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RHA CASUALTY 2019 RENEWAL RESULTS
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We are pleased to share with you the results of our outstanding 2019 Casualty Program renewal. RHA offered its Casualty Program to 99 properties, and all have renewed coverages for the 2019-2020 policy year. This 100% renewal rate is indicative of the continued loyalty and strength of our membership.
In addition to member loyalty, our collective purchasing power in the marketplace allows RHA to offer compelling, industry leading and hospitality specific, insurance coverages and limits up to $302MM per location. The RHA portfolio is performing better year over year. This improvement is directly attributed to members' employing meaningful loss control measures at their properties, as well as their utilization of RHA risk management services, such as Operation Contract. We encourage each of you to remain committed to these efforts, so that we can continue to deliver positive renewal results in the future.
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NEW RHA MEMBER PROPERTIES
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RHA announces 5 new members in the RHA Family:
Cal-A-Vie Health Spa and Resort
A health spa luxury resort and retreat in the San Diego area highly rated in many publications including, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel and Leisure.
Montecito Country Club
Four Seasons Hotel New York
A New York modern deco landmark overlooking Central Park and Madison Avenue.
Four Seasons Santa Barbara
A luxury resort located on one of the Pacific's most beautiful beaches and surrounded by 22-acres of lush jungle and tranquil gardens.
San Ysidro Ranch
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JUNE'S LOSS CONTROL FOCUS
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June Risk Management Focus: CHILD SAFETY
Operating any business, program, activity, or amenity should be done with safety being a prime consideration. This is especially true for activities that involve children. An emphasis on the basic elements of risk management apply. It is important that a thorough risk identification analysis and assessment be completed for each program/activity before risk control elements are considered. Risk control elements to consider include:
* Screening and selection of staff
* Child sexual harassment, neglect and abuse
* Activity information and policy
* Outdoor environmental hazards
* Supervision of children
* Medical conditions and physical limitations
* Emergency medical planning and first aid
For more details on recommended best practices for your children's programs, read Liberty Mutual's new white paper - HERE
For RHA's many resources on developing and implementing safe children's programs (sample policies, checklists, webinars) visit the member section of RHA's website.
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UTILIZING FOREIGN NATIONALS TO SOLVE YOUR PROPERTY'S STAFFING CRISES
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Annual Conference Speaker and Sponsor, Keith Pabian Provides Insight
As shown by the national unemployment rate falling to 3.8% in May 2019, it is harder than ever to find staff to fill an organization's needs.
More and more organizations are turning to foreign nationals to meet their hiring needs.
There are limited options available when it comes to applying for visas and work authorization for your foreign national workers. In short, it really comes down to J-1 and H-2B visas.
J-1 visas have shifted considerably over the past few years, with the "Summer Work and Travel" J-1 visa option being harder and harder to obtain. This is especially true for winter-season organizations, who are finding it harder and hard to utilize J-1 visas that fall under the "Summer Work and Travel" category. With more consulate/embassy denials than ever before and the constant moving around of J-1 visa holders that come over as "Interns", the H-2B visa has become the go-to staffing resource for hospitality organizations to fill their hiring needs.
H-2B visas can be an incredible staffing solution for organizations needing help to staff during their busy times of year. Workers can come to your organization when you are most busy, are often experienced in the hospitality industry, and can come back year after year.
Below are some best practices to make your H-2B visa petitions successful!
1. Avoid the numerical cap by utilizing in-country transfer petitions
The government limits the number of H-2B visas it issues to 66,000 annually. While winter-season organizations are largely immune from this problem due to lesser demand during that season, summer-season organizations with start dates from April through June are at risk of the government running out of visas.
Organizations can avoid the unknown of the numerical limit entirely by utilizing in-country transfer petitions whereby summer-season organizations recruit H-2B visa workers from organizations that have winter-seasons. These organizations are usually found in Florida, Arizona, and ski country. H-2B workers transferring from one organization to another are exempt from the numerical cap. Just be careful - an H-2B visa worker can only stay in the USA for three years continuously, so make sure that the worker has enough time left to transfer to your organization.
2. Only use a lawyer for your H-2B visa petitions
This may seem like obvious advice, but it is crucial that your organization only utilize a lawyer for your H-2B visa petition process. Historically, recruiters and agents have also filed paperwork for organizations' H-2B visa petitions. Due to the government initiatives aimed at H-2B visa compliance, we have seen denied and delayed petitions, as well as organizations punished for violations in H-2B visa petitions.
3. Employee benefits
While H-2B visa regulations do not force organizations to offer housing or daily transportation to work, this is something that you will be asked during your H-2B visa recruiting. Make sure that you can answer questions about where people will live and how they will get to work. Also, when it comes to H-2B visa reimbursement for travel costs, be consistent and think ahead. More and more organizations are instituting Travel Reimbursement Policies to be transparent about what they will reimburse and allow consistency from year to year.
In conclusion, H-2B visas, when done strategically, are a wonderful staffing option for hospitality organizations across the country to fill important positions.
Keith Pabian is an immigration attorney with a national practice focused on the hospitality industry. He can be reached at (617) 939-9444 or [email protected]. This article was prepared for educational purposes only.
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JUNE MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
We wish a Happy Anniversary to those members with June RHA Anniversaries!
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Cyber Insurance Program renewal date
AUGUST 1, 2019
Executive Liability Program renewal date
AUGUST 20-22, 2019
RHA Annual Conference
Inn at Spanish Bay - Pebble Beach, CA
Registration is open.
Click here to view full schedule and register.
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Interested in Learning More About RHA's Insurance?
Click here to review key features of RHA's Property & Casualty Insurance.
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RESORT HOTEL ASSOCIATION
2100 East Cary Street | Suite 3 | Richmond, VA 23233 | www.RHAinsure.com
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