Insurance Insights: The Cleary Insurance Blog
The Cleary Insurance blog covers insurance, risk management, and financial planning for New England businesses and individuals. Our team of licensed advisors and specialists publishes regular articles on commercial and personal coverage, employee benefits, life and financial planning, and insurance compliance. Browse recent articles below, or use the category filters to find topics relevant to your business or personal situation.
Pay Equity Law
On August 1, 2016, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation (S.B. 2119) aimed at eliminating gender-based pay discrimination.
Pursuant to the law, an employer may not discriminate in any way on the basis of gender in the payment of wages, including benefits or other compensation, or pay any person a salary or wage rate less than the rates paid to employees of a different gender for comparable work; provided, however, that variations in wages, including benefits or other compensation are not prohibited if based upon any of the following:
- A bona fide system that rewards seniority with the employer (however, time spent on leave due to a pregnancy-related condition and protected parental, family, and medical leave may not reduce seniority).
- A bona fide merit system.
- A bona fide system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production or sales.The geographic location in which a job is performed.
• Education, training, or experience to the extent such factors are reasonably related to the particular job in question and consistent with business necessity.Travel, if the travel is a regular and necessary condition of the particular job.
Further, it is an unlawful practice for an employer to:
- Require, as a condition of employment, that an employee refrain from inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing information about either the employee’s own wages, including benefits or other compensation, or about any other employee’s wages.
• Screen job applicants based on their wage, including benefits or other compensation or salary histories, including by requiring that an applicant’s prior wages, including benefits or other compensation or salary history, satisfy minimum or maximum criteria; or request or require as a condition of being interviewed, or as a condition of continuing to be considered for an offer of employment, that an applicant disclose prior wages or salary history. - Seek the salary history of any prospective employee from any current or former employer. However, a prospective employee may provide written authorization to a prospective employer to confirm prior wages, including benefits or other compensation or salary history only after any offer of employment with compensation has been made to the prospective employee;
- Discharge or in any other manner retaliate against any employee because the employee: ◦Opposed any act or practice made unlawful by this law;
- Made or is about to make a complaint or has caused or is about to cause to be instituted any proceeding under this law;
- Testified or is about to testify, assist or participate in any manner in an investigation or proceeding under this law; or
- Disclosed the employee’s wages, benefits, or other compensation or has inquired about or discussed the wages of any other employee.
An employer may not contract with an employee to subvert the law. However, an employer may prohibit a human resources employee, or any other employee whose job responsibilities require access to other employees’ compensation information, from disclosing such information without prior written consent from the employee whose information is sought or requested, unless the compensation information is a public record.
Employers are required to post a notice in their workplaces notifying employees of their rights under the law.
The law goes into effect on July 1, 2018.
How to Burglar-Proof Your Air Conditioner
Window air conditioning units can provide quick cooling to any room in a home, but they are also a target for burglars. Instead of just sliding the unit in, homeowners should take extra measures to protect the window. Once applied, the window will be fully operable during seasonal weather when the air conditioner is no longer needed. Some of the extra security measures can still be used on the windows when the air conditioning unit is no longer in place. Moreover, when your air conditioner is not well maintained, its parts become more prone to damage and can easily break with slight pressure. That is why it is critical to schedule AC maintenance on a regular basis. You could also choose to invest in AC maintenance agreements, which are essentially a contract between a homeowner and an HVAC contractor in which the contractor agrees to perform a list of services on your air conditioner a certain number of times (usually once or twice) per year for a set fee.
Other than that, here are a few pointers to keep in mind – Install an air conditioner bracket to the outside of the unit. The bracket not only supports the air conditioner, but it attaches to the bottom of the unit and the house, making it harder to move the air conditioner. Nevertheless, it might be a good idea to install an AC bracket while the AC installation expert (who you might have hired from companies offering AC installation in Port St Lucie, FL) is installing your appliance. This can ensure that both the brackets and the air conditioners are installed properly.
Anyway, if you are installing the bracket by yourself, add a sliding window lock to each side of the window frame. Depending on the type, the locks are bolted or screwed in. They prevent burglars from sliding the window up and down. Attach the lock into the frame just above the window. Tighten it securely.
Measure the length from the side of the unit to the wall. Purchase and attach a steel corner brace to each side of the air conditioner. Connect the other end to a secure section of the wall. Use screws or bolts to secure the brackets in place. This prevents thieves from pushing the air conditioner in or pulling it out. However, if you are not an expert in installing an AC bracket over a window air-conditioner, you may want to consider other options like a mini-split A/C system (learn more here “why you should consider installing a ductless mini-split“).
Coming back to brackets installation, screw-in plastic vent flaps directly to the window frame. If the air conditioner is smaller than the window, plastic vent flaps need to be pulled tightly to cover up the holes. This is a vulnerable spot for burglars. Use three or more screws to attach it directly to the window frame.
Install a small window sensor alarm. Magnetic controls set above the air conditioner will go off if the unit is moved or the window is opened. The high-pitched noise will alert anyone in the home and likely scare the burglar away.
Burglars will most often take the path of least resistance. It is important to add measures to prevent home break-ins and protect of your home.
Trusts Can Help Your Legacy Live On
Discussing death with anyone is never a pleasant aspect of financial planning, but it’s certainly one of the most important. While no one likes to discuss his or her own mortality, many wonder how they’ll be remembered. Perhaps you want your legacy to live on through the work of a charity, or desire to bypass the probate that is associated with a will. Whatever the reason, a trust may be an excellent option to consider.
Trusts, simply put, are a way to transfer assets and property into one legal entity. One of the biggest benefits to a trust is that when properly established, probate court and legal costs associated with a will can be avoided. A trust provides greater protection than a will against legal action from anyone who is unhappy with the distribution of assets and decides to challenge it. Also, a will is a matter of public record, while a trust, when established properly, is not.
Many important uses of trusts do exist. Trusts can minimize possible conflict between heirs when an estate is being settled, set out how assets are distributed to beneficiaries, who inherits property, as well as who has the right to use it and under what conditions, and how and when money is disbursed for children or grandchildren’s educational expenses. A charitable trust is a popular way to transfer assets such as money, real estate, or art, and designate that they eventually be given to a specific organization. Trusts can also help manage your clients’ affairs if they become unable to do so. Many set up trusts to prepare for the possibility that they may become disabled or ill before their death, and thus unable to manage their assets properly.
Aside from a will, trusts provide additional options for making certain that a legacy lives on. Trusts can help manage property and assets and make sure they are distributed after death according to your wishes.