www.RetailersInsurance.com
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Backs out front on injuries Which part of the body is most frequently injured in the workplace? Backs lead the way, with 36 percent of sprain, strain and tear injuries occurring there, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the U.S. Department of Labor. Next come shoulders at 13 percent, knees 12 percent, ankles 9 percent, arms 4 percent, wrists 3 percent and necks, hands and feet all at 2 percent each. Multiple injuries occur 8 percent of the time, and “all other” parts account for 9 percent of injuries. The Bureau found that 63 percent of injuries were caused by overexertion, such as lifting, and bodily reaction. The next most frequent cause was falls, slips and trips, at 23 percent. So be careful out there!
December 2014
www.RetailersInsurance.com
We’re now Retailers Insurance Retailers Mutual Insurance Company is now Retailers Insurance Company, a move requested by Retailers Mutual and approved by state regulators. All new and renewed policies and future correspondence will reflect the new name. The change is more than just in name. The move to Retailers Insurance Company represents a change in corporate structure that enables the company to grow at an even faster rate in the future and provide additional benefits to policyholders. The new structure includes a holding company that can issue stock to raise additional capital for expansion, new technology and other growth-oriented activities. Retailers Mutual policyholders approved the change at the August 19 Annual Meeting at the Michigan Retailers Association headquarters in downtown Lansing. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services gave final approval on October 23 after approving it conditionally in April. The change will be seamless for policyholders, and there are no significant operating changes planned for the immediate future.
A Proud Sponsor of:
The new website address is www.retailersinsurance.com,
but you can continue to type in retailersmutual.com and you will be redirected.
Retailers Insurance adds online banking protection Retailers Insurance is coming to the aid of business men and women who bank online and face a serious risk they probably didn’t know they faced. Under current banking regulations, financial institutions don’t cover losses from online attacks on business accounts, even though they do for individual accounts. Retailers Insurance has partnered with RSG, Limited LLC, a Michigan-based risk services company, to bring the EFT Guard
program to our existing and future workers’ compensation insurance policyholders. This new coverage will be added automatically to new and renewed Retailers Insurance workers’ compensation policies starting November 1, 2014. Provided in the EFT Guard program are several unique benefits not found in other carriers’ policies, including: • Free educational resource center where you can use an assessment tool to determine your risk level; • Free malware detection software to create a higher level of security and peace of mind; • $100,000 in protection against unauthorized electronic funds transfer (Corporate Account Takeover). Protection begins with issuance of the renewal or new policy. For additional information, contact your insurance agent or visit www royalgroupservices.com/ retailerseftguard/.
Retailers Insurance is your Michigan company ... Large enough to protect you. Small enough to care. Close enough to Buy Nearby. 603 South Washington Avenue Lansing, MI 48933 www.RetailersInsurance.com 800.366.3699
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LANSING, MI PERMIT NO 846
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www.RetailersInsurance.com
December 2014
Avoiding late payments
It is very important to make your payments by the due date shown on the billing statement. When a payment is late, we send out a second notice along with a state-required 21-day cancellation notice. State law also requires that we notify the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs whenever we send a cancellation notice. In order to avoid late payments, you may wish to take advantage of our electronic payment options. You can put payments on a credit card or have payments deducted from your bank account through an electronic funds transfer (EFT). There is no additional cost for these payment options. Authorization forms for these payment options were included in your billing statement. For more information or to request another form, please contact Judy Schafer at 800.366.3699 or jschafer@retailers.com.
National council promotes safety The National Safety Council has launched a Journey to Safety Excellence campaign to help all employers, regardless of company size or industry, make safety a priority in their organizations. The initiative is designed to help equip organizations with free, practical tools and information to keep their employees safe. Nearly 11 workers die on the job each day and five million are injured annually, according to the Council. An estimated 50,000 people die each year
because of illnesses contracted in the workplace and another 400,000 nonfatal workplace illnesses are estimated to occur. The Journey to Safety Excellence is based on a strategy of continuous improvement that calls for committed leadership and engaged employees, sound safety management systems, removing risk in the workplace, and continually measuring and improving performance. You can join the Journey to Safety Excellence for free at www.nsc.org/ journey.
Board elects new officers Jeff Joyce, vice president and co-owner of Mieras Shoes in Grand Rapids, was elected chair of theRetailers Insurance Company Board of Directors at the board’s October 19 meeting. Mieras is a family owned business founded in 1922.
Joyce
Ungrodt
Miller
Phillips
Hallan
Sobelton
Mark Miller, executive vice president of Hylant Group and president of its Ann Arbor office, was elected vice chair. Hylant is
among the largest privately held insurance brokerage firms in the nation. William J. Hallan, chief operating officer and general counsel for both Michigan Retailers Association and Retailers Insurance, was elected secretary of the board. In addition, policyholders at the company’s Annual Meeting re-elected three incumbents to the board for three-year terms. They are: • Tom Ungrodt, president and CEO of Ideation, Inc., Ann Arbor, and owner of two Michigan gift stores; • Rod Phillips, owner of Country Casuals, a small chain of yearround and seasonal ladies’ apparel stores located throughout northwest Michigan and headquartered in Petoskey. • Peter Sobelton, a former Birmingham retailer who is immediate past chair of the board.
Safety grants available In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Michigan’s program for workplace safety and health, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is offering matching grant awards of up to $5,000 to employers to improve workplace safety and health. The grants are available to most employers – those with 250 employees or less – to purchase safety and healthrelated equipment. To qualify for a grant, a project must be consistent with the recommendations of a safety
professional or safety committee that has conducted a site-specific evaluation and provided a written report with recommendations.
Report claims by phone
MRA Services Corner
Policyholders can report work comp claims 24/7 via telephone to Retailers Insurance Company’s third-party administrator, Sedgwick Claims Management Services. The number for reporting claims is 866.764.7705. Policyholders should reference Retailers Insurance Company and/or the contract number, 1578, when reporting a claim. Any bills or paperwork relating to a specific claim should be faxed to Sedgwick at 866.261.5795. More detailed information on claims reporting, including forms related to the process, can be found at www.RetailersInsurance.com under Policyholders, Claims.
As automatic members of Michigan Retailers Association, Retailers Insurance policyholders enjoy all of the membership benefits provided by the 75-year-old business services and legislative advocacy organization. Check out all the services at www.retailers.com. Among the latest additions to the wide array of services:
Housekeeping promotes safety
For more information, contact the MIOSHA grant administrator at 517.322.1865 or visit www.michigan.gov/mioshagrants.
Recover your share of $5 billion settlement If your business accepted Visa or MasterCard payments between January 1, 2004, and November 28, 2012, you may be eligible to recover funds from the more than $5 billion settlement in a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit claims that merchants paid more fees than they should have for accepting Visa and MasterCard as payment from consumers. To assist you in recovering your share of the settlement, Michigan Retailers Association has partnered with class action
settlement expert MCAG. This service is meant to simplify and streamline the filing process for you to recover your share of the more than $5 billion in settlement funds. To enroll in this service or for more information, please visit https://mcagvmc.com/portal and enter code MRA100.
Poor housekeeping can contribute to low morale and sloppy work. Most safety action programs start with an intensive cleanup campaign in all areas of the workplace. Get rid of unnecessary items, provide proper waste containers, store flammables properly, make sure exits are not blocked, mark aisles and passageways, and provide adequate lighting. Get everyone involved and impress upon employees that you want to make your workplace safer, more healthful and more efficient.
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