One of the most effective ways to implement a company-wide Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Program is to make it interactive and involve participants from all levels of the organization. This will create a sense of teamwork and foster an environment of understanding. Risks are inherent at all levels of an organization, hence the need for interaction and input from various team members throughout the business.

What is Total Cost of Risk and why should I care?

“What gets measured…gets managed!” This statement is the fundamental principle behind the concept of “Total Cost of Risk” (TCoR), and I’ve been saying this for years. The question that I am asked all the time is, “what is total cost of risk (TCoR) and why do I care about it?”

Many of the cyber risks discussed today revolve around outside intrusions such as data breaches, viruses, or reputational risks brought on by improper social media use. Another significant risk that must be considered is a major data loss event, whether caused by a technical malfunction or a non-technical property loss such as fire or water damage. While you cannot guarantee a data loss will not happen, there are ways to indemnify and protect yourself if you experience such a data loss.

Doing Business Abroad: What's Next?

As we have highlighted in Part 1 and Part 2 of Doing Business Abroad, a company's Directors and Officers can be exposed to a large number of risks overseas. One particular area that can often be overlooked is developing and implementing solid policies and procedures for protection from the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act as well as the UK Bribery Act. Directors & Officers Liability policy does provide some mitigation for this risk, however, the cost for violating these laws could cause irreparable harm to your company including paying fines well in excess of coverage that is available in the market place.

Contracts, Insurance and Certificates…..the saga continues….

As a follow-up to my colleague’s recent post in Construction Executive, I wanted to emphasize the need for properly written contracts.  In construction projects, the contract documents form the basis of the agreement between the parties involved in the project. Written construction contracts impose many duties, obligations and liabilities on contractors. Although project owners pay great attention to the operational issues addressed in these contracts, many pay too little attention to the risk and insurance implications of various contract provisions.

Many of today’s employers offer robust wellness programs, which, typically, offer employees incentives for certain types of behaviors in an effort to improve health and, ultimately, reduce employer medical costs. These rewards can include premium discounts, membership in gyms and cash.

While none of us can predict the future, we do not need a crystal ball to tell us that as the Baby Boomers retire in the next decade, there will be a mass exodus of talented and experienced employees leaving the workforce.  What does that mean to you, as one of the leaders of your organization?  Do you see the exodus of the “Boomers” as an opportunity to reduce your labor and health care cost, or, are you concerned that the “War for Talent” will lead to a bidding war with compensation costs spiraling out of control?  One thing is certain, organizations that do not begin developing their talent management systems now will be susceptible to being negatively impacted in the very near future.

As workers’ compensation rates rise across the nation and the National Council of Compensation Insurers (NCCI) institutes new rating strategies that could negatively impact your premiums, the importance of reducing the frequency and severity of workers’ compensation claims becomes even more crucial.

Employers should take note that over the past several years the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently upheld arbitration clauses in employment contracts.  The Court’s consistent rulings in favor of arbitration agreements have changed employment law in many states, most notably in California, which has a long history of the courts being hostile to arbitration agreements.