Lawley Insurance

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  • Lawley Recognized as “Top Workplace” By Rochester Democrat and Chronicle for the Second Year in a Row

    Lawley Recognized as “Top Workplace” By Rochester Democrat and Chronicle for the Second Year in a Row

    Rochester Branch of Regional Commercial Insurance, Personal Insurance, Employee Benefits and Risk Management Broker Ranked in Top 10 Best Places To Work for Second Year Running

    Rochester, N.Y. (April  19, 2018) – Lawley, one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the United States according to Business Insurance, has been awarded a 2018 Top Workplaces honor by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, capturing a Top 10 position in the small employer category (35 – 124 employees).

    This is the second year Lawley’s Rochester office has entered this program. Recently, Lawley was also recognized by Business Insurance as a Best Places to Work in Insurance. The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by WorkplaceDynamics, LLC, a leading research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Several aspects of workplace culture were measured, including alignment, execution, and connection, among others.

    “We are excited to be recognized for the second year running! Our Rochester office prioritizes a collaborative and engaging workplace for our growing team. This recognition comes directly from our associates, and means that we are doing things right,” stated Phil Andolina, Lawley Partner. “We will continue to focus on our core values and deliver resources to help our team be the best at what they do while supporting our Rochester customers.”

    “The Top Workplaces award is not a popularity contest even though people assume it’s all about fancy perks and benefits,” says Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics. “To become a Top Workplace, companies must meet our strict standards for organizational health. And who better to ask about work life than the people who live the culture every day—the employees.”

    Among the list of employee perks Lawley offers include an Employee Appreciation Week, a wellness program with free yoga classes and healthy snacks developed by the Lawley in-house wellness team, continuing education training, and more. Team Lawley Cares (TLC), an internal committee at Lawley, promotes one of the five core Lawley values of being a community partner by working with community organizations to support Rochester-area charities with volunteer hours from our staff, donations, and more.

    To read about all of the 2018 Top Workplaces, click here.

    About Lawley

    Lawley is a privately-owned, independent regional insurance firm specializing in property, casualty and personal insurance, employee benefits and risk management consulting and ranked among the 100 Largest Insurance Brokers in the U.S., according to Business Insurance magazine.

    For over 60 years, Lawley’s team of more than 400 associates have developed customized property, casualty, surety and benefits insurance programs for businesses and municipalities of all sizes along with personalized protection for individuals and their families. Lawley is recognized as one of the Best Places to Work nationally by Business Insurance and Buffalo Business First.

    Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Lawley has branch offices across New York in Amherst, Batavia, Dunkirk, Mahopac, Plainview, Purchase and Rochester along with Darien, Connecticut and Florham Park, New Jersey. To find out more, visit lawleyinsurance.com.

     

    About WorkplaceDynamics, LLC

    Headquartered in Exton, PA, WorkplaceDynamics specializes in employee feedback surveys and workplace improvement. This year alone, more than two million employees in over 6,000 organizations will participate in the Top Workplaces™ campaign—a program it conducts in partnership with more than 40 prestigious media partners across the United States.

    Workplace Dynamics also provides consulting services to improve employee engagement and organizational health. WorkplaceDynamics is a founding B Corporation member, a coalition of organizations that are leading a global movement to redefine success in business by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business.

  • Lawley Announces Expansion of Employee Benefits Offerings with Individual Health Insurance Specifically for Seniors

    Lawley Announces Expansion of Employee Benefits Offerings with Individual Health Insurance Specifically for Seniors

    Employee Benefits Division of Lawley Hires Key Consultants to Offer Individual Health Insurance & Medicare Plans

    BUFFALO, NY, April 19, 2018 | Lawley is now able to offer individual health insurance in New York State with their newly acquired team of Individual & Senior Health Insurance Benefits Consultants.

    The key consultants hired to make this move include Craig Colburn, AJ Dolce, and Ben Lindquist all formerly of Arcade Senior Services in Jamestown, NY. All three are licensed and certified insurance agents and brokers, authorized to advise and enroll in both the Medicare and New York State Individual Medical Marketplace. They will be based out of Lawley’s Dunkirk office, but servicing Lawley’s entire footprint across NYS.

    This move means that Lawley can offer individuals aged 65+ the benefits they need as they migrate into retirement and off of their employer’s health insurance. This is a new niche for Lawley that will round out their employee benefits offerings for individuals residing in New York State.

    “This new team was put in place by Lawley to give the senior community and those closing in on retirement age the opportunity to equip themselves with health care coverage that fits their budget and provides proper benefits for their needs. Craig, AJ, and Ben will be able to offer advice and direction to help people make a well-informed choice regarding the future of their health insurance,” says Chuck Allesi, Partner of Lawley Employee Benefits.

    Click here to learn more about what Lawley can now offer in terms of Medicare, Individual, and Senior Health Insurance.

    ABOUT CRAIG COLBURN
    Craig Colburn was the Director of Individual and Senior Benefits at Arcade Senior Services. He is licensed and authorized to consult and enroll individuals in Medicare Advantage plans as well as supplemental insurance and prescription drug plans. Craig served as the broker of major medical plans with all carriers in New York State, as he is certified in the New York State Individual Exchange. At the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, Craig was the Director of Member Development. Craig managed six local Chautauqua Community Chambers of Commerce and their individual boards as well as being a General Manager at Chautauqua Suites and Expo Center. View his complete bio by clicking here.

    ABOUT AJ DOLCE
    A.J. Dolce specializes in writing Individual Benefits, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplemental and Prescription Drug Plans. After serving as Councilman and Mayor in the City of Dunkirk for 12 years, A.J. returned to the classroom as an Adult Literacy Instructor for Erie 2 BOCES. He also started a consulting business where he was contracted to write grants for municipalities and non-profits, while at the same time also working with JAT Energy as their Regional Sales Manager. View his complete bio by clicking here.

    ABOUT BEN LINDQUIST
    Ben Lindquist spent two years as the Director of Senior Benefits at Arcade Senior Services in Jamestown, NY. He was also the Executive Director at Chautauqua Striders Inc. for two years, a youth-based non-profit in Jamestown, NY. Ben was the Director and Assistant Director of Athletics at Jamestown Community College in Olean and Jamestown, NY for eight years. For six years, Ben was a professional baseball umpire in Minor League Baseball. View his complete bio by clicking here.

    ABOUT LAWLEY
    Lawley is a privately-owned, independent regional insurance firm specializing in property, casualty and personal insurance, employee benefits, and risk management consulting. Lawley is ranked among the 100 Largest Insurance Brokers in the U.S., according to Business Insurance magazine. For over 60 years, Lawley’s team of more than 400 associates have developed customized property, casualty, surety and benefits insurance programs for businesses and municipalities of all sizes along with personalized protection for individuals and their families.

    Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Lawley has branch offices across New York in Amherst, Batavia, Dunkirk, Mahopac, Plainview Long Island, Purchase and Rochester along with Darien, Connecticut and Florham Park, New Jersey. To find out more, visit lawleyinsurance.com.

  • OSHA 300A – Employers Must Post Injury/Illness Summary Beginning February 1st, 2018

    OSHA 300A – Employers Must Post Injury/Illness Summary Beginning February 1st, 2018

    OSHA is requiring employers to post a copy of OSHA’s Form 300A, which summarizes job-related injuries and illnesses logged during 2017.

    Each year, between Feb. 1st and April 30th, the summary must be displayed in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees and those in certain low-hazard industries are exempt from OSHA recordkeeping and posting requirements.

    Visit OSHA’s Recordkeeping Rule webpage for more information on recordkeeping requirements.

    If you need any assistance with the form, please don’t hesitate to contact Lawley’s Loss Control and Safety professionals.

  • Lawley Named “Best Place to Work” by Business Insurance

    Lawley Named “Best Place to Work” by Business Insurance

    Lawley ranked at number four on national list recognizing employers for creating an outstanding workplace culture

    Buffalo, N.Y. (Dec. 12, 2017) – Lawley – for the second year in a row – has been named in Business Insurance’s annual Best Place to Work in Insurance list. The company was honored in the medium-sized category (250-999 employees). The award recognizes employers for their outstanding performance in establishing workplaces where employees can thrive, enjoy their work and help their companies grow.

    Lawley, a family-oriented company, has built its culture around an internal wellness program focused on both physical and mental health benefits. The company offers a number of perks to employees, including:

    • Annual Employee Appreciation Week
    • On-site biometric screenings and complimentary yoga classes
    • College scholarship programs and paid trainings/certifications
    • Summer hours

    “We pride ourselves on investing in our most valuable asset – our people. Our success as a company is due to our ability to offer remarkable service and build relationships, which starts with treating our employees well,” said Bill Lawley, Jr., managing partner at Lawley. “We make it a top-priority to provide the resources, culture and environment to ensure time spent at work is rewarding, educational and fun.”

    Lawley is deeply committed to the communities they serve. Social responsibility is a priority and has direct, positive impact on those communities. Lawley employees spend a significant time throughout the year giving back locally.

    In addition to being named a Best Place to Work by Business Insurance, Lawley has been recognized as a   Top Work Place by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle and named to Buffalo Business First’s Best Place to Work list for more than eight years.

    “Being named to Business Insurance’s list of the Best Places to Work in Insurance for 2017 demonstrates that Lawley has built a culture in which employees are supported and engaged, which benefits their customers and the employers’ financial performance,” says Business Insurance Publisher Peter Oxner.

    Best Places to Work in Insurance is an annual feature presented by Business Insurance and Best Companies Group that lists the agents, brokers, insurance companies and other providers with the highest levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. Harrisburg, Pa.-based Best Companies Group identifies the leading employers in the insurance industry by conducting a free two-part assessment of each company. The first part is a questionnaire completed by the employer about company policies, practices and demographics. The second part is a confidential employee survey on engagement and satisfaction.

    The program divides employers into the categories of small, 25-249 employees; medium, 250-999 employees; and large, 1,000 or more employees. This year’s report features 75 companies of various sizes, from 25 employees to more than 4,000.

    The ranking and profiles of the winning companies were published in Business Insurance magazine and online at BusinessInsurance.com.

    About Lawley
    Lawley is a privately-owned, independent regional insurance firm specializing in property, casualty and personal insurance, employee benefits and risk management consulting and ranked among the 100 Largest Insurance Brokers in the U.S., according to Business Insurance magazine.

    For over 60 years, Lawley’s team of more than 375 associates have developed customized property, casualty, surety and benefits insurance programs for businesses and municipalities of all sizes along with personalized protection for individuals and their families. Lawley is recognized as one of the Best Places to Work nationally by Business Insurance and Buffalo Business First along with recognition as a Top Workplaces by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.

    Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Lawley has branch offices across New York in Amherst, Batavia, Fredonia, Melville, Purchase and Rochester along with Darien, Connecticut and Florham Park, New Jersey. To find out more, visit lawleyinsurance.com.

  • Risk Management Visits Result in Less Injuries on the Worksite

    Risk Management Visits Result in Less Injuries on the Worksite

    If there’s one thing that everyone wants on a construction site, it is increased safety for the crew.

    A new study done by the Journal of Safety Research looked at 1360 construction industry workers’ compensation insurance policyholders to investigate the correlation between the number of visits by a loss prevention professional and lost-time injuries.

    What they found: There is a significant reduction in risk of lost-time injuries after just a SINGLE visit by a loss prevention professional. The reduction of risk continues with two or three visits. Decreasing the risk of an accident is something that all construction sites should strive for. This study proves that by simply providing safety education through the consultation of a risk/loss professional, work sites become safer, injuries and accidents become less frequent, and the cost of workers’ compensation premiums will not skyrocket.

    At Lawley, we know that education and safety training is key for a lower risk work zone, especially for our construction clients. Please think about working with our Lawley Construction Insurance and Bonds Risk Management team to reduce the risk of accidents at your work site. Our loss prevention professionals will do their best to work with your employees and site managers to expose risks and increase safety education. We want to be a valuable partner to your organization, so let us know how we can help you today.

  • Lawley Adds Employee Benefits Veteran Ellen DiFrancisco to Growing Downstate Team

    Lawley Adds Employee Benefits Veteran Ellen DiFrancisco to Growing Downstate Team

    Top 100 insurance broker enhances employee benefits and health insurance team on Long Island with addition of highly experienced benefits specialist

    Buffalo, NY (Nov. 30, 2017) – Lawley, one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the United States according to Business Insurance, formally announces the addition of healthcare insurance veteran Ellen DiFrancisco as Employee Benefits Consultant.

    DiFrancisco will be based out of Lawley’s full-service and growing Plainview, NY office while supporting clients around Long Island (Westchester), along with customers at other Lawley branches across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

    Previously working at a third party administrator, DiFrancisco joins Lawley with over 17 years of experience, which has ranged from direct experience at nationwide carriers to working at a national consulting company whose clients included Fortune 500 companies, municipalities and other mid-to-large-sized organizations. DiFrancisco is also highly experienced in self-funding and workers’ compensation needs.

    “We are thrilled to add an experienced professional of Ellen’s caliber to work with our downstate clients. Her vast overall insurance knowledge specific to self-insurance, life insurance and ancillary benefits, along with experiences with the carriers, will be a great resource to companies looking to provide benefits programs for their employees,” stated TJ Revelas, Lawley Employee Benefits Managing Partner.

    Lawley’s continued focus on risk management will offer a proactive approach to how its staff consults with companies of all sizes. Lawley’s risk management team provides clients guidance on a full spectrum of risks, including claims management, claims consulting, safety programs, loss prevention and more.

    DiFrancisco, a psychology graduate from Fordham University, is very active in the industry and previously served as a member of New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), Westchester County Association (WCA), New York State Association of Self Insured Counties (NYSASIC) and the New York State Association of School Business Officials (NYSASBO). She is also active with Gateway Playhouse, Long Island’s Performing Arts Center of Suffolk County.

    For more information on Lawley, visit our employee benefits page.

    About Lawley
    Lawley is a privately-owned, independent regional insurance firm specializing in property, casualty and personal insurance, employee benefits and risk management consulting and ranked among the 100 Largest Insurance Brokers in the U.S., according to Business Insurance magazine.

    For over 60 years, Lawley’s team of more than 375 associates have developed customized property, casualty, surety and benefits insurance programs for businesses and municipalities of all sizes along with personalized protection for individuals and their families. Lawley is recognized as one of the Best Places to Work nationally by Business Insurance and Buffalo Business First along with recognition as a Top Workplaces by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.

    Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Lawley has branch offices across New York in Amherst, Batavia, Fredonia, Melville, Purchase and Rochester along with Darien, Connecticut and Florham Park, New Jersey. To find out more, visit lawleyinsurance.com.

  • Lawley Featured On WIVB Cybersecurity Story: Big and small companies on the radar of data hackers

    Lawley Featured On WIVB Cybersecurity Story: Big and small companies on the radar of data hackers

    Lawley’s cybersecurity and specialty insurance direct Reggie Dejean was recently featured on a expose by WIVB’s Luke Moretti about “Big and small companies on the radar of data hackers.”


    “You just don’t know what’s at stake,” said Dejean.

    Dejean talked about how data breaches can be especially tough on the bottom-line of small businesses.

    He says the cost of dealing with a breach can quickly add up, even before a lawsuit is settled.

    “You can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars for the credit monitoring, the notification costs, the public relations. All those costs that a small business can incur that may put them out of business,” Dejean said.

    There’s even insurance for this sort of thing — privacy liability, designed to protect a company in the event of a data breach.

    Generally speaking, Dejean says for about $1,000 a year, small businesses and nonprofits can get up to a million dollars of coverage.

    “You think about a small business. A million, two million, three million of revenue or less. When you start looking at the credit monitoring, the legal costs, the forensic, you can easily be in the $200,000 range,” Dejean said. “How many businesses doing a million dollars revenue a year. How many businesses can afford, bottom-line $200,000? They can’t.”

    Moretti explained that businesses and organizations should be asking these questions, according to the experts:

    • What information are you handling?
    • Where is it located?
    • Who has access to it?
    • What protections are in place?
    • What kind of training do employees receive?
    • What’s your plan if a breach happens?

    The story can be viewed here in its entirety.

  • Lawley Recognized in Consecutive Years as a 2017 Healthiest 100 Workplace in America®

    Lawley Recognized in Consecutive Years as a 2017 Healthiest 100 Workplace in America®

    Top 100 Insurance Broker recognized as a 2016 Healthiest 100 Workplace in America in program presented by Springbuk ®

    Buffalo, N.Y. (Nov. 2, 2017) – Lawley, a Top 100 independent insurance broker in the United States according to Business Insurance, has been recognized as a 2016 Healthiest 100 Workplace in America, an awards program presented by Springbuk®.

    The top one hundred employers were recognized last month at the Corporate Wellness Conference® in Washington D.C. The winning organizations are honored for their commitment to employee health and exceptional corporate wellness programming. Over 5,000 employers applied for the Award nationally.

    Award applicants were evaluated across six key categories: Vision, Culture/Engagement, Learning, Expertise, Metrics and Technology. Applicants were evaluated with the proprietary Healthiest Employer Index, a 1-100 metric for wellness programming. These organizations have achieved lasting success through a wide array of employee wellness initiatives and corporate wellness programs.

    “Corporate wellness is extremely important to us, both for our own employees and our clients.” – TJ Revelas, Lawley Employee Benefits Managing Partner

    “Corporate wellness is extremely important to us, both for our own employees and our clients. We practice what we preach and it’s important to us to provide our employees with the tools and information necessary to live a healthier life,” said TJ Revelas, Lawley Employee Benefits Managing Partner. “Our wellness program not only impacts the culture and morale, but also mitigates employees’ health risks and improves the bottom line.”

    “Year after year, we see strong growth and continued investment in work site wellness programs,” noted Rod Reasen, CEO of Springbuk, the scoring engine behind the national Healthiest Employer® Awards Program. “These 100 organizations are the best of the best. Their efforts are improving the health of their workforce and community.”

    More information on the 2017 Wellness Awards winners is available on the Springbuk website.

    About Lawley
    Lawley is a privately-owned, independent regional insurance firm specializing in property, casualty and personal insurance, employee benefits and risk management consulting and ranked among the 100 Largest Insurance Brokers in the U.S., according to Business Insurance magazine.

    For over 60 years, Lawley’s team of more than 350 associates have developed customized property, casualty, surety and benefits insurance programs for businesses and municipalities of all sizes along with personalized protection for individuals and their families. Lawley is consistently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work by Buffalo Business First.

    Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Lawley has branch offices across New York in Amherst, Batavia, Elmsford, Fredonia, Melville and Rochester along with Darien, Connecticut and Florham Park, New Jersey. To find out more, visit lawleyinsurance.com.

    About Healthiest Employers
    Healthiest Employers is the leading non-biased recognition program for U.S. corporate population health. Since 2009, Healthiest Employers has conducted thousands of assessments recognizing the nation’s leaders in corporate wellness. The Healthiest Employers family of recognition programs includes the Healthiest Employer Designation (regional), the Healthiest 100 Ranking (national), and the Healthiest Employers Wellness Awards for Program Innovation (national). The Healthiest Employer Designation is awarded regionally in 45 cities and analyzes six key areas of workplace wellness: Culture and Leadership Commitment, Foundational Components, Strategic Planning, Communication and Marketing, Programming and Interventions, and Reporting and Analytics. Organizations of all sizes and industries are encouraged to apply throughout the year. The Healthiest 100 is a national ranking of the 100 Healthiest Workplaces in America. This application is open to any regional Healthiest Employer designee and scores each company’s population health outcomes according to a rigorous methodology. The H100 ranking is determined by weighting across the local and national assessments. The Healthiest Employers Wellness Awards recognize innovation and effectiveness in corporate wellness at a national level in ten categories. Any U.S. employer with a health/wellness program is eligible to apply.

    About Springbuk, Inc.
    Springbuk is the leading health intelligence platform for employers. The tool arms employers with a complete view of their population to target engagement, pinpoint spending and measure results. Springbuk is the scoring engine behind the Healthiest Employer® Awards Program that includes over 18,000 employers that represent over 60 million employee lives. Learn more at www.springbuk.com and www.HealthiestEmployers.com.

  • Lawley Delivers First Annual Spotlight Awards To Employee Benefit Partners

    Lawley Delivers First Annual Spotlight Awards To Employee Benefit Partners

    On Wednesday, October 25th the Employee Benefits leadership held their first annual Spotlight Awards Presentation. The Spotlight Award was created to recognize those outstanding individuals among our business partners, vendors and carriers who go above and beyond to help our benefits team at Lawley provide superior customer service to our customers.

    Any associate on our Benefits team was eligible to make a nomination based on various criteria. Those selected were honored at a breakfast with their managers along with the Lawley associates who nominated them and members of Lawley’s Executive Committee.

    The winners were:
    – Darcy DiGiacomo, Account Manager at Guardian
    – Rose Kane, Senior Service Specialist at Principal
    – Kim Smolinski, Account Executive at Blue Cross Blue Shield
    – Sheret Jagord, Manager in Sales at Independent Health
    – Nathan Stewart, Account Manager at Simply Well

    Congratulation to all the winners and special thanks to Lisa Miller, Leah Genco and Jo Ann Sorce for spearheading this new initiative.

  • Is your Small Business a Target or Risk? Join us for an Nov. 7th seminar with The Bonadio Group to find out

    Is your Small Business a Target or Risk? Join us for an Nov. 7th seminar with The Bonadio Group to find out

    Is Your Business a Target or at Risk?

    In today’s demanding business climate, being ready for anything is a good thing. Join members of our team and The Bonadio Group as these experts share the latest info about cybersecurity vulnerability, cyber insurance, and understanding why taxing authorities view your business as a revenue stream.

    Rochester Small Business Seminar

    November 7th
    The Strathallen Rochester Cityview Ballroom (550 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607)
    Parking is free
    Registration 7:30 – 8:00 a.m. (light breakfast and networking)
    Presentation 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
    To register for this event, click here.

    Speakers and Topics

    You’ve Been Equifaxed! Now What?

    Carl Cadregari, CCSFP, CISA—Executive Vice President, The Bonadio Group
    Learn from Carl, leader of Bonadio’s professional cybersecurity team, about the interworking’s of vulnerability management and how your response needs to be prepared as part of a CyberSecurity Incident Management Program and for regulatory reporting.

    Gain a Better Understanding of Your Sales and Use Tax Obligations in New York

    John Fontanella, CPA, CCIFP—Principal, The Bonadio Group
    Make no mistake: to cash-hungry tax authorities, your business represents a revenue stream, plain and simple. Their job is to maximize that stream, and a sales tax audit is one of their primary tools. In a sales tax audit, an auditor reviews your business records to determine whether you are underreporting taxes that are legally due. In addition to the costly time, effort and diversion of resources, the resulting penalties can be substantial. To you, that’s an unexpected hit to your profits; to the state it’s “found money.”

    The Role of Insurance in Your Cyber Incident Response Plan

    Phil Andolina — Partner, Lawley
    Reggie Dejean, RPLU — Specialty Insurance Director, Lawley
    Phil will discuss what you need in the form of insurance coverages for a small business. There are several lines of coverage that keep different areas of your business protected including workers compensation, property and business property and general liability, in addition to the proper personal insurance to keep your family safe. Do you need business interruption, Directors & Officers or pollution coverage? Your small business may not be as protected as you think.

    Reggie will explain that cybersecurity insurance is not just for large organizations, it could possibly be more vital to a small business that cannot afford the financial hit when a cyber-attack occurs. With over 60 percent of small businesses going out of business after a breach, we can help you understand how cybersecurity insurance helps mitigate the first-party costs that occur when a breach happens. It is not a matter of if, but when, a breach will occur. Cybersecurity insurance can help you be prepared for when it does.

    To register for this event, click here.