Does The Entertainment Industry Need TO comply With State And Federal Laws?

The regulatory climate is always changing for businesses including every firm in the entertainment business.  Almost every month there is some new law, regulation, or statue that your business now must comply with. We want to share a few of the latest regulatory trends to help with your business planning. All entertainment firms must comply with California and Federal laws.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is cracking down on employers who misclassify independent contractors who really should be employees. If you are an employer who hires contractors, the DOL has issued new guidelines to help you. If your entertainment firms hire part time production assistants, camera men or others, you need to understand have use review your worker’s compensation program.

Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The federal definition of marriage has changed and employers must modify health insurance and benefits packages to comply with the law

The new workers’ compensation coding system went into effect in 2016. All businesses covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will be required to use the International Classification Coding Systems (ICD-10) to report injuries and illnesses to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Whistleblower investigations are on the rise. The SEC’s whistleblower program continues to have an impact on businesses. The single biggest issue has been “Corporate Disclosure and Financials,” which accounted for 18.2% of all submissions.

In response to immigration reform, employers will need to monitor changes to the immigration system that may impact their hiring; particularly Form I-9 procedures and work authorization documentation

• 
  

Your Entertainment Company Needs To Understand These Three Risks

Entertainment Insurance

Every entertainment business has risks and most professionals have an understanding of their risks. But there are a few business risks that can be addressed by commercial entertainment insurance that you may not have considered.

Business Interruption- The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that more than 40% of businesses never reopen following a disaster such as a fire or earthquake. Is your business prepared to weather the storm if disaster strikes? If a fire causes your facility to be temporarily unusable, what would you do? To mitigate this risk, consider adding Business Interruption coverage to your Property Insurance policy.

Employment Practices- From the moment you begin the pre-hiring process until the final goodbyes at the exit interview, you are at risk for a lawsuit. In fact, three out of five employers will be sued by a prospective, current or former employee while they are in business. Although many lawsuits are groundless, defending against them is costly and time-consuming. Your business should take a hard look at whether it can afford to defend itself against accusations of wrongful employment practices. Employment Practices Liability that will protect your company against wrongful termination, discrimination (age, sex, race, disability, etc.) or sexual harassment lawsuit.

Errors and Omissions - Covers legal liability and defense for the production company against lawsuits alleging unauthorized use of title, format, ideas, characters, plots, plagiarism, unfair competition.

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for each client that will be a balance of the best coverage and most economical solutions to help them manage the risks inherent to their unique businesses.