We realize this “topic” is on just about every news broadcast headline, newsletter, and any social media site you visit lately.  So, as an employer what should you do now that it has become a pandemic. First, be aware and monitor the CDC, state, and local health department websites.  Governor Whitmer has created a task force to combat the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).  Information regarding the State of Michigan and resources can be found at https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. As an employer, you need to evaluate your sick/vacation/PTO policies and how they will affect your employees if they need to be off due … Continue reading

The proposals within the November General Elections and two new legislative employment acts that were approved on September 5, 2018 by the Michigan Legislatures are going to require employers to review their employee handbooks and make some changes moving toward 2019. As most of us are aware, there is the proposal on the ballot “To allow under state law the personal possession and use of marijuana by persons 21 years of age or older.”  Should this proposal pass, employers can still have a “no tolerance/drug free workplace.”   However, you should still review your policies and make decisions on how this … Continue reading

As an employer, how should you handle maternity leave?  This is going to depend on whether or not your company employs 50 or more employees within a 75 miles radius of one another. If so, this would require you to comply with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).  If you are a company that is required to comply with FMLA, you are required to provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for the birth and care of the newborn child.  The employee Is eligible if they have worked for you for at least 12 months … Continue reading

BEST PRACTICES – PRESS RELEASE VAST retains its Best Practices status, once again becoming a part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States.  This status comes by participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) Best Practices Study group.  The annual survey and study of leading independent insurance agencies documents the business practices of the “best” agencies and urges others to adopt similar practices. Since 1993, IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, have joined forces to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories.  The agencies comprising the … Continue reading

When employers are looking at their current workforce, and need to retain as well as hire new talent, workplace flexibility or “Workflex” is a business strategy that is going to be extremely helpful in the current environment.  The national labor statistics in August indicated the unemployment rates are at 4.9 percent with Michigan’s unemployment sitting at 4.5 percent, again emphasizing how crucial it will be for your organization to give employees more control over their work time and schedules.  Recent studies have indicated that 45% of millennials have chosen flexibility over pay when choosing an employer. Workplace flexibility consists of … Continue reading