The spread of social media has revolutionized not only the way we connect with friends and family, but also how we conduct business. However, this asset can quickly turn into a liability if misused – for example, in recruiting your company’s most valuable asset – its employees.
Many employers begin the hiring process by using social-media outlets to screen applicants. LinkedIn and Facebook can provide a wealth of information about applicants’ education, their friends, and their personal behavior. Some companies reject candidates based on the content of their social-media pages. This might include anything from inappropriate photos or comments, discriminatory or slanderous statements, and references to alcohol and substance abuse, to sharing confidential information about their previous employers(s), displaying poor communication skills, or exaggerating their qualifications.
Although all of these indicators raise red flags, you could be risking a costly and annoying discrimination lawsuit if you access social-media sites which contain protected class information that’s not privileged in the normal hiring process.
To minimize this risk, it makes sense to:
- When hiring, use outside third parties such as background-verification companies and/or recruiters who document content from social-media sites in selecting candidates.
- Develop and enforce a comprehensive social-media usage policy.
- Purchase an Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) policy
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is important to work with a professional in this area. Additional questions? Ask us, we’re here to help!
For additional information about our
insurance products, no-cost advice or for your free, no-obligation insurance quote, please contact the professionals at
Scurich Insurance Services today at 800-320-3666 and we will be more than happy to assist you.
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Mike began his insurance career in 1984 as a personal lines underwriter for Continental Insurance Company in Sacramento.
In 1986 he joined USF&G as a commercial lines underwriter in San Jose, CA. The training and experience he gained in both positions are keys to his success as an owner/broker for Scurich Insurance. Mike joined Scurich Insurance in 1989 and has been with the agency ever since.
He focuses on commercial accounts and enjoys working closely with and getting to know his clients on a personal level.
Mike graduated from Santa Clara University in 1984 with a degree in English.
He and his wife Jennifer, live in Watsonville and have one daughter age 23 and two sons ages 21 and 19.
Contact Mike Scurich or any of the helpful and agents at Scurich Insurance Services today with any questions regarding your insurance policy.
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The following article was taken from: Watsonville Patch
(February 14, 2013) Watsonville’s City Council meeting Tuesday brought up a hot question: should the city annex farmland to be converted into a shopping center?
The Council decided on a 5-2 vote to hold a special election on the matter on June 4,reported the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Many in the agricultural community are urging the Council to postpone the vote until 2014. The 80-acre plot is prime farmland, they say, yielding $25,000 in profit for every acre of strawberries.
Advocates for the shopping center, however, say that the economic impact on the community would be greater with a shopping center.
Watsonville City Council member Daniel Dodge has said annexing what’s known as the Sakata Kett parcel into the city’s reserves could create a hub of economic activity, Patch reported in October 2012. He envisions a commercial center with anchor stores such as Costco that could provide jobs and tax revenue.
The citizen-driven proposal to annex the land south of West Beach Street and east of Highway 1began earlier in 2012, but still did not gather the 1,500 required signatures to place it on the 2012 November ballet. But in late October, it received enough signatures to go on the ballet in 2013.
Read the rest of this news article HERE!
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is important to work with a professional in this area. Additional questions? Ask us, we’re here to help! For additional information about our insurance products, no-cost advice or for your free, no-obligation insurance quote, please contact the professionals at Scurich Insurance Services today at 800-320-3666 and we will be more than happy to assist you.
Scurich Insurance Services did not originally write the content above.
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I don’t know about you but we at Scurich Insurance Services will always love chicken fingers, and nothing is better than homemade chicken fingers. That is why this week we would like to give you a quick and easy way to make your own homemade chicken fingers. The following recipe was taken from KraftRecipes.com
Time:
Prep: 10 min Total: 1 hr
What you need:
6 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise, divided
2 Tbsp. milk
¼ tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.), each cut lengthwise into 3 strips
1 pkt. SHAKE ‘N BAKE Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Classic Ranch Dressing
2 tsp. chopped green onions
Make it:
HEAT oven to 400ºF.
MIX 1/4 cup mayo, milk and pepper. Add to chicken in medium bowl; stir until chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate.
POUR coating mix onto plate. Dip chicken, 1 strip at a time, in coating mix, turning to evenly coat each strip; place in single layer on baking sheet. Discard marinade.
BAKE chicken 20 min. or until done. Meanwhile, mix remaining mayo, dressing and onions.
SERVE chicken with sauce.
Sauces:
Barbecue Dipping Sauce:
Omit 2 Tbsp. mayo, ranch dressing and onions. Mix 1/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce and 1/4 tsp. orange zest. Serve with the baked chicken strips.
Creamy Salsa Dipping Sauce:
Omit ranch dressing and onions. Mix remaining 2 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick ‘N Chunky Salsa and 2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with the baked chicken strips.
Click HERE for more about this recipe!
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is important to work with a professional in this area. Additional questions? Ask us, we’re here to help! For additional information about our insurance products, no-cost advice or for your free, no-obligation insurance quote, please contact the professionals at Scurich Insurance Services today at 800-320-3666 and we will be more than happy to assist you.
Scurich Insurance Services did not originally write the content above.
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Homeowners insurance in California, is a necessity when it comes to buying a house. In fact, most mortgage companies will not finance a real estate transaction unless you provide proof that you have the proper coverage for most if not all of the property you intend to purchase.
Over the next few weeks, Scurich Insurance Services would like to give you a few tips when it comes to purchasing homeowners insurance as well as some cost saving ideas that can actually help reduce your insurance costs.
This week we will be taking a look into the different types of discounts you can receive when it comes to your homeowners insurance policy.
You’re probably familiar with the basic discounts that most insurance companies offer on Homeowners coverage, such as bundling Home and Auto insurance, loyalty rewards, and installing smoke detectors and/or home security systems.
However, a growing number of companies offer significant premium discounts on Homeowners insurance to policy holders who are:
- Senior citizens. If you’re 60 or older, you could lower your premium by as much as 15%.
- Non-smokers. If you’ve given up the habit — or have never picked up a cigarette, cigar, or pipe — you might qualify for a discount.
- Married couples or widows/widowers. Could be eligible for discounts of up to 5%.
- New buyers who have closed a home purchase within 60 days.
- Willing to increase coverage to reflect a rise in inflation.
- Ready to buy coverage for the full value of a home.
- Prepared to buy from a new carrier before the policy with your current insurance company expires.
- New policy holders with the company (the “welcome” discount) and purchasing coverage for the entire value of your home.
You might also be eligible for a discount if you don’t have a Property damage claim for a specified period, such as three years.
Bear in mind that many insurance companies might not offer some (or any) of these discounts.
To see if you’re eligible for any of these policies simply check with the professionals at Scurich Insurance Services located in Watsonville, California. We might be able to save you some big dollars.
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It’s Friday and Scurich Insurance Services located in Watsonville, California would like to help you unwind for the weekend with this week’s joke of the week.
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.
About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family.
“You aren’t going to catch many fish that way,” said the businessman to the fisherman, “you should be working rather than lying on the beach!”
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, “And what will my reward be?”
“Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!” was the businessman’s answer.
“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman, still smiling.
The businessman replied, “You will make money and you’ll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!” “And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman again.
The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman’s questions. “You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!” he said.
“And then what will my reward be?” repeated the fisherman.
The businessman was getting angry. “Don’t you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!”
Once again the fisherman asked, “And then what will my reward be?”
The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, “Don’t you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won’t have a care in the world!”
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, “And what do you think I’m doing right now?”
Do you have a joke for us? Well let us know by leaving your joke in the comments section and your joke might just make it to our blog!
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is important to work with a professional in this area. Additional questions? Ask us, we’re here to help! For additional information about our insurance products, no-cost advice or for your free, no-obligation insurance quote, please contact the professionals at Scurich Insurance Services today at 800-320-3666 and we will be more than happy to assist you.
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