The COVID-19 pandemic has brought mental health to the forefront for many people, as they tried to cope with abrupt changes to their work and social lives, isolation, fear of getting sick and losing loved ones to the disease. Even now, as the pandemic ebbs, the mental health crisis has not. A recent National Safety…
I’m not sure what it is about safety that confuses leadership so thoroughly, but there are a few easily corrected mistakes that are costing business owners thousands of dollars in direct and indirect costs from workplace injuries and corresponding productions delays. These mistakes are rooted in management style and an overall approach to safety. Recent…
At InterWest, we receive a lot of feedback from our clients that one of the most important services we provide is our leadership framework for managing change. Leadership is a much-needed commodity in the best of times, but over these past couple of extremely difficult years, it has been the key to weathering the storm.…
Do you remember as a kid having fun playing pick-up basketball with your friends? It was all fun and games up until somebody on the court said, “Hey, first team to 5 wins!” And then what happened? It was like the whole world changed. It was a massive shift. It’s kind of like the difference…
The best teams hold themselves accountable. Members of these teams want to be pushed. Great teams crave accountability because they believe in the mission. High functioning teams want to be held to a high standard. Conversely, members of dysfunctional teams run from accountability. They hide from measurement. They dislike feedback. And they dread performance reviews. …
When you have driving employees, you have to ensure they drive safely not only to avoid an accident and injuring themselves, but also injuring other drivers or pedestrians. While your workers’ compensation insurance will cover an employee’s injuries, your commercial auto insurance would have to cover any claims for third party injuries. An accident can…
As the labor market remains tight and businesses struggle to find staff, more small firms are starting to offer employee benefits, particularly health coverage. But the costs of coverage can be daunting and many employers worry about whether they can afford benefits programs and struggle to set a budget that won’t deplete or severely dent…
Inflation is not just affecting the cost of food and fuel. It’s also spilled over to the price of almost every industrial item, as well as building materials and services. Anybody running a business, particularly one that carries inventories or has to invest in machinery or electronics, has seen prices increase on top of wage…
InterWest’s Woodland office gives back to local teens in foster care. InterWest’s Woodland office held a successful gift card fundraiser to support youth supported by Hope’s Anchor in Woodland. Hope’s Anchor helps empower Woodland area youth who have current or former foster care experience successfully transition into adulthood. Thank you to InterWest’s Erica Morris for…
This is the first of a two-part series on joining a cluster and what you should look for if you’re considering taking that route. There are a number of different insurance brokerage models that thrive in the U.S., but a small agency that goes it alone may sometimes find it difficult to get agency assignments…