Distinguished Blog - In The Press

Market insights and industry news.

Distinguished Programs Expands Fine Art and Collectibles Program Capacity to $125 Million Limit 

NEW YORK – Distinguished Programs, a leading insurance program manager, has announced an increase in its Fine Art & Collectibles program capacity to $125 million for single risks in the United States, effective now. This expansion from the current $100 million capacity highlights Distinguished’s dedication to offering brokers and their clients enhanced coverage options to…

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Together Again (with Caution…) Holiday Parties in 2021

How are families, friends, and colleagues hosting holiday parties in 2021? Families and friends can feel a bit better about gathering over the holidays this year. While the CDC has listed safety guidelines and experts like Dr. Fauci still caution us to avoid crowding indoors, we can celebrate with a little more peace of mind….

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Holiday Season Travel Guide 2021

This year fully vaccinated Americans can feel more confident about traveling, provided they still follow some helpful guidelines for the holiday season by the CDC. Travelers should brace themselves for jam-packed airports this year; many people who missed out on holiday travel last year are booking trips now. The increased travel demand has already affected…

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Tips for Workforce Retention amidst the Great Resignation

The stats are in — after the quick and deadly Delta variant spread, less than a third of working New Yorkers reported to their offices in September and almost 20 percent of Midtown Manhattan office space sat empty.   Four million U.S. workers quit jobs in July. That’s rough news for employers hoping to bring…

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How the Latest Joint Employer Liability Action Impacts Franchisors, Franchisees

Over the years, the joint-employer standard has been an ever-evolving issue to clarify what constitutes a joint employer, which has led to confusion and litigation in court jurisdictions around the country. Last year and now this year are no different as we look at the new rule of 2020 and its recent rescission.

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Robot Waiters During the Labor Shortage

He glides up to your table carrying four trays of food, beaming an emoji-like grin — and he’s fast, often reacting within a fraction of a second. Meet Matradee, a robot waiter created by Richtech Robotics, and he’s what many restaurants need right now. In a time when restaurant labor is scarce these robots are…

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Say Goodbye to Pandemic Rental Deals

For most of the pandemic, we saw house prices rise and urban rents fall as city dwellers traded the apartment for a single-family home. Rents dropped as much as 25% in some cities, but the days of apartment steals have come to an end. Rental site, Apartment List, reports that the median apartment rent rose…

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The Case for the Four Day Workweek

Americans have historically prided themselves on how much they work, treating burnout and exhaustion as a badge of honor, but employees and employers alike are beginning to see the mental and physical toll long hours take on an individual. The disruption to office life, brought on by Covid, has many companies, legislators, and employers rethinking…

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Most Popular Home Improvement Projects Amid COVID

Stuck at home, homeowners are displeased with their surroundings and funneling money they would have normally spent elsewhere into their homes. Over the past year, home improvement projects have surged and are showing no sign of slowing down. According to a survey from Axiom, a Minnesota-based marketing firm, 90 percent of 1,000 surveyed homeowners are…

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​​Insurers Focus on Increased Need for Inspections, Repairs for Older Buildings Amid the Surfside Condo Collapse

On June 24, part of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, collapsed in the wee hours while many residents slept. To date, 97 residents have been confirmed dead. The catastrophic loss has sent shockwaves throughout this oceanfront community located in Miami-Dade County.

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Can Employers Force Workers to Get Vaccinated?

Whether or not employers can require workers to get inoculated against COVID-19 in order to return to the office or stay on the job is a rather complicated issue. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employers are legally allowed to require their workers to get a COVID-19 shot, with some exceptions. For example,…

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