How Will the New Minimum Wage Impact The Entertainment Industry

Many states and cities are enacting new minimum wage laws, and all will feel the impact.  Not only will the cost of goods go up, but also every business will see an increase in workers’ compensation costs.  Those business with a high minimum wage work force will see an even higher premium increase.

In California for example, the wage increase affects 43% of the state’s workforce and makes California’s minimum wage the highest in the country.  Oregon Just passed a statewide minimum wage as well.  Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont also increased minimum wages in 2016.

The $15 per hour may not seem like it would have much of an impact the entertainment industry, with its reliance on handsomely paid creative professionals and union presence. Caterers, prop houses, nurseries and numerous other businesses that support Hollywood productions pay many of their worker’s minimum wage or close to it, and an increase in their costs for workers would likely get passed along. (Variety.com)

Increased wages will mean increased payroll, and your workers’ compensation premiums are based on your payroll.  With increased payroll, come increased benefits, which lead to increased overall claims costs and experience mods.

What is Workers’ Compensation?

Workers' compensation insurance is insurance that provides lost income, medical benefits, disability benefits, and rehabilitative services for workers injured on the job or while performing work-related duties.

Why Your Business Needs Workers’ Compensation Insurance

When one of your employees gets hurt on the job or has a work-related illness, only workers’ compensation will cover them.  Health insurance benefits will not provide coverage for on the job injuries.

It is important to use an agent with commercial experience to help your business find the right combination of coverage, price, and service.

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

Entertainment Lability Trends For 2016 and Beyond

Today almost every production company, film distribution firm, or any business in the entertainment industry can find itself facing a liability lawsuit. A Professional Liability lawsuit can put assets at risk including business assets, resources, and in some cases the personal assets of owners. One simple mistake could cause financial devastation, as well as end a professional career. Some businesses mistakenly fail to realize that they have an exposure to professional loss.

The most important liability trends are involving intellectual property rights liability; such as copyright and trademark infringement. There is increased litigation around the unauthorized use of third party content; images, film, ant music without permission.

“Media companies are increasingly exposed to claims for copyright, right of publicity and misappropriation of ideas under implied contract. The exposure to these causes of action has increased as media companies try to generate content to keep up with the public’s consistent and growing appetite for news, information and entertainment. Internet exposures arising from third-party generated content are also a concern. These causes of action can give rise to large verdicts, settlements and defense costs. Moreover, a defendant in an intellectual property suit is less likely to prevail through motion practice or on appeal. Most intellectual property suits are likely to settle because they are economic disputes as compared to those involving claims for emotional distress and reputational damages.” P.Blake Keating, VP Media Claims, One Beacon Insurance.

Other Risk and Insurance Trends To Watch

•        Use of drones including safety and privacy
•          Suite involving social media
•          Hacking of entertainment firms form foreign countries
•          Development of internet products and copyright issues
•          Un authorized used of images in marketing or advertising

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.

Commercial Insurance Offers Real Solutions For The Entertainment Industry

Commercial Insurance 101

If you are involved in any entertainment operation, you know how important it is to keep your production running smoothly. There is nothing worse than an interruption in your production that may cause you to under deliver products or services to your producers, studio or networks. One very important parts of running a company, is ensuring that you have proper entertainment insurance coverage.

What Is Commercial Insurance For The Entertainment Industry?

Entertainment insurance is designed to protect your business from unforeseen losses like fire, theft, business income loss, and third party liability claims.

There are many different kinds of coverage that can be included in a commercial insurance policy, and depending on your business, you may need other specialized coverage including:

Property- including coverage for props

Business income- loss of potential income

Inland marine- coverage for drones, cameras, etc

Workers’ compensation- including injury to stunt professionals

General liability-

Professional liability- copyright infringement coverage

Automobile

Director and officers

Employment liability

It is important to use an agent with commercial experience to help your business find the right combination of coverage, price, and service.

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.

Your Experience Mod Is Your Workers’ Comp Identity

It is a fact that many entertainment employers actually overpay for their workers’ compensation premiums.  According to the latest reports, employers are paying around 20% more in surcharges than they need to. Most surcharges come from increases in the experience modification factor (mod).

The experience mod is a factor unique to each employer. In simple terms, this formula is designed to compare a specific employer’s historical claim and payroll data, to other employers with similar business operations. An individual employer’s experience mod is calculated using claims data compared to premiums from the three most recently completed years, excluding the expiring term.

Key points to consider

• If your losses are increasing, your mod most likely will go up even if your payroll goes down.
• The frequency of losses hurt you more than the severity of losses.
• It is important to check the calculations on the experience modification worksheet each year.
• The most common errors are incorrect or incomplete payroll data.
• Your workers’ compensation mod is the single most important factor insurers use to identify your risk.
• Your mod can be reduced through effective safety and loss control programs.

How to reduce your mod?

• Develop a safety program.
• Reward safety in the workplace.
• Start a return to work program.
• Complete regular safety inspections.
• Investigate every accident and make corrective actions if needed.
• If you suspect fraud, immediately inform the insurance company.
• A disciplinary program also should be incorporated into the safety program; it should hold employees accountable for breaking the rules.

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

Risks That Keep Producers Up At Night

Is Your Commercial Insurance Right For You?

Recently, Forbes ran an article about the top 10 risks business face. The article focused on some of the risks that are hard or impossible to insure through “standard” business or commercial policies. Business insurance is designed to cover unforeseen accidents to third parties, per the terms of the insurance policy. There are many risks that may keep a business owner or manager up at night, and we thought we might share our list with you.

We thought it might be good to address the risks producers and other entertainment professionals may lose sleep over.

Foreign locations.  Many productions are filmed outside of the USA. This can lead to safety, cultural and legal issues. Especially if the production is travelling with a full crew and production team.

High valued equipment, sets and wardrobes. If equipment, sets or wardrobes are damaged or destroyed, they must be replaced. Even under the best of situations, a few weeks’ delay can cost thousands of dollars.

Documentaries or other true stories can lead to creating errors in the truth. While there is always some defense in artistic freedom, it really depends on what was agreed to between the parties involved. Also, rewriting scripts during production can lead to errors in factual information.

Employment Liability. Now more than ever, employees know their rights. The State and Federal Governments are also creating new laws to protect employee’s rights. This increases the risk of being sued for many different reasons including; civil rights, discrimination, and even lawsuits from illegal workers. Employment Practices Liability insurance addresses many concerns business owners may have regarding their employment liability.

Regulatory Risk. Over the past 10 years, government has become more involved in regulating your business. Since the financial crisis in 2008, governments have stepped up their regulatory functions in setting and determining policies for businesses.

Event Cancelation can shut down your production company. Event cancellation insurance protects revenue or expenses from an event against cancellation or postponement of the event for reasons beyond the control of the event organizer.

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.

Commercial Umbrella Insurance For The Entertainment Industry

Entertainment Umbrella Insurance

Almost every entertainment business large or small needs some level of added protection afforded by a commercial umbrella insurance policy. A commercial umbrella policy provides a layer of coverage over and above a primary business and auto policy.  There are at least five important lessons, or facts, to be aware of when considering commercial umbrella insurance.

• An umbrella policy can, but may not always, provide the same coverage as the primary policy.   If you have a “following form excess policy” you can be guaranteed that the excess policy will provide the same coverage as the primary policy.
• Most umbrella policies require at least $1 million dollars of primary or underlying limit.
• Umbrella pricing is usually a predetermined rate based on the underlying premium, but can include the judgment of the underwriter.
• If the primary policy has additional insured’s, they will carry over into the umbrella policy.
• Umbrella policies may have exclusions not found in the primary policy; for example, pollution, workers’ compensation, and product recall.  If you have a true following form excess policy, your exclusions will be the same as in the primary policy.

You may need added coverage if you are involved in

• Film schools
• High risk productions
• Foreign productions
• Use of stunt men
• Concerts and other events

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.

Insurance For Promoters and Event Planners

What Coverage Do I Need for My Special Event?

Are you involved in promoting a special event? Special Event Insurance must be part of your planning. Special Event Insurance can provide the necessary security to ensure that if something does go wrong, you and your guests are protected.

What is Special Event Insurance?

There are many different kinds of Special Event insurance. Depending on your event, there is insurance coverage that addresses the specific risks. Special Event Insurance is designed to protect the event sponsors or planners against liability claims associated with the event. Claims can come from participants, vendors, and other third parties. Here are a few of the different kinds of events that require insurance:

Festivals- This kind of event would include a community gathering in celebration of a community leader, special day, or organization. These events often include food and activities consistent with a theme. Festivals are usually held in parks or other public places which creates liability for the event sponsors. Festival Liability Insurance is the perfect solution to help sponsors manage these risks.

Music/Concert Events – Concerts are events where the sponsor is responsible for managing a large or small crowd around both professional and nonprofessional performers and musicians. Concert sponsors have a responsibility to manage crowds, provide security, and deal with the “talent”. Concert Event Insurance is the most effective method to protect against liability that can occur during concerts and other music related festivals.

Holiday Festivals- Holiday Festivals are usually centered around a specific cultural or religious holiday. They can include crafts, food, performers, and even alcohol. Holiday Festivals, like other events, create liability for the event sponsors. Special Event Insurance provides the necessary coverage to protect the sponsors and other liable parties such as the building owner.

Private Business Events- Companies large and small plan and organize client events, employee training, seminars, and parties. Much like weddings, these events create liability to the company organizing them. Special Event Liability Insurance can provide protection against claims that might arise from third parties. 

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.