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“I Can’t Get No…” or Can I?

Steve Acunto

Just to pass along some new data on small business employee satisfaction, the category of most agencies, it appears that the triumphs and challenges of small businesses can augur the mega trends of the American economy. Aflac just conducted its 2018 Small Business Happiness Survey with 1,000 small business employees across the U.S. to determine the state of small business. The big picture results were promising­—91 percent of respondents said they feel optimistic about the future of small business—but employees believe there is still room for improvement on key areas like equal pay.

The study found that:

• Only 30 percent of small business employees surveyed think the industry is achieving complete success when it comes to equal pay. Of the same group, 22 percent say that little to no success has been achieved and 48 percent say that success has been achieved but there is still room for growth.

• Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of employees said that working at a small business is less stressful than a larger corporation. Similarly, 87 percent of small business employees somewhat or strongly agreed that working for a small business is more fun than working at a large business.

• Almost all respondents (91 percent) say they believe employee happiness is at least somewhat important to their company leadership. In fact, more than half of all small business employees surveyed (55 percent) say that employee happiness is very important to their leadership.

• The increasing desire to solve gender issues also aligns with recent findings from the 2018 Aflac CSR Survey, which surveyed employees from all businesses. Of that group, 60 percent of women say that paying men and women equally for the same work should be among a company’s top priorities. Additionally, 26 percent of HR managers surveyed said they believe their company pays men more than women for the same work.

In this issue we look at a serious matter: insurance regulations’ and regulators’ effects over recent history. Our contributors, Bill Marcoux and Nicholas Kourides are “top guns” among insurance attorneys and counsel and we are pleased to present them.

Actually, New York is blessed with at least 30 top insurance attorneys in private practice who have merited publication here and in other journals like ours. It has been suggested that I do a Top 50 NY insurance attorneys, but I already have enough enemies. Imagine numbering them. Or alphabetizing them. Or using good looks and personality. Or hourly rates. Let’s skip it.… InVEST, the insurance industry’s premier classroom-to-career education program, has announced that Applied Systems has donated $35,000 to the program. Reid French, CEO of Applied, announced the donation during a keynote presentation at this week’s Applied Net 2018, the flagship conference for Applied software users and the largest gathering of independent insurance professionals in the world. The InVEST contribution coincides with Applied Systems’ 35th anniversary this year and “reflects the company’s continued commitment to investing in the future of the industry”. “Through Applied’s generous gift to the InVEST program, young insurance professionals will be better equipped with financial literacy, insurance education and scholarships,” said Robert Rusbuldt, president & CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. “Companies, educators, volunteers, agents and industry leaders, like Applied Systems, are key to the success of the InVEST program. We applaud and thank them for their commitment to this critical program.” Founded in 1970 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, InVEST promotes insurance education to attract individuals to pursue a career in the insurance industry. Each year, the program prepares thousands of students for insurance-related careers with a hands-on curriculum taught in high schools, adult education centers and colleges. As a 501(c)(3) educational trust, InVEST benefits from the support of numerous insurance organizations, hundreds of agencies, brokers and volunteers. Applied Systems is a global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and the U.K.… Speaking of awards, congrats to PIANY Management Services Inc. on receiving two Gold Awards for excellence in its flagship member publication, PIA magazine. This first award is in the “print media/association/magazine” category. The second award is in the “print media/print creativity/illustration/graphic design/infographic” category for its March 2018 issue of its PIA magazine infographic on the changing workforce in our industry. “To have PIA magazine recognized yet again by this international award competition is a huge accomplishment for our association,” said PIA Management Services Inc. CEO Mark J. LaLonde, CPIA, CIC, AAI. “We’re always trying to make our publications more interesting and fun for our readers; we have recently introduced infographics to our magazine, and we’re thrilled that it’s being recognized already.” PIA magazine is a monthly, state-specific publication for professional independent insurance agents in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Tennessee, which issues its publication on a quarterly basis. It has the most active, qualified readership of any trade magazine serving the insurance community, reaching more than 4,500 member agencies with a pass-along readership of 20,000 industry professionals. More than 6,000 entries were submitted to the MarCom Creative Awards, which is an international awards competition recognizing the outstanding achievements by marketing and communication practitioners. Nice work, Glenmont.