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TRUSTED ADVISOR
My meetings sometimes feel useless. Whether
I need to meet with colleagues or clients,
I often feel like I’m not getting enough out of them. What can I do? — Meeting Mediocrity
“Some reality shows have a psychological or emotional aspect to them. In those circumstances, we might even suggest looking at management liability and employment practices liability to deal with allegations of sexual harassment
or wrongful termination.”
Typically, TV production companies and producers will start off with a basic en- tertainment insurance package that gener- ally handles exposures related to property, business interruption, and general liabili- ty. “And then from there, we really need to understand and look at the specifics of the reality show,” says Schleifer.
The market has been somewhat tight lately for shows that carry a risk of phys- ical injury. Such shows may look into things like worker’s compensation or, if worker’s compensation is not available, accident insurance. Under certain cir- cumstances, manuscript policies — which are written to include coverage or condi- tions not included in a standard, one-size- fits-all policy — may be the best option.
“We had one show where participants, members of the public, would team up with a family member and do extreme sporting activities,” says Schleifer. “It could be jumping out of an airplane, swimming with sharks. Each episode was something different, something unique, intended to entertain the audience and bring some element of shock factor. Un- derstanding that is very important to us, and then tailoring coverage to match it.”
Some shows include live events, which may require contingency insurance or cancellation insurance. For the home renovation shows, a producer may be looking at coverage for construction and wrap-up liability. Reputational damage insurance may be a good idea if there is a risk that a host or a contestant could damage the brand of the series, or cause a broadcaster to have to cancel a series.
There is also a cyber risk for producers
if, for example, they are running contests or engaging with the fans and asking them to participate in the show. “If [con- testants] are providing information about themselves — either email addresses or their identities — and if that is used by producers in any other way, that creates a bit of a cyber exposure for releasing confi- dential information,” says Schleifer.
Some reality shows have a psychological or emotional aspect to them, he adds. “In those circumstances, we might even sug- gest looking at management liability and employment practices liability to deal with allegations of sexual harassment or wrong- ful termination if someone is dismissed.”
Brokers and insurers are more likely to walk away from insuring reality TV shows that lean heavily on public hu- miliation or mean-spiritedness. Shows that promote inclusion and goodwill between competitors are more likely to find coverage, Schleifer says.
In light of what’s happened in Britain, brokers and underwriters will definite- ly be asking reality TV producers what kinds of previous experience they have had working on these shows. For exam- ple, do they have employment lawyers working with them as well as entertain- ment lawyers? Do they use proper busi- ness practices like contracts and waivers for people? Are they offering support to the participants during the show?
“We haven’t seen as many of those shows in Canada that offer an element of really vilifying people, or that humilia- tion aspect of it,” observes Schleifer. “We tend to be a little kinder to people and want everyone to be happy.”
Dear Meeting Mediocrity:
Meetings are an important part of
any business. They get colleagues on the same page, invite collaboration and provide important (and sometimes vital) information to help to make decisions. But they can also be a waste of time. If you have too many meetings, people will wind up thinking about all the work piling up on their desk instead of focusing on the meeting. If the information is too far above — or below — your colleagues’ pay grades, they won’t be interested. Content is important, but have you considered when to hold your meetings? Timing is essential. For example, how many of your meetings are held on a Friday? It may seem like a good idea
at first: people may seem happier and more relaxed with the weekend coming up. However, they’re also the least productive. A survey from staffing firm Accountemps found that just 10% of respondents felt like Friday was their most fruitful day. So how about Monday? It’s the start of the week, people are refreshed and ready to get going, right? Not so. Tuesday, in fact, topped the list of when workers feel at their best. As the week drags on, Accountemps found, employee productivity takes a dip. As for when during the day to hold meetings, mornings are the best time to have those meetings. Forty-one percent polled said that’s when they’re most productive, compared to 31% who said the after- noon. Don’t forget to keep your meeting short. Project management software company Podio says your brain can really only focus on a task for 90-120 minutes until a break is needed.
canadianunderwriter.ca | September 2019 61