*The following blog uses information from NAHB’s article on the subject. We credit NAHB for providing us with this information. According to the NAHB, lumber prices have declined approximately 56% since May 10, 2021. While that seems like good news at first glance, on closer inspection it becomes clear that the situation is still less than ideal for the construction industry. In fact, the NAHB states, “While the price of framing lumber has dropped roughly 50% over the past seven weeks according to Random Lengths, prices paid by builders have declined by a fraction of that amount.” To better understand…
Read More
Welcome to Work Comp Wednesdays! Insurance People is the industry-leader in North Carolina workers’ compensation insurance. Each week, our team takes a frequently asked question and expands on the issue for our clients, prospective clients, and community members to better understand the confusing nature of Work Comp. Background: Despite being illegal, Workers’ Compensation Insurance fraud occurs all too often. Each year, billions of dollars are stolen in the United States due to fraudulent claims and misreported business information. Not only does this misrepresentation adversely affect the business, but it can also affect the state’s workers’ compensation insurance rate system.…
Read More
As a risk-management driven agency, Insurance People’s goal is to not only offer you appropriate coverages that protect your organization but non-insurance solutions to decrease costs long-term. Because of this, we are always looking for new ways to assist our clients regarding safety. Since 1996, the National Safety Council (NSA) designated June as National Safety Month. Their goal was, “to increase awareness of the leading safety and health risks facing employees and decrease the risk for workplace injuries and deaths in the U.S.”. This year, National Safety Month will focus on the four different weekly topics listed below: Week 1:…
Read More
Recently, our friends at Builders Mutual Insurance Company posted a blog titled, “Not a Risk Worth Taking: Why a Builders Risk Policy is for everyone”. This blog is incredibly useful for all contractors looking to fully protect their jobsite during the course of construction. Below you will find some excerpts from the BMIC blog: “As a business owner, you care about protecting yourself, your business, and your employees. You may already have a General Liability policy and a Property policy, but is each of your building projects covered during the course of construction? Here, Jennifer Morgan, an Assistant Underwriting Operations Manager…
Read More
Welcome to Work Comp Wednesdays! Insurance People is the industry-leader in North Carolina workers’ compensation insurance. Each week, our team takes a frequently asked question and expands on the issue for our clients, prospective clients, and community members to better understand the confusing nature of Work Comp. Background: Workers’ Compensation insurance is considered one of the most frustrating and irritating coverages for businessowners, finance officers, and the human resources department. Workers’ Comp involves indemnifying humans – returning them to their physical (or mental) state before the injury occurred. Because of this, there are many different “hands in the pot,” which…
Read More
Welcome to Work Comp Wednesdays! Insurance People is the industry-leader in North Carolina workers’ compensation insurance. Each week, our team takes a frequently asked question and expands on the issue for our clients, prospective clients, and community members to better understand the confusing nature of Work Comp. What does an employer want out of their Workers’ Comp Program? What should an employer expect out of their Workers’ Comp Program? Background: There are many different aspects to what is considered an effective Workers’ Compensation Program. While not every effective program is going to look the same, each program will share…
Read More
As many of our NC Builders are all too aware, the United States is facing a lumber shortage in 2021. This is most likely a result of the lumber mills being forced to shut down during the pandemic; however, Americans are not blameless. During the 2020 quarantine, it is fair to assume that many people took part in DIY projects to help them occupy their time. Simply based on the definition of supply and demand, this played a part in the lumber price increase. Fortunately, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), “Continues to work tirelessly to combat rising lumber…
Read More
Welcome to Work Comp Wednesdays! Insurance People is the industry-leader in North Carolina workers’ compensation insurance. Each week, our team takes a frequently asked question and expands on the issue for our clients, prospective clients, and community members to better understand the confusing nature of Work Comp. What is OSHA’s new National Emphasis Program (NEP) for COVID-19? What are the implications for businessowners? What industries will be targeted by OSHA CSHOs? Background: On March 12, 2021, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) issued a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) to focus OSHA enforcement efforts related to Coronavirus Disease…
Read More
Welcome to Work Comp Wednesdays! Insurance People is the industry-leader in North Carolina workers’ compensation insurance. Each week, our team takes a frequently asked question and expands on the issue for our clients, prospective clients, and community members to better understand the confusing nature of Work Comp. Background: According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an injury and illness prevention program (workplace safety training) is a proactive process to help employers find and fix workplace hazards before workers are hurt. OSHA believes that injury and illness prevention programs provide the foundation for breakthrough changes in the way…
Read More
To ensure that their employees are up to date on company issues, specifically safety, safety meetings should be a high priority for ALL small businesses. At its core, a staff meeting is meant to be informative, motivational, and productive; however, this is not always the case. According to Employers Insurance, “Few things draw groans, sighs or yawns from workers quite like calling a staff meeting. Meetings can be tedious and unproductive, annoying interruptions to an otherwise productive workday.” Safety programs not only protect workers from on-the-job injuries, but they also save business owners money. The National Institute of Building Science…
Read More