• About
  • Events, Articles & Resources
  • Claims

W3 Insurance

  • Request a Quote
  • Client Login
  • About
    • Community
    • History
    • Women’s Advantage
    • Green Initiative
    • Contact
  • Claims
  • Articles & Resources
    • Webinars & Seminars
  • Request a Quote
  • Client Login
  • Commercial Insurance
    • Our Process: The W3 Advantage
      • Risk Evaluation
      • Claims Advocacy & Management
      • Safety & Loss Control
      • HR & Regulatory Compliance
      • Technology
      • Workers’ Compensation Consulting
    • Insurance Products & Risk Financing
    • For Your Industry
    • Small Business Insurance Commercial
  • Employee Benefits
    • Our Process: The W3 Advantage
      • Health Care Reform
      • HR Compliance
      • Workplace Wellness
      • Benefit Design Strategies
      • HR Technology
      • Enrollment & Communication
    • Health Insurance & Other Products
    • Small Business Benefits
  • Marine Insurance
  • Personal Insurance
    • Auto Insurance
    • Homeowners Insurance
    • Marine Insurance
    • Flood Insurance
    • Personal Umbrella Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Health Insurance

Home » Articles & Resources

Watering the Dehydrated Workplace

August 6, 2019 By Amy Hammond

It’s time to water those workers! Raise a glass of H20 (or two) with your employees, and you may well find that concentration levels increase. Lethargic workers find a sudden burst of energy. And Joe, who’s always calling out from his cubicle about that afternoon headache? He’s working away on a project, noggin feeling just fine.

Here’s why it’s so important to support good water intake:

  • Air conditioning is virtually everywhere in Florida – and it’s a hydration negative. AC units are designed to lower the atmospheric water content, and that phenomenon leads to people experiencing water loss via the skin or lungs. Yes, indoor workers lose less water than those whose tasks take them outside – but they are not immune to dehydration just because they’re cooler.
  • Outdoor workers face an ongoing risk – According to the Mayo Clinic, water intake requirements depend on the person. It’s a sure bet that a road crew working in August on the blacktop is going to need more water than the CPA in her fifth-floor office building. The much-touted recommendation ‘8 glasses a day’ is relatively sound, though some individuals definitely require more liquids. Some require less.  A good rule is for outdoor workers especially to stay ahead of thirst. Once one becomes thirsty, she is already mildly dehydrated.
  • Indoors or out, the dehydrated worker is likely not as productive as his water-swilling coworker. Our bodies cannot make the water we need in order to function optimally. Instead, it doles out symptoms to remind us to fill up those bottles. Lack of concentration is a commonly touted one, as is lethargy and headaches. None are helpful for work progress. Additionally, severe dehydration carries possible severe consequences that are much worse than lack of productivity.

What’s an employer to do? Consider a company-wide giveaway of stainless steel water bottles. (If you do opt for classic plastic, make sure they are BPA free. That’s a topic for another blog). Educate your workforce regarding dehydration symptoms. Encourage them to reach for a glass of water when they experience a lull in their day. Remind them that total liquid intake takes their food choices into account – thus that 2pm apple counts toward the hydration whole.

It could be that a good deal of workers are arriving to work dehydrated and leaving at the end of the workday in the same state. Make sure there’s water, water everywhere at the office, and that may be all it takes for on the job refreshment.

Filed Under: Worksite Wellness

Share this

  • email
  • facebook
  • tumblr
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • google+
  • pinterest

5 Tips for the 2019 Hurricane Season

June 10, 2019 By Doris Sova

Filed Under: Homeowners

Share this

  • email
  • facebook
  • tumblr
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • google+
  • pinterest

Outbreak: Measles in the Workplace

June 5, 2019 By Trish Blocker

Hillsborough Identified as a ‘measles prone’ area

What if educating your employees could halt the outbreak of an infectious disease? Would you share vaccination information to help not only your workforce but the greater good? In an age where inoculating has become merely optional for some people and travelers visit countries with measles outbreaks and bring the germs back across our borders, diseases that were all but eradicated in the United States due to vaccination protocols are attempting an American comeback. Hillsborough County has been pinpointed as one of 25 counties prone to a measles outbreak.*

This is a potential health emergency. In 2000, measles was all but eradicated in the United States. Come 2019, we now have the highest incidence of cases in our nation since 1994; more than 830 have been identified this year so far. Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications or death. The good news? The disease is hugely preventable. Here’s how to fight back.

  • Inform employees of their healthcare benefits – Vaccines fall under the umbrella of preventive services. That means they are covered at 100% through insurance, with no out of pocket costs associated to the employee or dependents if they go to a participating provider or pharmacy. There is an obvious reason for this. Vaccines are so important to society at large that it is dangerous for all individuals to not receive them. For more information about preventive services covered through insurance, visit: https://bit.ly/1OxO6qw
  • Take this opportunity to open up a wider discussion about healthcare – Flu shots and many other vaccines are covered as well. As any employer knows, working in close quarters with others means that germs are transmitted easily. The flu shot in particular does not offer full immunity to all strains of influenza, but it at least lessons a person’s chance of contracting the strain included in that year’s vaccine. Flu shots will be available in September.

Remember to remind employees that the costs for some health services may change if they choose to visit a physician or facility that is out of network. And for more information and guidance regarding vaccination and other health and wellness questions, contact Trish Blocker, CWWS, at tblocker@w3ins.com.  

*To view a list of the 25 counties identified as measles-prone by researchers, visit: https://wb.md/2Q8hvOm.

Filed Under: Worksite Wellness

Share this

  • email
  • facebook
  • tumblr
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • google+
  • pinterest

Disability Insurance: Who Needs It?

May 22, 2019 By Amy Hammond

Looking for a crystal-clear answer dictating whether or not you should purchase disability insurance? Here it is (drumroll please). If you work 30+ hours weekly and depend on your paycheck, you need a policy. Read below as we answer additional questions to explain why thousands of people each year are thankful they opted for the coverage.

What is disability insurance, exactly? Injured in a car accident? Diagnosed with cancer? Disability insurance provides income replacement benefits that help pay bills so that you can direct your energy toward what’s really important – recovery. Individuals who suffer a disability but don’t have a disability insurance policy will likely have to use their savings/investments to continue to afford monthly expenses. This puts a huge amount of stress on the individual as well as their family.

How do I know if I’m qualified to receive disability insurance? Policy limits are determined based on your current income, and you must be actively at work for a minimum of 30 hours each week to qualify.

Do I really need disability insurance if my occupation is not hazardous? Absolutely. More people are sidelined each year due to illness than to accidents. Claims statistics show that 80% of claims benefits have been paid due to an illness. Disability insurance doesn’t just protect your livelihood if you’re injured while on the job (be careful pouring that hot coffee, by the way). It protects you outside of work.

How do I know how much to purchase? Some employers provide their workforce with disability insurance. However, even if your employer provides a policy, the limits may not be adequate to cover expenses. Be aware of what is already offered to you before you call a disability insurance advisor to ask about insuring for gaps of coverage. Filling the gaps of coverage from your group policy with a supplemental individual disability policy can make a huge difference.

How affordable is disability insurance? Online tools such as the one found atprincipal.com/calculatemyneed give you a general view of how much coverage is necessary and the corresponding costs involved. Policies are often flexible, and there are selections for nearly any budget. It’s imperative that you speak with an advisor who can access different policies and options for you.

The bottom line is this: We have to expect the unexpected. There are too many stories about random diagnoses and accidents for us to ignore them; the news reports such tragedies every day. Most individuals insure their home, car, and boat (and even their cell phones) but then forget to insure the proverbial ‘golden egg’ – their paycheck.  

Contact disability insurance advisor Abbey Bowersox, CLU at 727-522-7777 ext. 150 and start a discussion that ends with coverage. Should illness or injury occur, your income will be protected – and hopefully the healing can then begin.

Filed Under: Employee Benefits

Share this

  • email
  • facebook
  • tumblr
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • google+
  • pinterest

The Fittest Workplace on the Planet – Is it Yours?

May 6, 2019 By Josh Ferret

Can your workplace contend for the title “Fittest Workplace on the Planet?” We’ve all heard of the benefits of physical activity on the individual: increased life span, whittled waistline and overall health improvement are just a few. When fit individuals are a collective employee force, you can expect productivity through the roof (and workers so strong they can nearly raise it).

While you don’t have to contend for Fittest Workplace on the Planet to reap the organizational benefits of physical fitness, a fitter workforce benefits everyone. Take the initiative and educate your employees. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, so resources to help you on your quest are especially easy to find.

Start here: https://healthfinder.gov/nho/MayToolkit.aspx. Within this toolkit, you’ll discover the benefits of physical activity and how to motivate employees to jump on the ‘fitness bandwagon.’ Remind your employees that fitness isn’t relegated to the young; people can benefit from becoming fitter at any age.

Classic suggestions include educational snippets in your employee newsletter and information disseminated on organizational social media platforms. Bring speakers into the office who explain how to make exercise part of a busy lifestyle. And get creative – no two employee populations are the same, so what fits your employee roster may not fit another.

Here are some possibilities we’ve seen work. Take this list as an a la carte menu of fitness motivational options.

  •  Make it a competition! Can’t afford a fancy fitness tracker for every employee? Consider a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) event. Today’s cell phones have pedometers already programmed within. There are also downloadable pedometer apps available. Welcome employees to track their progress and give prizes for those who move the most. And no putting the device on the dog and letting him loose at a park (we’ve heard it happen).
  • Inspire others by having employees share their fitness journeys. Think about your employees for a moment. Has someone been taking the New Year’s resolutions seriously? Have they been exercising and seeing results? Have them share with the rest of their colleagues how their path toward fitness is progressing.
  • Sponsor a race for charity – or simply field a team and compete. Some businesses are full of runners and walkers who jump at the opportunity for a free race entry. Some go the proverbial ‘extra mile.’ We recently had a client hire a personal trainer to offer weekly training sessions to train employees for an upcoming 5K. This was well received and increased participation.  Go one step further and provide your athletes with shirts that advertise the business. It’s a win-win for fitness and advertising!
  • Don’t forget the biometric screening fair. If you’ve already hosted one for your employees, great. Physical activity can help lower blood pressure, among other health benefits. Following a biometric screening event with a fitness education and motivation campaign makes sense.
  • Ask your health insurance provider for more ideas. Trish Blocker from W3 Insurance has spent years counseling businesses to help improve employee activity levels. She has access to a host of resources and will be happy to provide an action plan that – while it may not land you the ‘World’s Fittest Workplace’ honors – will at least inch you closer to the title.

Be fit, friends.

Filed Under: Worksite Wellness

Share this

  • email
  • facebook
  • tumblr
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • google+
  • pinterest
  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 35
  • Next Page »
  • Articles & Resources
  • Webinars & Seminars
  • Webinar Playback

Categories

  • Auto Insurance
  • Commercial Insurance
  • Employee Benefits
  • Flood Insurance
  • General
  • Health and Wellness
  • Homeowners
  • Hurricane Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Marine Insurance
  • News
  • Nonprofit Division
  • Personal Insurance
  • Personal Umbrella
  • Press Releases
  • Property & Casualty Insurance
  • Safety
  • Uncategorized
  • W3 Advantage
  • Water Damage Protection
  • Workers Compensation
  • Worksite Wellness
Tampa Bay Times Top Workplaces Award Tampa Bay Business Journal Healthiest Employers Award Tampa Bay Business Journal Corporate Philanthropy Award American Heart Association Fit Friendly Workplace Award

Contact Us

300 First Ave South, 5th Floor
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

(727) 522-7777
(800) 783-5085 (toll-free)


2000 Webber Street, Suite 100
Sarasota, Florida 34239

(941) 377-7283

Contact Us Careers

Latest News and Events

  • W3 Insurance Opens New Sarasota Location – Location Designed to Better Serve Clients
  • Storm Preparation for Golf Clubs Tees Off Here – Before the Storm, There’s W3
  • What’s New in Smoking Cessation? Goodbye, Cigs – Hello, Healthier Employees
  • Homeowners Insurance and Hurricanes: What Is (and Isn’t) Covered

Follow W3

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Email Signup

W3 Insurance Logo

Privacy Policy | ©2019 Wallace Welch & Willingham