e-Insight - December 2019 - Non-Member by Big I Illinois

DECEMBER 2019

INSIGHT Gain a

CLEAR UNDERSTANDING of New Laws Affecting Your Agency in 2020 - New Employment Laws - Cannabis and the Workplace

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E474-35621 Loss Control Ad Resizes 2019_Ag of IL_7.5x10_v01_al.indd 1

9/26/19 12:43 PM

December 2019

Editor & Graphic Design - Rachel Romines

Advertising - Tami Hubbell

CONTENTS 10 How to Avoid Becoming

on the Job

22 TURNOVER

10 13 15 18 22 25 30

The Most Important Business Building Questions By John Chapin

How to Avoid Becoming Obsolete on the Job By John Graham

Cyber... What? Part VI By Brian McSherry

New Employment Laws in Illinois By Evan Manning

Cannabis and the Workplace By Evan Manning

Avoiding Turnover in High-Performing Salespeople By Caliper

Circles Concierge - New IIA of IL Service

In This Issue

The Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of IL) has been providing members with a sustainable competitive advantage since 1899.

7 9 17 26

President’s Message Industry

e-Insight Associate News

27 28 32 33 34

IIA of IL News Board of Directors Profiles Industry News People in the News Classifieds

info@iiaofil.org | www.iiaofil.org | (800) 628-6436 or (217) 793-6660 | Fax: (217) 793-6744

2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2019

Insight is the official publication of the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of IL). The magazine is published monthly for the members of the IIA of IL, with the office located at 4360 Wabash Avenue, Springfield, Illinois 62711-7009; Consumer Website: www.ChooseIndependent.com. The IIA of IL welcomes letters discussing concerns of the insurance industry, articles, editorials, other matters of interest to the membership. The editor reserves the right to edit and select submissions for publication. Address submissions for review to Rachel Romines at rromines@iiaofil.org. For advertising information, contact Tami Hubbell at thubbell@iiaofil.org.

ADVERTISERS

Board of Directors Executive Committee

Chairman of the Board | Patrick Muldowney (312) 595-7192 | patrick.muldowney@alliant.com

APPLIED UNDERWRITERS

President | Bill Wirth (618) 939-6368 | billw@wirthagency.com

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY GUARD INS. GROUP

E M C INSURANCE COMPANIES

GRINNELL MUTUAL REINSURANCE COMPANY

IL INSURANCE PRE-LICENSING PROGRAM

IMT INSURANCE

INSURANCE PROGRAM MANAGERS GROUP

KEYSTONE INSURANCE GROUP, INC.

LEVEL UP AGENT SUMMIT

Cover Tip

OMAHA NATIONAL

OPENLY

W.A. SCHICKEDANZ/INTERSTATE RISK PLACEMENT

WEST BEND MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.

IIA of Illinois Staff CRM Manager, CONVO Coordinator Shannon Churchill - (217) 321-3004 - schurchill@iiaofil.org

Vice President, Agents Insurance Services Brian McSherry, CIC - (217) 321-3018 - bmcsherry@iiaofil.org

Director of Education and Agency Resources Brett Gerger - (217) 321-3006 - bgerger@iiaofil.org

Office Administrator Kristi Osmond - (217) 321-3007 - kosmond@iiaofil.org

Accounting & Admin Services, Tradeshow Admin Tami Hubbell - (217) 321-3016 - thubbell@iiaofil.org

Director of Communications Rachel Romines - (217) 321-3024 - rromines@iiaofil.org

Director of Human Resources/Board Admin Jennifer Jacobs - (217) 321-3013 - jjacobs@iiaofil.org

Director of Membership Services Tom Ross, CRIS, CPIA - (217) 321-3003 - tross@iiaofil.og

Sr. Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Mark Kuchar - (217) 321-3015 - mkuchar@iiaofil.org

Digital Communications Coordinator Karissa Sweatman - (217) 321-3023 - ksweatman@iiaofil.org

Chief Executive Officer Phil Lackman - (217) 321-3005 - plackman@iiaofil.org

Products & Services Administrator Janet White, CISR - (217) 321-3010 - jwhite.indep12@insuremail.net

Central/Southern Marketing Representative Lori Mahorney - (217) 415-7550 - lmahorney@iiaofil.org

Sr. Products & Services Administrator Carol Wilson, CPIA - (217) 321-3011 - cwilson.indep12@insuremail.net

Director of Government Relations Evan Manning - (217) 321-3002 - emanning@iiaofil.org

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president's message | INSIGHT

The Season of Giving The Holiday season is here and I find myself thinking about everything in my life for which I am so grateful. My wife, Angie, and children, Nora and William, are happy and healthy. We have a house to call home, vehicles that take us where we need to go, and a southern Illinois community that we love. I have the pleasure of serving as President of our Association this year, and I’m grateful to serve alongside so many wonderful industry professionals in this State. However, while I think about everything in my life for which I am thankful, there is a tug on my heartstrings that pulls me to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We all see the commercials on TV - Marlo Thomas asking us to donate. But do we truly understand the impact that St. Jude makes to desperately ill children and their families? I decided to do a little digging and found out that an average of 8,500 patients visit St. Jude each year and in that time frame, they can provide the following medical services: - 875,785 pharmacy doses - 8,322 diagnostic X-rays - 11,855 blood transfusions - 8,343 radiation therapy treatments - 5,189 CT scans - 11,146 MRI exams The incredible part… not one single family receives a bill from St. Jude for these medical treatments. NOT ONE! And that is because of the generosity of people that find it in their hearts to make a donation, large or small.

You and I may not be in a position to treat these children. But, might we be in a position to provide a little extra comfort? Can we help with the cost of a cuddly little teddy bear? Or, can we help offset the cost of the next dose of medication? Patients receive a little extra care around the holidays and a donation as simple as $5 could buy a toy for a one-year-old fighting cancer. Just $5! It costs more to stop at Starbucks for coffee. So, this holiday season, I’m asking you to find it in your hearts to give to this cause that helps so many children and their families. I urge you to navigate through the St. Jude website at www.stjude.org to take a look at everything they do – from care and treatment to research and training. Then, please, consider donating. The IIA of IL has made donating easy. Simply go to www.iiaofil.org/About-Us/IIA-of-IL-Gives-Back and click donate. You can help make a difference. Any contribution will be greatly appreciated! I’ll leave you with this quote I found while doing my research: “All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.” - Danny Thomas, Founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and ALSAC Happy Holidays!

At this very moment, while you read this letter in the comfort of your home or office, many children and their families are sitting together in a hospital room waiting for their next treatment. They are not smelling freshly baked, chocolate chip cookies about to come out of the oven. They are not decorating a tree in their living room, or going to a band concert at school.

Bill Wirth - IIA of IL President - (618) 939-6368 - billw@wirthagency.com december 2019

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e INSIGHT -

online journal at www.iiaofil.org/Resources/Insight

DE CE M BE R

20 19

INSIGH T

CLEAinR a of N UNDER

e STAND Your Aw Laws Aff ING e gency in 202cting 0

- New Empl oymen - Can nabis t and th Laws e Wor kplace

What to Expect in Commercial Insurance Market Conditions Heading Into 2020

In this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e-Insight. december 2019

insight

New Employment Laws in Illinois

By Evan Manning

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november december 2019

THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR THE RIGHT SOLUTION

IPMG EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SERVICES

For companies who self-fund or are considering self-funding their employee health insurance benefit program, who you partner with as your third-party claims administrator can make all the difference for your program’s success. Getting off the never-ending cycle of year-in, year-out premium increases and moving to self-funding your benefits program has become the right solution.

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INSIGHT | associate news Thank you to our Associate Members.

Diamond Level Members

Platinum Level Progressive

Gold Level AAA Insurance Arlington/Roe Blue Cross/Blue Shield of IL Surplus Line Association of Illinois

Silver Level Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company Imperial PFS IMT Insurance A. J. Wayne & Associates AFCO Credit Corporation AMERISAFE AmWINS Brokerage of the Midwest, LLC Aon Programs Auto-Owners Insurance Co. Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies Burns & Wilcox, Ltd. Chicagoland Carstar Columbia Insurance Group Continental Western Group Donald Gaddis Company, Inc. Donegal Insurance Group Encompass Insurance Encova Insurance Erie Insurance Group Foremost Insurance Group Forreston Mutual Insurance Company Frankenmuth Insurance Grange Insurance Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund Illinois Public Risk Fund Indiana Farmers Insurance Insurance Program Managers Group J C Restoration J M Wilson Kemper Keystone Insurance Group, Inc. KPA, LLC dba Succeed/KPA 26

insight

Nationwide West Bend Mutual Insurance Co.

Bronze Level Larry Gordon Agency Liberty Mutual/Safeco Insurance Madison Mutual Insurance Company MarshBerry Maximum Independent Brokerage, LLC Mercury Insurance Group MetLife Auto & Home Midwest Insurance Company miEdge NatGen Premier NHRMA Mutual Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Compensation PEOPLE Previsor Insurance ProAg Management Inc PuroClean RT Specialty - Naperville Selective Insurance Company of America ServiceMaster DSI Society Insurance Specialty Risk of America Transcom General Agency Travelers UIG - The Agent Agency United Fire Group Universal Property & Casualty Utica National Insurance Group W. A. Schickedanz Agency, Inc./Interstate Risk Placement Western National Insurance Westfield december 2019

iia of il news | INSIGHT

Education Classes december

3 3 4 11 11 11 12 17 17 26 30

Ethics & E&O: Synergy Not Rivalry Webinar Pre-Licensing Course Life & Health Springfield CIC - James K. Ruble Graduate Seminar Elk Grove Village E&O: Roadmap to Policy Analysis Webinar Pre-Licensing Course Property & Casualty Rolling Meadows Pre-Licensing Course Property & Casualty Springfield E&O: Roadmap to Policy Analysis Webinar Ethics and the Law Webinar Pre-Licensing Course Life & Health Rolling Meadows E&O Risk Management Webinar E&O Risk Management Webinar

New Members member agency ASIA, Ins. (Assoc. Serv. Ins. Agy.) Chicago, IL First Mid Insurance Group Mattoon, IL Group Marketing Services, Inc. Bloomington, IL For information regarding IIA of IL membership or company sponsorship, contact Tom Ross, Director of Membership Services, at (217) 321-3003, tross@iiaofil.org.

december 2019

january

6 8 13 14 14 16 21 21 22 22 30 30

Pre-Licensing Course Property & Casualty Mt. Vernon Pre-Licensing Course Life & Health Mt. Vernon Pre-Licensing Course Life & Health Peoria E&O: Commercial Liability Coverage Gaps Webinar E&O: Roadmap to Homeowners Insurance Webinar Ethics-Walking a Straight Line Webinar Pre-Licensing Course Property & Casualty Springfield Pre-Licensing Course Property & Casualty St. Charles Ethics & E&O: Synergy Not Rivalry Webinar CIC-Agency Management Rolling Meadows IIA-E&O: Roadmap to Policy Analysis Webinar FAC Mid-Winter Meeting Springfield

Online Education www.iiaofil.org December & January Featured Online Classes E&O Risk Management | Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Not My Fault, or Is it? Workers Compensation Beyond the Basics Fiduciary Liability, ERISA Bonding & Emp. Benefits Liability Property & Liability | Income After Retirement Commercial General Liability | Cyber Liability | Ethics Aging Parents and Insurance Decisions | And More! insight

Board of Directors Pr

Jay Peterson Vice President

Peterson Insurance Services, Inc., Clinton, IL President Number of Years with Agency: 40 Year You Started in Insurance: 1979 Education: Richland Community College Current or Past Civic, Political, or Community Service Activities: - Rotarian - Dewitt County Development Council - Board Member - Clinton Country Club - Past President - Clinton Lake Ducks Unlimited - Past President - Dewitt County Pheasants Forever - Founding Director What do you feel are major challenges facing our Association today? Lack of member engagement and Mergers & Acquisition activity. What suggestions do you have to respond to these challenges? Expense reduction or find new sources of revenue. Explore new events and new training ideas that appeal to members in the changing environment. What do you see at the greatest benefit to IIA of IL membership? Networking, legislative updates and training.

Joe Heneghan

What advice do you have to share with someone considering a volunteer position with the IIA of IL? Get involved at some level and/or allow some of your staff the opportunity to be involved. I have enjoyed my four years as a Regional Director and found it very rewarding. What prompted you to get involved with the Association? I had always thought it would be interesting to serve and learn how other agents, the IIA of IL and companies deal with the issues we all face.

Education: Eastern Illinois University

- Harvest Fest - Food Chairman - 4th Degree Knights of Columbus and Honor Guard – Comptroller - Jersey County Housing Authority – Commissioner - Jersey County Past Board Member - Advisory Boards - Rockford Mutual Insurance, Allstate Insurance, Consumers Insurance - Illinois Farm Agents Council - Member, Past Council Chairman - Quails Forever – Member - Pheasants Forever – Member - Honorary Jersey County Fair Board - Jersey County Business Association - Member

Current or Past Civic, Political, or Community Service Activities: - St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church - Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Usher, and Dinner Chairman - Cemetery Board and Building Committee Member

What do you feel are major challenges facing our Association today? Consumers purchasing insurance from direct writers over the internet, mergers & acquisitions, and getting qualified help to take over agency operations.

Region 2 Director

Heneghan Insurance Agency, Inc. dba Heneghan, White, Cutting, & Rice Insurance Agency, Jerseyville, IL President Number of Years with Agency: 38 Year You Started in Insurance: 1982

insight

december 2019

rofiles

Bill Durkin

At-Large Board Member

Daniel and Henry Insurance and Risk Management, Chicago, IL Director & Broker and Member of Executive Committee and Operations Team Number of Years with Agency: Seven Year You Started in Insurance: 1992 Education: University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana - 1989 Current or Past Civic, Political, or Community Service Activities: - Riverside Brookfield High School District Board of Education - Elected member - Fenwick High School Life Trustee - Volunteer in local, statewide and federal elections for both Democrats and Republicans What do you feel are major challenges facing our Association today? Attracting new members and advocacy for our best interests and protection as independent agents big and small. What do you see at the greatest benefit to IIA of IL membership? Advocacy and variety of offerings. What advice do you have to share with someone considering a volunteer position with the IIA of IL? You will be working alongside a lot of great people. The Association is a great organization.

What suggestions do you have to respond to these challenges? Have a larger presence on the internet and recruiting qualified people to the industry. What do you see as the greatest benefit to IIA of IL membership? The Legislative action and help the Association provides to prevent burdens on the agency. What advice do you have to share with someone considering a volunteer position with the IIA of IL? The Association is a great place to meet peers in the industry from across the state and event across the nation.

december 2019

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Illinois

Insurance Pre-Licensing Program

Designed by experienced agents for the next generation of great agents. Designed by industry experts, one of whom played a role in developing the licensing exam, this program will give you, or your new hire, valuable insights into the industry. Our program is top-notch and will blow away the competition. It’s not just about being able to pass the test. It’s about retaining the information and building the foundation your new hire needs to have a successful career. You will see a difference in taking our sessions versus other educational providers offering similar programs.

By attending an Illinois Insurance Pre-Licensing Program, you, or your new hire, will: • Receive valuable insights into the industry from instructors that have over 30 years experience • Retain and understand the information presented, not just memorize answers for a test • Be confident in your new role in the insurance industry

Cost per two-day session: $229 per person (IIA of IL Members receive discounted rate of $199) Includes workbook, online interactive flash cards and quizzes as well as access to instructors after the program.

IIA of IL Members will need a discount code to receive member rate. Contact info@ILPrelicensing.com to request the code. Contact us to inquire about onsite training for your organization, or discounted registration for 5 or more people.

Winter/Spring 2020 dates & locations have been released. Check out the website for details and to register. Check out what attendees are saying: “I enjoyed the smaller class size as it made it more hands on and personalized.” - Jordan Eiring “Very comfortable atmosphere that allowed instructors to take time to answer questions and revisit topics. Great pace of learning.” - Geoff Desmond

www.ILPrelicensing.com info@ILPrelicensing.com (833) 99LEARN (995-3276) december 2019

Find Us On Socials: insight

INSIGHT | industry news Illinois’ Healthiest Employers for 2019 Include Two IIA of IL Members

Crain’s Content Studio, a division of Crain’s Chicago Business, and Cigna (NYSE: CI) have announced the winners of the 2019 Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards, recognizing companies that make workplace wellness a priority. The 8th annual awards were presented at a ceremony Friday, September 27 at the Fifth Third Arena by Chicago Blackhawks legend Brian Campbell. This is the fourth year of Cigna’s sponsorship of the Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards, a corporate wellness awards program that recognizes organizations that proactively shape the health of their employees. Since 2009, more than 8,000 employers have participated across 45 cities in the nationally recognized Healthiest Employers Award Program, representing insights and best practices of more than 60,000,000 employee lives. The award is powered and scored by Springbuk, a health intelligence software company, which administers an online application process to evaluate companies’ performance in six key areas of corporate health and wellness: culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, communication marketing, programming and interventions, and reporting and analytics. Applicants are categorized by number of employees so that organizations compete against like-sized organizations. The IIA of IL staff and Board of Directors congratulates the following member agencies: 2-99 Employees: Winner: Connor & Gallagher OneSource, Lisle, IL

Grinnell Mutual Internship Program Recognized

Grinnell Mutual has been named one of Vault’s 2020 Best 100 Internship Programs in the country, ranking seventh overall with a score of 9.278. Vault, a career research company based in New York, surveyed over 400 companies nationwide. More than 14,000 interns ranked their experience on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best). Interns rated their companies based on six areas: work-life balance, compensation and benefits, interview process, career development, full-time employment prospects, and diversity. Within the overall rankings, Grinnell Mutual also ranked fourth for full-time employment prospects, and ninth for compensation and benefits. One co-op student from Grinnell Mutual wrote, “I never thought that I would be in the insurance industry but it’s a lot more than what people believe the stereotypical insurance company is. It’s not just selling insurance; it involves a bunch of different departments to keep the company a well-oiled machine. It’s the hidden gem of the Midwest.” In recent years Grinnell Mutual has invested in growing and improving its program for co-op students and interns with competitive wages, flexible work hours, the opportunity to earn school credit, access to senior leadership, and the chance to work across divisions on enterprise-wide projects.

100-499 Employees Finalist: The Horton Group, Orland Park, IL

insight

december 2019

people in the news | INSIGHT Schmale Insurance Agency Celebrates 100 years of Service with Travelers, Demonstrates Enduring Value that Agents Provide in Their Communities

Congratulations to Schmale Insurance Agency for celebrating 100 years of business. Since 1919, Schmale Insurance Agency has been selling insurance and partnering with Travelers to help clients with their home and auto insurance needs. Schmale has enjoyed a century of continued success because of their perseverance and solid foundation of personal relationships. “The longevity of the Schmale Insurance Agency is a testament to our joint commitment to delivering insurance products and services that meet and exceed customers’ needs,” said Chris Hackworth, Regional Vice President of Sales, Personal Insurance at Travelers. “We thank Schmale for being outstanding ambassadors for Travelers for so many years, and for continuing to exemplify the important role that agents play in today’s market.”

J.M. Wilson Hires Walsh as Marine Underwriter

J.M. Wilson has announced the addition of Jim Walsh as a Marine Underwriter. He will be responsible for working with Marine carriers and agents for both commercial and personal ocean marine and wet inland marine business in all states where J.M. Wilson is licensed. Walsh has over 18 years of experience in marine hull & liability brokerage, as well as marine underwriting. He is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering. Founded in 1920, J.M. Wilson is a Managing General Agency and Surplus Lines Broker providing independent insurance agents access to specialty markets. J.M. Wilson can provide coverage for standard and hard-to-place commercial transportation, property & casualty, professional liability, garage, personal lines, and surety.

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For more information about J.M. Wilson, call (800) 666-5692 or visit www.jmwilson.com.

AUTO | HOME | BUSINESS

december 2019

insight

INSIGHT | classifieds for the insurance professional by the insurance professional

AGENCY WANTED.

20. Since 2004, Central Illinois Agents Group LLC has been providing independent agents with a variety of markets with contingency opportunities. Agents have availability to several markets that they may not be able to sustain or maintain on their own. We have markets for personal, commercial, agricultural and crop insurance lines. Let us help you get to the next level.

Visit www.ciagonline.com for contact information.

AGENCY/AGENTS/PRODUCERS WANTED.

02. Forest Park/Oak Park agency for over 60 years, will meet your needs by providing space, markets, marketing & sales support, automation, merging with or purchasing your agency. Perpetuation/ Succession Plans, BuySell Agreements also available. We have experienced, educated and dedicated staff for you and your clients. Have access to our numerous companies, office services and many other resources. Retain ownership in your book with contingency. Please look closely at us- we are an agency you want to do business with! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done it before, we know how- we make it easy! Visit our website at forestagency.com/agents.html, or call for a confidential discussion and a list of Agency benefits.

OPPORTUNITIES/SPACE AVAILABLE/RETAIN OWNERSHIP

13. We are a 100 year old Northbrook agency looking to discuss any mutually beneficial opportunity. Our producers, mergers, clusters and agency purchases receive 50% commissions on new and renewal business without any expenses. We can provide: office space, phones, agency management system, service renewals and changes. The companies we represent are: Badger Mutual, Employers Mutual, General Casualty, Guide One, Hartford, Kemper, Progressive, Rockford Mutual, Safeco, State Auto, Travelers and Met Life. Contact:

Nancy Solomon Martini, Miller & Schloss, Inc. (847) 291-1313 Ron@martini-miller.com

Dan Browne will provide an agency evaluation/appraisal at little cost to you. Please call:

Dan Browne or Cathy Hall Forest Agency (708) 383-9000 www.forestagency.com/contact-us/mergersacquisitions/

insight

december 2019

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