Use ladders safely so workers don’t fall down on the job

At some point or another, we’ve all needed to retrieve an object or perform a task at a height that’s just beyond our reach. When that happens, are your employees reaching for approved ladders or stepstools or the most convenient substitute? Ground-level falls can lead to serious injury, but falling from heights is exponentially more […]

The essentials of cyber security

by Scott Schleicher, Underwriting Manager, Cyber & Technology – AXA XL With cyber attacks on the rise, it’s important for organizations to be ever vigilant in their part to support cyber security initiatives and protect the safety of their valuable assets. The piece below, by Scott Schleicher, reminds Preferred members of the potential impacts of […]

Preferred Cybersecurity Bulletin

Local governments face significant financial loss when a cyber attack occurs. Recently there has been a sharp increase in the number of reported cyber attacks that target local governments using stolen logins and passwords. Cybercriminals often rely on human error such as employees failing to install software upgrades or clicking on malicious links to gain […]

How to prevent Workers’ Compensation fraud

Due to the prevalence of workers’ compensation fraud across the U.S., organizations are responding with a list of best practices to help fight this epidemic. You can apply many of these same tactics to help fight workers’ comp fraud in your own organization. We’ve compiled information from insurers, HR practitioners, attorneys, claims experts and more. […]

Avoid these top 7 Workers’ Compensation claim mistakes

Workers’ Compensation claims are potentially part of every public entity organization whether you employ workers sitting all day at desks, construction workers, first responders, a fleet of drivers or more. Wherever there are people working, there’s the potential for a work injury – and a risk of accidentally creating one or more Workers’ Compensation claim […]

Termination tips and best practices

People are the backbone of your organization. These termination tips can be part of a one of the most critical steps in organizational practice, which is making a good hire. An individual who fits in well with the culture, who meets or exceeds job expectations, has excellent quality of character, and gets along well with […]

What’s the cost of employee disengagement? [infographic]

A recent Gallup poll shows that nearly three-fourths of U.S. workers are disengaged employees. You’ve no doubt seen the signs of employee disengagement at some time in your organization. A worker barely puts in her eight hours. They don’t volunteer for anything, and generally keep to themselves. He doesn’t seem to want to expend any […]

Preferred Earns 13th GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

The Preferred Governmental Insurance Trust has been awarded the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 13th consecutive year for its 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Preferred is the first public entity risk pool in Florida recognized as having earned the Certificate of Achievement and is […]

Eye protection is essential PPE

Most are aware that Florida municipalities are not subject to the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and that there has not been state oversight since the early 1990s.  Nonetheless, OSHA standards are still considered Best Practices. The following is the OSHA standard as it applies to eye protection: The employer shall […]