“The only constant is change.” Few statements are more profound or more accurate. To help New Yorkers tend to personal matters when facing change – from the birth of a child to the declining health of a loved one – the State of New York signed into law the nation’s most comprehensive Paid Family Leave policy to date. Joy Maas, Director of Business Development, Marketing Strategy and Account Management for AmTrust Financial Services, walks businesses owners and insurance agents through the claims-filing process, sharing tips and insight along the way.

The recent news about the Equifax Data Breach incident may get you thinking about your small business’s data security. If you aren’t familiar with the story, here is some background: malware (software designed to damage or disable computer systems) installed on some of the restaurant’s payment systems may have been collecting customers' credit and debit card information. In lieu of this story and others like it, you may be wondering: is my customer data secure? What else can I do to protect it? This article will discuss ways you can help improve your data security and how to better protect your customers' data.

Since the New York Paid Family Leave (PFL) program is new and unprecedented in the country in terms of the amount and scope of benefits, there are bound to be some bumps in the road when it comes to filing PFL claims. To help minimize the frustrations of employees filing claims for PFL, we have provided three simple tips to help make the claims process easier and more efficient.

AmTrust is the third largest writer of workers’ compensation insurance for small businesses in the United States, according to SNL Financial’s 2016 Workers’ Comp market share report. While workers’ comp is largely what we are known for, our product portfolio contains a wide array of different business insurance coverages to suit the needs of our agents’ small business clients. Keep reading to find out more about the selection of insurance products AmTrust has to offer.

In a recent survey from Deloitte University Press, 64.9% of participants said news of cyber-related losses experienced by others was the biggest driver of cyber liability insurance sales. But why does it take another company losing millions of dollars for small and mid-size businesses to take note of their own exposures? As an AmTrust producer, your experience and expertise is invaluable to your clients. Every time you offer advice on limiting exposure, you have a direct hand in data breach prevention. Here are 3 tips for identifying your client’s potential for cyber exposure you can use with your clients in 2018

As the holiday shopping season winds down, small retailers and wholesalers know now more than ever the importance of BOP coverage for small businesses. A BOP ensures that your business is covered in the event of an accident or injury on your property, damage due to illegal activity, or business closure due to natural events. Keep reading to find out how retailers and wholesalers benefit from coverage.

As a general standard, business owners are a tough bunch. It takes grit and guts to embark on a business journey, and it’s not all glory and sunshine. Running a business is hard work. Not only is a business owner responsible for the livelihood of their employees, but they’re also responsible to their clients and customers to keep the lights on and the doors open. With an AmTrust BOP, small business owners can help make sure that even if the worst happens, the business can still keep running. Why do you need a BOP? Keep reading to find out.

Sue first; ask questions later. That’s the mindset of many employees in today’s workforce. Fueled by many factors, employee lawsuits can be devastating. Beyond damaging your business’s reputation, an employment claim can lead to lower morale, diminished productivity and lost trust.

Statistically, it’s three times more likely to happen than a fire. But like a devastating blaze, it could destroy your business. It’s an employee lawsuit. If you own a small business, the risk of being sued by an employee is very real. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employees of businesses big and small filed over 90,000 employment-related claims in 2016 alone. In this article, we’ll take a look at five industries that are ideally suited for Employment Practices Liability Insurance or EPLI.

Sales projections, project deadlines and prospecting for customers are always on the minds of small business owners. Unfortunately, something that rarely crosses a small business owner’s mind is the possibility of an employee lawsuit. The reality is that businesses, large and small, are more likely to encounter an employment-related claim than a property or general liability claim. In this article, we’ll explore why the need for Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) is greater than ever.

Commercial auto insurance isn’t just for “the big dogs.” Small businesses are just as much, if not more, at risk than larger businesses because a long claim payout time could spell disaster. Particularly, employers with just a few employees shouldn’t think twice about purchasing commercial auto insurance. In this article, we’ll go over what’s covered by commercial auto insurance, and why it’s important for small business owners.

According to an article from PropertyCasualty360 from April 2017, environmental liability claims have increased significantly in the past five years, specifically in the construction and mining sectors of Latin America. But if Hurricane Harvey and Irma were any indication, it’s clear that the effects of climate change are becoming more severe and wide spread each year. How will climate change affect small and medium business owners? Depending on the industry, the affects could be widespread. Among one of the top concerns should be for those utilizing commercial automotive insurance, since the industry is likely to be severely affected.

As the proportion of American workers who are 55 years of age or older increases, how will workers’ compensation utilization change? This is a monumental question for small business owners in the United States. According to one study, nearly 25% of the American labor force will be 55 or older by 2018. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the top 3 ways employee age can affect workers’ compensation utilization.

Serving in the U.S. Armed Forces brings with it a great honor. But it also comes with great sacrifices, obstacles, and pressures for a service member’s family. That is why it’s so essential for families to be prepared for the huge lifestyle and personal changes that come with active military duty deployment. Beginning January 1, 2018, New York State families will enjoy a new statewide Paid Family Leave. This coverage is designed to ensure financial stability for families who need extra time with their loved ones before, during, or after active duty. For more information on the policy change, read on.

Employers across New York are asking their agents questions about what the Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefit means to them. Providing financial and job security for eligible employees in the State of New York, the policy eases big family transitions like welcoming a new baby into the home and caring for an ill or injured family member. Help your clients get prepared by providing these helpful tips so they can be prepared for the policy launch on January 1, 2018.

Disability coverage is income insurance that most people think they’ll never need. But in reality, one in four American 20-year-olds will face disability before they retire. Not having disability insurance puts a worker and his family at risk when an unexpected injury or illness, such as cancer, strikes. To understand more about this mandatory insurance, click here.

Employers looking to save a few dollars in workers’ compensation premiums by underreporting their payroll or misclassifying employees are not only hurting other insureds, but they’re putting their own company at major risk, says the head of a multinational insurer’s fraud division. Don Houser, national director of AmTrust North America’s special investigator’s unit, said it’s part of an insurer’s role to protect against “premium fraud,” which ultimately means higher premiums for legitimate employers and could lead to felony counts against the business owner.

According to a December 16, 2014 news release from the US Department of Labor Statistics, the most common cause of workers’ comp claims, spanning all industries, is “overexertion and/or bodily reaction,” causing sprains, strains and yes, workers’ comp claims. Despite the high rate of occurrence, on-the-job mishaps can be serious, disabling and quite costly. Click here for some tips from the AmTrust blog on how to protect your clients.