Join us at any of the upcoming, free Acrisure compliance webinars!
Click here to download the calendar of upcoming webinars
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to your Gulfshore Insurance Account Manager.
Gulfshore Insurance is a Naples, Florida based insurance agency specializing in employee benefits insurance including group medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short and long term disability, voluntary life, employee assistance programs, wellness programs, individual life insurance, and more. Our insurance and risk management advisors are experts can provide valuable services including benefits plan design and administration, human resources support, funding options, compliance assistance, benefit administration, and enrollment services. Gulfshore Insurance services Naples, North Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, and Southwest Florida. We have office locations in Naples, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, and Sarasota.
Ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions and, in some cases, travel bans, may have made it difficult or impossible for homeowners to return to their seasonal homes. With this inability to travel, the temptation to list your seasonal home as a vacation rental on websites such as Airbnb, VRBO, or other vacation rental websites seem like an appealing option; however, please be aware that a homeowners’ insurance policy contract is based on owner-occupancy and includes specific clauses that reduce or exclude coverage if the occupancy changes.
In one widely reported case, for example, an Airbnb renter was killed when a tree holding up a backyard hammock he was laying on collapsed onto his head. This case makes clear that, before you become a short-term rental host, you should carefully consider your liability for any injuries someone incurs while staying at your home, and whether you have adequate insurance coverage for property damage or loss.
What to do if you are considering renting out your home?
Contact your agent to discuss your plans BEFORE renting your home so the proper coverages can be initiated. Filing a claim after injury or damage occurs will likely result in denial by your insurance company if you did not previously report the change of occupancy.
In addition to confirming proper insurance coverage, you should also check with your local City or County to make sure they have not imposed any ordinances prohibiting short term rental due to COVID.
At Gulfshore Insurance we pride ourselves on serving as your trusted advisor. Please contact us with any questions.
Andrea Pelletier, CPRIA, CPIA is Client Advisor and Partner at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in Private Risk Services. Andrea works with successful individuals and their families on creating and customizing package insurance solutions in the areas of luxury homes, car collections, jewelry, fine arts, watercraft, and personal excess liability. Comments and questions are welcome at apelletier@gulfshoreinsurance.com
Gulfshore Insurance is a Naples, Florida based insurance agency specializing in home and homeowners insurance, car and auto insurance, boat and yacht insurance, property insurance, umbrella insurance, valuables insurance for fine art, jewelry, wine, and more. Navigating insurance requires an experienced and trusted insurance agent who understands your high net worth risks and exposures. Gulfshore Insurance services Naples, North Naples, Port Royal, Park Shore, Pelican Bay, The Moorings, Naples Beach, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Sanibel Island, Captiva, Fort Myers, Sarasota, and Southwest Florida. We have office locations in Naples, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, and Sarasota.
Compared to the middle of their shifts, commercial drivers are 26% more likely to exhibit unsafe driving than at the start and 41% at the end of their shift. This was measured by four metrics:
- Harsh Acceleration
- Harsh Braking
- Distracted Driving
- Tailgating
Since Jan. 1, 2020, 2 million such events were detected in U.S. commercial fleets. Shift lengths ranged from four to 12 hours, but these unsafe trends appeared consistent throughout.
One statistic that jumps out is harsh acceleration. Harsh acceleration occurs 77% more often during the end of the shift than in the middle. That’s nearly double the frequency at the beginning of a shift relative to the middle (39%). Harsh braking has similar results, with 54% more likely at the end versus 28% at the beginning.
Conversely, distracted driving is 36% more likely during the first part of the shift, which is twice as much as at the middle-to-end difference.
What factors contribute to the skewed results at the beginning and end of a shift?
- Increased traffic in cities: Moving from local roads to highways (and vice versa) occurs more frequently at the onset or tail-end of a shift, and there are more opportunities for distraction and traffic in these areas.
- Last-mile stops: Data shows there are more short trips (likely due to deliveries and last-mile stops) at the beginning and end of shifts, causing drivers to stop and start more frequently, which can create more opportunities for unsafe driving behavior.
- Driver fatigue: Seven hours of sleep per night is recommended, though 37% of drivers do not hit that goal. That grogginess could dull reactions on the road at the start of the shift. And at the end of the shift, fatigue can creep in.
By receiving an in-cab alert about harsh braking and accelerating, drivers reduced this risky behavior by 40%. Other actions that could curb risky behaviors include sharing this new data in safety meetings or company electronic communication, as well as providing data to a driver during a coaching session to reinforce the safety trainer’s mentoring.
Tim Spear, is a Client Advisor and Partner at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in the construction, oil/petroleum, and landscape industries. Through his consultative and diagnostic approach, he helps clients develop customized programs to meet their risk management needs. Comments and questions are welcome at tspear@gulfshoreinsurance.com
*data used in this article was collected by Samsara.
Gulfshore Insurance is a Naples, Florida based insurance agency specializing in business insurance including liability insurance, property insurance, workers compensation insurance, vehicle insurance, business income interruption insurance, cyber insurance, commercial umbrella insurance, and more. Our insurance and risk management advisors are industry specialists for condominium associations, golf and country clubs, oil and petroleum marketers, construction, landscaping, churches and non-profits, and work comp. Navigating insurance requires an experienced and trusted insurance agent who understands your business risks and exposures. Gulfshore Insurance services Naples, North Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Lido Beach, Longboat Key, Bradenton Beach, and Southwest Florida. We have office locations in Naples, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, and Sarasota.
On Sept. 8, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) added 18 new answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) to its existing guidance on how employers should comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) while also observing all applicable emergency workplace safety guidelines during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The agency also updated two of the FAQs from the existing guidance.
The new and updated FAQs clarify the types of questions employers may ask employees related to COVID-19 and how employers must handle any medical information they obtain about their employees. The new FAQs also provide expanded guidance on providing telework as a reasonable accommodation both during and after the pandemic.
This HR Compliance Bulletin contains only the FAQs that were added or updated on Sept. 8, 2020. Employers that are subject to the ADA should not only become familiar with these FAQs, but also review the EEOC’s full guidance, which was initially issued on March 18 and updated several times in April, May and June 2020. An employer is subject to the ADA if it has 15 or more employees. Smaller employers may be subject to similar rules under applicable state or local laws..
Click here to download the full HR Compliance Bulletin
Ryan Laude is a Client Advisor at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in employee benefits. Ryan works with a wide range of businesses to create the best funding options that fit their needs. Comments and questions are welcome at rlaude@gulfshoreinsurance.com
Gulfshore Insurance is a Naples, Florida based insurance agency specializing in employee benefits insurance including group medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short and long term disability, voluntary life, employee assistance programs, wellness programs, individual life insurance, and more. Our insurance and risk management advisors are experts can provide valuable services including benefits plan design and administration, human resources support, funding options, compliance assistance, benefit administration, and enrollment services. Gulfshore Insurance services Naples, North Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, and Southwest Florida. We have office locations in Naples, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, and Sarasota.
On Aug. 8, 2020, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Department of Treasury to defer collecting certain payroll taxes from wages earned between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020.
On Aug. 28, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2020-65 (the Notice) to provide guidance for affected employers. Employer participation in these deferrals is permitted, but not required. The Notice releases employers from their obligation to collect and pay payroll Social Security taxes for individuals who receive applicable wages, defined as compensation that is less than $4,000 for a biweekly pay period, or “the equivalent threshold amount with respect to other pay periods.” Employers must determine whether applicable wages exist every pay period between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020.
Click here to download the legal update
We will continue to share information as it becomes available and keep you informed.
Ryan Laude is a Client Advisor at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in employee benefits. Ryan works with a wide range of businesses to create the best funding options that fit their needs. Comments and questions are welcome at rlaude@gulfshoreinsurance.com
Gulfshore Insurance is a Naples, Florida based insurance agency specializing in employee benefits insurance including group medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short and long term disability, voluntary life, employee assistance programs, wellness programs, individual life insurance, and more. Our insurance and risk management advisors are experts can provide valuable services including benefits plan design and administration, human resources support, funding options, compliance assistance, benefit administration, and enrollment services. Gulfshore Insurance services Naples, North Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, and Southwest Florida. We have office locations in Naples, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, and Sarasota.
