Many firms are asking staff to return to work in the office. We are no longer required to self-isolate with Covid and there is no obligation for staff to tell employers if they test positive. So what does this mean for workplace safety in 2022?

Infection prevention

Many employers are experiencing an increased expectation from their workforce to keep staff safe and well. Employers should continue to prioritise infection prevention and control, where possible increasing ventilation, reducing contact between employees and keeping the workplace clean.

Remote working obligations

Now that businesses of all types have adapted to remote working, many have embraced it. Some have even altered recruitment policies to widen the pool of talent and actively recruited people on remote-working contracts.

In the rush to shift to remote working in 2020, a large number of employers may not have taken the time to complete home-based working risk assessments. Now that remote working is here to stay, it is important that risk managers take seriously the health and safety responsibilities of people working at home. From electrical equipment to posture, employers have a legal duty to take appropriate measures to ensure their staff have a safe working environment outside of the workplace.

Mental Health

Employers across the country are placing mental health and wellbeing high up on their agenda, offering training to line managers and appointing roles such as a mental health first aider. In 2021, The Health & Safety Executive’s annual report on workplace health and safety statistics, showed 451,000 people suffering from a new case of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety. That was a 30% year-on-year increase and we expect that figure to rise again.

Some employees will not feel comfortable returning to pre-pandemic working patterns. They may need help managing a phased return to the workplace, along with psychological support around coping with anxious thoughts.

For others, the last two years working from home may have taken a toll on their mental health. Employees working from home are more likely to feel isolated compared to those in a workplace, sometimes resulting in anxiety, depression and a significant lack of motivation. Employers should be reassuring employees that they can ask for help and receive support if they need it.  

Disputes linked to safety concerns

Risk managers need to be aware of the potential for unrelated disputes to play out in a workplace safety context. An employee with a grievance about terms of employment, a flexible working request or even a performance-related issue, could latch onto workplace safety as a justification for a certain course of action.

It is more important than ever for risk managers to work in partnership with Human Resources departments as well as individual line managers, ensuring processes are well-documented and paper trail management is scrupulous.

Now is a great time to ensure your insurance policies cover you for all the risks to which you may be exposed. To discuss any aspect of your company’s insurance policy portfolio, get in touch.

Many firms are asking staff to return to work in the office. We are no longer required to self-isolate with Covid and there is no obligation for staff to tell employers if they test positive. So what does this mean for workplace safety in 2022?

Infection prevention

Many employers are experiencing an increased expectation from their workforce to keep staff safe and well. Employers should continue to prioritise infection prevention and control, where possible increasing ventilation, reducing contact between employees and keeping the workplace clean.

Remote working obligations

Now that businesses of all types have adapted to remote working, many have embraced it. Some have even altered recruitment policies to widen the pool of talent and actively recruited people on remote-working contracts.

In the rush to shift to remote working in 2020, a large number of employers may not have taken the time to complete home-based working risk assessments. Now that remote working is here to stay, it is important that risk managers take seriously the health and safety responsibilities of people working at home. From electrical equipment to posture, employers have a legal duty to take appropriate measures to ensure their staff have a safe working environment outside of the workplace.

Mental Health

Employers across the country are placing mental health and wellbeing high up on their agenda, offering training to line managers and appointing roles such as a mental health first aider. In 2021, The Health & Safety Executive’s annual report on workplace health and safety statistics, showed 451,000 people suffering from a new case of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety. That was a 30% year-on-year increase and we expect that figure to rise again.

Some employees will not feel comfortable returning to pre-pandemic working patterns. They may need help managing a phased return to the workplace, along with psychological support around coping with anxious thoughts.

For others, the last two years working from home may have taken a toll on their mental health. Employees working from home are more likely to feel isolated compared to those in a workplace, sometimes resulting in anxiety, depression and a significant lack of motivation. Employers should be reassuring employees that they can ask for help and receive support if they need it.  

Disputes linked to safety concerns

Risk managers need to be aware of the potential for unrelated disputes to play out in a workplace safety context. An employee with a grievance about terms of employment, a flexible working request or even a performance-related issue, could latch onto workplace safety as a justification for a certain course of action.

It is more important than ever for risk managers to work in partnership with Human Resources departments as well as individual line managers, ensuring processes are well-documented and paper trail management is scrupulous.

Now is a great time to ensure your insurance policies cover you for all the risks to which you may be exposed. To discuss any aspect of your company’s insurance policy portfolio, get in touch.

Finding the right car insurance is important for many reasons, and if you are insuring a prestige car, the stakes are even higher. The last thing you need or want is to incur extra expenses that could have been avoided by spending a bit more time paying attention to the finer details of your policy. You don’t want to pay over the odds for the right policy, but you do want to get the policy your car deserves.

Security 

Cars at the prestigious end of the market often come with high levels of security as standard, but there are ways to improve this. And if you do, you could bring down the price of your policy significantly. Parking your car off the road or in a garage at night will also reduce the cost of your premium. Aftermarket alarms, trackers, brake and clutch locks, and wheel clamps are some of your options.

Mileage 

You may not choose to drive your sports, luxury, or rare classic car every day, preferring to drive something more practical. This will help reduce your mileage and your premium costs.

Consider add-ons carefully  

There are many add-ons available and, in many ways, they are worth looking at more closely if you drive a prestige car, here are a few:  

• Protect your no-claims bonus If you hope to own a prestige car one day or are already lucky enough to be the proud owner of a car that is a little more special, then either way it’s always a good idea to insure your no-claims bonus. The cost of starting again for prestige cars can be considerably higher than for less desirable cars.    

• Windscreen cover These are a lot more expensive to replace on prestige cars, in some cases running into thousands, so, if you are in the habit of claiming for cracked windscreens but you don’t want to make a claim and ruin your no-claims bonus. The solution is to ensure you have windscreen cover. Windscreen cover comes as standard on our policy so why not take a look? 

• Breakdown cover This will take care of towing your car to a garage as you will not want to abandon it on the roadside if it suffers a breakdown.   

• Car key cover The entry systems for your prestige car can be very expensive to replace due to its complexities and multiple functions.   

• Legal cover This will cover you against legal costs if you need to claim for uninsured losses. It will also cover your legal costs if you end up in court and need to make a claim or if another driver wants to claim against you.    

Advanced driving courses 

The chances are your prestige car is not lacking in the power department. Completing an advanced driving course could be, with some insurers, the road to a cheaper premium. 

Pay attention to the detail 

Whether you bought your car brand new or used it will most likely be equipped with upgrades or optional extras. It’s important to tell your insurer about these. With alloy wheels on some prestige cars costing thousands, it’s worth checking.

Allow your broker to get the best deal for you   

Talk to your broker, who will do what they do best by finding the right tailored policy that suits your needs with the right level of add-ons and at the right price. Whether you drive an old classic, an ultra-quick sports car, or the ultimate in luxury, your broker will find a specialist insurer so you can get maximum enjoyment with minimal worry.  

Get a quote from our dedicated team today and get the best car insurance for you. 

No two homes are the same, and add-ons can tailor your policy so that your home’s insurance needs suit you down to the ground. In some cases, you may want to swap the things you don’t need on your policy for the features you do need at no extra cost. The cost of repairs caused by damage to your biggest asset, filled with your precious possessions, could be life-changing without the right level of cover. 

Home emergency cover 

This type of cover is all about getting you out of a very sticky situation quickly and less about insuring your home, as the name may suggest. Instead, you are covered for emergency electrical, plumbing, and pest control problems. The cost of getting these highly sought-after skills to remedy these problems at short notice can be extremely expensive. So, if you live in an older house, this is ideal. 

Accidental damage  

This may already be an integral part of your policy. That said, the devil is in the detail and it’s always best to check what you are and are not covered for. For example, your standard content coverage may include accidental damage to your TV but may not include damage to furniture caused by infants. So, tailor this to your family's needs. 

Personal possessions cover 

If you are out of the house a lot, most of your possessions will be covered by your standard contents policy. But if you want to go a step further, a good add-on will include insuring your portable items, such as your mobile phone, laptop, watch, or handbag. 

Legal expenses 

If you end up in court because someone had an accident in your home, the legal costs can run into the hundreds of thousands. You might consider this highly unlikely, but with an increasing number of people taking the opportunity to make a claim, it’s worth considering. Again, some insurers may provide this as standard. 

Cycles cover  

Many insurers will cover the cost of replacing the contents of your shed. But just because your bike is stored there does not mean that it will automatically be covered. If you have a particularly nice selection of bikes, you will most likely have to insure them as add-ons. 

Talk to your broker 

It may feel sometimes like you are being sold something you don’t need, but add-ons should not be considered an afterthought. Rather, they are worth serious consideration. They could save you a lot of money. By talking to your broker and considering factors such as the age of your home, they can find the best policy for you. 

Find the right home insurance policy by browsing our website and selecting the options that meet your home’s needs best.  

In this digital age, it’s never been more essential to have the right cyber insurance in place. It’s hard to think of a business that does not have some kind of online presence or uses a computer in some form at some point. There are many misconceptions about cyber insurance and more than that, it is largely misunderstood. 

What is cyber insurance? 

Cyber insurance covers your business from threats such as data breaches, including sensitive information, cyber-attacks, and hacks on your computer systems. 

What does cyber insurance cover? 

A good cyber insurance policy can cover you against the costs of investigating cybercrimes, restoring stolen or lost data, restoring, or replacing damaged computers and other affected hardware, damage to your business’s reputation, extortion payments demanded by hackers, and costs of notifying affected third parties, loss of income and legal costs if your customers decide to take you to court.     

Myth 1 

You don’t need cyber insurance because your business has invested in IT security.  

No matter what systems you have in place your business is never 100% safe from cyber-attacks and if they occur the costs can spiral to eye-watering levels. Hackers and cyber-attacks are constantly evolving and finding new ways to destroy your business. 

Myth 2 

You don’t hold any sensitive information therefore you don’t need cyber insurance. 

Cyber-attacks are not all about sensitive information you may or may not hold about clients or customers. It can be as much about damage to your systems or fraudulent funds transfers. Cyber insurance covers you against the interruption of your business.  

Myth 3 

Your business is too small to be targeted. 

Hackers are not choosey and small, medium-sized and large businesses to organisations and charities are all targets. According to the cyber security breaches survey released in April 2023, there were approximately 2.39 million instances of cybercrime in 12 months.* In essence cyber attackers target the vulnerable not just the valuable. 

Myth 4 

Cyber insurance is already covered by other existing policies.  

There may be some common ground in certain areas of your insurance policies, which is why it is vital that you speak to your broker and get the details of your coverage right. Leaving your business, company, or organisation vulnerable is like leaving the front door of your premises open, and the cost of spending a bit more time with your broker could prevent potentially millions in costs.   

Myth 5 

Cyber insurance is expensive.  

With many businesses taking out cyber insurance the costs of a premium have become competitive. A premium will be based on many factors from the risk class of the insured, revenue, and business sector to the type of coverage. The cost of cyber insurance is extremely low compared with the potentially astronomical levels of turnover that could be lost due to your business grinding to a halt. Worse still being wiped out. If you are a business owner, the last thing you want is for years of hard work to be destroyed in seconds.  

Get a quote and tailor your cyber insurance policy perfectly to all your business needs with our expert team today.     

 GOV.UK*