Agent News

Transmission – April 2020

Message from Vice President Abel Travis

Valued Clients and Partners,

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)  has presented new and extraordinary challenges for our industry. I want to assure you that our priority is to continue to provide the excellent service you have come to expect from us, while ensuring the safety, health and wellness of the Fundamental Underwriters team. To this end, I’m happy to share our operations will continue uninterrupted — with the entire  team equipped to work remotely.

As part of our ongoing service to you, we direct you to parent company website to review our response to COVID-19 page, which includes information and resources you may find helpful. Our staff will also continue to proactively assist in navigating this new business environment and work with you to manage impacts.

If there is anything we can do to assist you in staying safe and healthy during this challenging time, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns — as always, feel free to call me personally.

We truly appreciate your continued partnership and I am confident that we will collectively emerge from this challenge stronger than ever before.

Sincerely,

Abel Travis, Vice President Fundamental Underwriters

[email protected]

Payment Exceptions Related to COVID-19

With the continuing spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and subsequent closure of many businesses, we understand that some of our customers will struggle to make timely premium and/or audit payments. As your insurance partner, we want to provide the assurance that we will work with our policyholders to accommodate requests regarding payments or non-pay cancellations.

We are taking several steps to assist in these situations. First, we are suspending all non-pay cancellation actions for 60 days (effective Monday, March 23). This should provide respite from financial obligations for customers especially impacted by reduced business. Additionally, we are working with our policyholders who need to reduce payrolls on a temporary basis — as well as offering payment options for policyholders struggling to make recent audit payments.

Agents are encouraged to contact us — or have policyholders contact us directly — to make arrangements or exceptions, if this becomes necessary. We will review each exception on an individual basis, and work with the agent and policyholder to determine an acceptable solution. Note that if we do not receive communication from either the agent or customer, we will follow normal payment and delinquency procedures.

For additional details regarding payroll changes, payment exceptions and on-site Loss Control and Audit visits, please click here for frequently asked questions.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, please continue to visit reliable resources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

We greatly appreciate your continued partnership as we work together to keep people safe.

CarriersEdge Partnership

CarriersEdge is an industry-leading online driver training provider, who we’ve recently partnered with to offer access to their services at a discount of up to 50%. For more information on the program and course offerings, please visit this page, which includes the CarriersEdge Driver Training document and the Course List.

Ergonomics for the Home Office

According to the Mayo Clinic, a comfortable workspace can help you feel your best — and we couldn’t agree more! With millions of jobs requiring work from home availability, it’s important to remember the ergonomic principles to improve the “fit” between the worker and the workspace.

A practical approach considers the match between the person, the equipment they use, their work processes and the work environment. A person’s capabilities, physical attributes and work habits must be recognized to improve ergonomic factors in the workplace.

Tips to keep in mind as you prepare to work from home:

  • Find adequate lighting. Ensure your space has both natural and artificial light sources. Make sure lighting is not shining directly on you or your monitor.
  • Improve your circulation. Set reminders to step away from your desk to stretch or take a short walk.
  • Minimize storage and clutter. Clutter around your work area is not just a distraction, but a trip and fall exposure too.
  • Get a full night of sleep. According to healthline.com, a good night’s rest has been linked to improved productivity and concentration and improved immune function.
  • Make sure your workstation fits you. Assess your home office space to ensure that your workspace meets your needs — especially when new furniture, equipment or tasks are introduced.

For additional information, as well as a few more tips and tricks, we encourage you to visit the sites below:

Office Ergonomic Video

Ergonomic eLearning

Stay Productive While Working From Home

Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace