotion or retention in connection with any other employment-related claim – can often also be covered.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

Protecting Your Business with a BOP

Protecting Your Business with a BOP

Imagine the following costly scenarios:

  • One of your staff embezzles $80,000 from your company.
  • A visitor to your office slips and falls after the floor has been mopped, breaking his leg.
  • There’s a fire in your warehouse that damages half of your $2 million inventory.

As a small business owner, you would likely be reeling if any of one of these happened to you as you’d be looking at a significant financial hit. But would you be surprised to know that a single insurance policy could pick up the tab for any of these occurrences?

A business owner’s policy, known as a BOP, can provide “package” protection against these risks — and an array of others — for a premium that’s significantly lower than the cost of the individual property and liability policies that you would need to cover all of these perils.

As a rule, BOP packages are available to Main Street businesses (those with revenues of $5 million or less and 100 or fewer employees).

The main coverages

Property coverage under a typical BOP includes:

  • Damage to your premises, contents, inventory, office equipment and computers, as well as the property of others that’s temporarily in your care — such as clothing being cleaned. Most BOPs will pay for the cost of replacing lost or damaged property, rather than its actual cash value.
  • Business interruption covers loss of income to your business caused by lost or damaged property.BOP liability coverage includes, but is not limited to:
  • Bodily injury. This covers losses due to physical or mental injury, disease or death that occurs on your premises or is caused by your products.
  • Medical payments. This portion of the BOP picks up the cost of health care treatment for customers, vendors or suppliers injured on your property.
  • Personal and advertising liability. This protects your business against lawsuits alleging slander, libel or invasion of privacy.
  • Crime. This section covers loss of money or securities from burglary, theft and embezzlement.

You need to know that the amounts of insurance (limits) under your BOP are fixed, and as such you might need to increase your limits in certain areas. You might also need to add coverage, such as fleet auto and other cover depending on your needs and the industry in which you operate.

Also, workers’ compensation coverage is not typically covered by a BOP and you would need to secure a separate policy.

We can provide you with a BOP that’s tailored to the needs — and budget — of your business. Please call your agent with any questions.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

As Attacks and Costs Mount, Cyber Insurance Rates Climb Further

As Attacks and Costs Mount, Cyber Insurance Rates Climb Further

Cyber insurance rates are going to increase dramatically in 2021, driven by more frequent and more severe insured losses, according to a recent industry study.

The report by global insurance firm Aon plc predicted that rates would jump by 20% to 50% this year due to two main factors:

1. Cyber attacks are becoming more frequent — While publicly disclosed data breach/privacy incidents are actually occurring less often, ransomware attacks are exploding in frequency.

When measured over periods of four quarters, ransomware incident rates rose 486% from the first quarter of 2018 to the fourth quarter of 2020. The comparable rate for data breach incidents fell 57% during the same period. The incident rates for the two types of events combined rose 300% over the trailing two years.

2. The costs of these attacks are growing — The average dollar loss increased in every quarter of 2020. Ransomware attacks are particularly severe — many of them result in eight-figure losses. Others may grow to that level as business interruption losses are adjusted and lawsuits against insured organizations proceed.

The combination of more frequent and more costly losses is a recipe for higher rates.

Cyber insurance rates continued rising last year, with increases between 6% and 16% in the final four months.

In January this year, most of the top 12 cyber insurance companies told Aon they were planning more drastic rate hikes. Nearly 60% reported that they would be seeking rate increases of 30% or more during the second quarter. None of them expected increases of less than 10%.

New underwriting criteria

When insurers evaluate a cyber insurance applicant, they will be particularly concerned with the organization’s overall cyber risk profile, its cyber governance and access-control practices, and its network and data security. Prior loss history will be less important because the frequency of attacks is growing so quickly.

Some insurers may also cap how much they will pay for ransomware losses, or even exclude them entirely. They may also increase the waiting periods before coverage begins to apply.

What businesses can do

To improve your organization’s chances of getting more favorable pricing and coverage, the report recommends that you focus on:

  • Reducing the risk of cyber losses.
  • Measures to keep data private.
  • Building an internal culture of cyber security.
  • Preparing for ransomware attacks and disaster recovery planning.
  • How your contracts and insurance will respond to a supply chain security breach.
  • Understanding primary and excess coverage terms and communicating primary terms to excess insurers.

Cyber security problems are getting worse, and that will make for a difficult environment for purchasers of cyber insurance.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

Remote Work Leaves Many Suffering from Ergonomic Pain

Remote Work Leaves Many Suffering from Ergonomic Pain

New research warns that so many people working remotely could result in an increase in musculoskeletal health issues, with four in five workers who began working remotely in lockdown developing some form of musculoskeletal pain.

Remote work was quickly forced on millions of workers when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Most of them were unprepared to suddenly work from home and often there was little support from employers to ensure they had proper ergonomic workstations.

In fact, one study found that 35% of office workers received no equipment, support or advice from their employer on remote working.

The survey by Furniture At Work found that 54% of employees who work from home say they were not sitting at a properly designed workstation. Many of them said that instead of office chairs, they have been working on stools or dining room table chairs and at tables that are not the correct height to be ergonomically correct.

Just how bad are many employees’ home workstations?

  • 27% of staff are working from their kitchen tables.
  • 15% of employees are working from their sofas.
  • 20% of 16- to 24-year-olds said they regularly worked from their beds.

As a result, 23% said they experienced musculoskeletal pain most or all of the time and 46% said they had been taking painkillers more often than they would like, according to another study by Charity Versus Arthritis.

Of those people experiencing pain, the study found that since working from home:

  • 50% said they were suffering from lower back pain,
  • 36% were suffering neck pain, and
  • 28% were suffering from shoulder pain.

These injuries can start as annoyances, but if people continue working in a poor ergonomic set-up they can worsen to the point of being debilitating. Sometimes surgery is required, which would be covered by workers’ compensation.

What you can do

Obviously, no employer wants their workers to suffer these injuries. You don’t want your employees suffering and they can also file workers’ comp claims, which can be costly depending on the severity of the ergonomic injury.

That in turn can drive up your premiums.

But there are steps you can take to protect your remote workers. Charity Versus Arthritis recommends that employers:

  • Regularly check in with employees about their pain and musculoskeletal health.
  • Purchase equipment for employees, and make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions that affect their ability to work.
  • Create an environment that promotes physical activity, and encourages regular breaks.
  • Enable people to work flexibly where possible.
  • Better inform employees of their employment rights and the support they can ask for.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

How Landlords Can Avoid Mold Liability Lawsuits

How Landlords Can Avoid Mold Liability Lawsuits

Mold is a serious problem in a number of older homes, apartment buildings and commercial buildings.

It’s often caused by poor maintenance and unchecked water leaks that over time create conditions that are ripe for the growth of the fungus.

The problem is that this mold can aggravate tenants’ allergies, and there are plenty of cases where they sue landlords over being sickened by mold. And juries round the country have awarded large settlements (sometimes in the millions of dollars) to tenants after they claimed they were sickened by mold in their homes, apartments or offices.

Worse, it’s difficult to make a claim on your landlord’s policy if you are sued by a tenant over mold issues, as many of the policies exclude pollution.

Fortunately, there are steps a landlord can take to reduce the chances of being sued by a tenant for mold issues.

While most states do not have mold-specific laws, they do have negligence laws. And most often, mold growth is the direct result of poor maintenance or just pure negligence as some landlords may detect a leak and not bother fixing it. Leaking water and moist conditions are the breeding ground for mold.

In order for a landlord to be considered negligent in a premises liability lawsuit, they must be aware that the problem exists or should have been aware that the problem existed.

When the issue is toxic mold exposure, it’s easy for a landlord to be held liable for having allowed a toxic environment to fester.

Steps you can take to avoid being sued

You can take steps to reduce the chances of being sued by a tenant. It may take some extra time and upfront expense, but it will be worth it if you can avoid being targeted with litigation.

Require tenants to immediately notify you about water damage, broken dehumidifiers, condensation or related problems — In your lease you should require that your tenants notify you about a leak or other water issue that they become aware of. This will allow you to remediate the problem once they call and also provide you with a strong defense if they later try to sue, claiming you are liable for damages.

Some sample language that you can include in the lease could include advising tenants to keep their dwellings clean, remove visible moisture on windows, walls, ceilings, floors and other surfaces as soon as possible, and notify landlords — in writing — about any signs of water leaks, water infiltration or mold.

Require tenants to carry renter’s insurance  Your insurance will cover the structure itself, but renter’s insurance will cover any mold damage to your tenants’ property and belongings.

 

Stay to a strict maintenance schedule  You should schedule times with your tenants so you can regularly inspect for leaks in pipes, windows and roofs, as well as water staining, and moisture and condensation (including in the HVAC system). Leaks are usually where mold starts.

During inspections, besides looking for those obvious issues, you should look out for mildewy, musty odors, and look for mold and fungus. If you find any issues, remediate them promptly.

Respond quickly when a tenant complains — Proactive landlords that fix problems their tenants raise, have a much less chance of being sued. Therefore, if one of your tenants reports a mold or moisture problem, you should immediately have the property inspected by a professional.

If they detect any mold, mildew and/or leaks that may be causing it, you should hire professionals to remove the mold and repair any problems that were causing the growth in the first place.

Make sure to document any inspections you conduct, as well as any repairs, cleanup and remediation.

Finally, you should make sure to follow up with your tenants to make sure the problem hasn’t recurred. A good idea is to check with them a week later, a month later and then six months later. But before that six-month mark, you may want to have the property reinspected for mold.

Insurance

The typical landlord’s insurance policy covers:

Property damage — From fire or other natural catastrophe.

Lost rental income/rental default  Should something cause your property to be uninhabitable (severe mold, termites, a rat infestation or a sinkhole), this provides temporary rental reimbursement to cover the income you’d otherwise receive if tenants could be occupying the property. It also covers lost income from a tenant’s rental default.

Liability — This is coverage for the medical or legal costs that might ensue if the tenant or a visitor suffers injury due to a property maintenance issue.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

Don't Make These Mistakes When Posting OSHA Form 300A

Don’t Make These Mistakes When Posting OSHA Form 300A

Employers with 10 or more employees must post their completed OSHA Form 300A by Feb. 1 and keep it posted in their workplace until April 30.

The form must be posted where the company usually posts other employee notices, like minimum wage and workplace safety notices. Form 300A summarizes the total number of fatalities, missed workdays, job transfers or restrictions, and injuries and illnesses as recorded on Form 300.

The penalty for OSHA posting violations is $13,260.

The Summary (Form 300A) requires the following information from the Form 300 Log:

  • The total number of non-first-aid occupational injury and illness cases.
  • The total number of cases with days away from work and cases with job transfer or restriction and total number of other recordable cases.
  • The cumulative total number of days from all injuries or illnesses, including days away from work and job transfer restrictions.
  • The number of occupational injury/illness cases, including skin disorders, respiratory conditions, poisoning, hearing loss and all other illnesses.

Despite the form being relatively simple, many employers make mistakes filling it out. Here are the most common mistakes:

Keeping one log for multiple locations — Employers are required to keep one OSHA 300 Log per location where they have employees and that is in operation for a year or longer. The corresponding 300A form must also be posted at each location.

Improperly certifying the log — Under regulations, a company executive must certify the 300 Log and the 300A Annual Summary Form. An executive is defined as:

  • An owner of the company,
  • An officer of the corporation,
  • The highest-ranking company official working at the location, or
  • The immediate supervisor of the highest-ranking company official working at the location.

Listing all workers’ compensation cases  Only the injuries listed under the regulations must be included in the log. But deciphering OSHA’s recordkeeping rules to determine if an employee’s injury or illness is recordable is challenging.

The requirements and definitions differ significantly from those established under state workers’ compensation laws and, while there may be some overlap, some cases may be one and not the other.

It is important to only record and report those injuries that are required under the regulation, which requires that an employer must record a work-related injury or illness if it results in one or more of the following:

  • Death
  • Days away from work
  • Restricted work
  • Transfer to another job
  • Medical treatment beyond first aid
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Diagnosis by a physician or health care professional of a significant injury or illness.

Failing to record temp worker injuries — Regulations require that company employees and contract labor or temp worker injuries must be included in the OSHA 300 and OSHA 300A logs. The key is that the company must be in direct supervision of those workers.

Failing to post the form when there were no recordable injuries or illnesses — This is one of the most common mistakes that employers make. They think since they had no workplace injuries that the form does not need to be posted. That would be incorrect.

The COVID-19 conundrum

Under federal OSHA guidance, a COVID-19 case should generally be confirmed through testing to be recordable.

It can be determined that the case is work-related if the person who tested positive had worked near other employees who also were infected by the coronavirus.

If there is not a known exposure that would trigger the presumption of work-relatedness, the employer must evaluate the employee’s work duties and environment to determine the likelihood that the employee was exposed during the course of their employment.

Current regulations require covered employers to record COVID-19 cases on their OSHA 300 Log if the case is a confirmed case of COVID-19, according to Centers for Disease Control guidelines. A confirmed case:

  • Must be work-related, and
  • The illness must result in days away from work, restricted work, medical treatment or death.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

workers comp insurance

New York Contractors – 6 Tips (One Regarding “Labor Law Coverage”) for Getting Better Insurance and Lower Rates

Tip #1 – Paying through the nose for your group health insurance?  Have a high deductible?  Worry everytime you go to a doctor whether your bills will get paid and how much out of pocket it’s going to cost you?  Unhappy with your provider network?  There may be another way to “Skin This Cat” for you.  Call 914-806-5853 and find out.

 

Tip #2 – How many of you are paying through the nose for “Labor Law” coverage?  How many can’t afford it?  We work with a brilliant associate who can help you navigate this issue, show you “Tricks of The Trade” and maybe just maybe figure out a way to save you a ton of money so that you can stay in business.  Call 914-806-5853 for help.

Tip #3 – How many of you work within the New York City boroughs?  How many pay hundreds of thousands for JUST their General & Umbrella Liability Policies?  How many have their policies through “Surplus Line Carriers?”  How many have a complete understanding of their policy exclusions, restrictions and warranties?  How many are looking for better coverage and/or lower rates?

We can offer YOU amazing relief by qualifying for one of our “Preferred Programs.” 

Please note we offer “ALL THE BEST PROGRAMS FOR NEW YORK CONTRACTORS AND WE ARE ONE OF NEW YORK’S LEADING CONSTRUCTION INSURANCE SPECIALISTS.”   Call 914-806-5853 for help!

Tip #4 – Use subcontractors?  Have a COMPREHENSIVE written subcontractor agreement that each sub signs?  Insurance companies have become VERY strict as to percentage of work you can sub out, type of work subs can do and insurance requirements they MUST carry.  Claims caused by their negligence can easily be denied so it is important subs be monitored correctly.

Question: Do you have a system in place to check subs are maintaining proper insurance?   If not we can show you how to do so.   Do you have a decent Subcontractor and Insurance Agreement you use?  If not we can email you one.  Request by clicking here.

Tip #5 – What kind of auto rates are you paying?  Are they exorbitant?  Most businesses that operate within New York City pay an “Arm and a Leg” for their Business Auto Policy.  A business owner came to us in February, was paying $15,000.  We went to our “Preferred Carrier” and reduced premium to $7,800.  Finding better rates is not an easy task but if we can do it for this client we can try to do the same for YOU!

Tip #6 – Had a run of bad luck causing your Workers Compensation loss runs to have hundreds of thousands of dollars on it?  Causing a problem obtaining affordable coverage or getting coverage at all?  Is your Experience Modification a debit of 1.25 or higher?  Is it causing you problems getting work?  Would you like to get rid of the impact debit mod has on your rates?  Would you like to get rates that are even lower than before the debit mod applied?  It is possible.

We recently did this for two contractors whose “EMRs” were both in excess of 1.30.  Their companies non-renewed them.  We worked “TWO MIRACLES!”   Be the next one!  Call 914-806-5853 for help.

That’s it for today.  If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group

OSHA: Vaccinated Workers Should Still Wear Masks, Socially Distance

OSHA: Vaccinated Workers Should Still Wear Masks, Socially Distance

OSHA recently updated its COVID-19 safety guidance to recommend that employees who have been vaccinated should continue wearing face masks, practice social distancing and comply with any other COVID-19 safety protocols while on the job.

That means that the same workplace protocols that apply to unvaccinated employees will apply to those who have received their vaccines for as long as the pandemic continues, OSHA notes in an update to its COVID-19 workplace safety page.

The only difference is that if a vaccinated employee is exposed to COVID-19 they are not required to quarantine, but they do have to meet the following criteria:

  • The employee is fully vaccinated. That’s defined as after two weeks have passed since their second dose of a two-dose vaccine like Pfizer’s and Moderna’s, or after receiving a single-dose vaccine like Johnson & Johnson’s.
  • The exposure occurred within three months following receipt of the last dose in the series; and
  • The worker has had no symptoms since being exposed.

“Workers who are vaccinated must continue to follow protective measures, such as wearing a face covering and remaining physically distant, because at this time, there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines prevent transmission of the virus from person-to-person,” OSHA writes on its website.

It added that the Centers for Disease Control has said that more needs to be understood about how the vaccines work and whether people who have been vaccinated can spread the disease to others. So far, studies on this issue have been inconclusive.

OSHA further states that the COVID-19 safety protocols should be kept in place until the pandemic has reached its end and after positive guidance from the CDC.

Providing vaccines to your workers

OSHA also recommends following CDC guidelines and making COVID-19 vaccine available at no cost to all eligible employees. Employers can be instrumental in getting their workers vaccinated by providing information and training on the efficacy and safety of vaccines.

While there are some legal issues concerning employers requiring staff to get vaccinated, the CDC does recommend that employers consider offering free, on-site COVID-19 vaccination at their business locations.

But if you are considering going this route, it’s best to first contact your state’s health department to receive guidance on how to make it happen.

For businesses that can’t offer vaccinations on-site, employers should encourage their workers to seek COVID-19 vaccination in their community and provide them with information about where they can get a vaccine. The CDC advises:

  • Being flexible in your human resources policies. Establish policies that allow employees to take paid leave to seek COVID-19 vaccination in the community. Support transportation to off-site vaccination clinics.
  • Using promotional posters and flyers to advertise locations offering COVID-19 vaccination in the community. Display posters about COVID-19 vaccination in break rooms, cafeterias and other high-traffic areas.
  • Post articles in company communications (e.g., newsletters, intranet, e-mails, portals) about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination and where to get the vaccine in the community.

BGES Group’s office, located in Larchmont, NY is a full service insurance agency offering, Property, Liability, Umbrella Liability, Business Auto, Bid & Performance Bonds, Inland Marine, Worker’s Compensation, New York State Disability, Group Health, Life insurance, Personal lines and Identity Theft.

Special Contractor Insurance Programs (NY, NJ, CT) – We we have 50+ insurance companies to market your general liability, umbrella liability, business auto, workers compensation, bid & performance bonds and group health coverages.  We help contractors set up proper risk transfer.  If you’re a contractor we offer extensive information about insurance markets, coverages, risk transfer, subcontractor screening, ways to lower your insurance costs.

BGES Group are Worker’s Compensation Specialists for the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – Issues we address: 1) Lowering pricing – we have specialty programs that can save you up to 40%; 2) Finding a new company; 3) Replacing policies that are being cancelled or non renewed; 4) Audit disputes; 5) Company creating fictitious payroll at audit time; 6) Lowering high experience modifications factors; 7) Misclassification of payrolls; 8) Lowering or eliminating renewal deposits;   9) Getting coverage when you’ve been without for a few months; 10) Covering multiple states under one policy; 11) Eliminating 10% service or policy fees; 12) Timely issuance of certificates; 13) Always being able to get someone on the phone or by email when you need to.

If you would like to speak with us call Gary Wallach at 914-806-5853 or click here to email or click here to visit our website.

Company: BGES Group, 216A Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont, NY 10538

e-mail: bgesgroup@gmail.com

website: http://www.bgesgroup.com

© – Copyright – 2021 – BGES Group