Managing rising risk and legal costs

Employee-related issues now comprise approximately 30 percent of all civil litigation in the United States, with an average employment litigation award of more than $950,000.

Employee-related class action cases also continue to increase, and the associated risk and legal costs are rising significantly. Because of this, many carriers now provide client incentives, such as loss prevention resources with a policy purchase at no additional cost.

Hylant Executive Risk Practice is committed to providing the best possible risk management programs available at costs that coincide with a company's business philosophy and needs. Hylant tracks and monitors the latest issues associated with employee litigation, as well as the unique needs of each of its clients.

There are more than 25 underwriting companies that offer insurance protection that can be tailored to meet an organization's specific exposures and address many of the following actual or alleged wrongful acts:

Discrimination, including third party

Wrongful termination or discipline

Workplace and sexual harassment, including third party

Retaliatory treatment

Failure to hire or promote

Negligent evaluation

Breach of employment contract

Wrongful infliction of mental or emotional distress

Other workplace torts

Since 2004 alone, some of the more notable employment cases include:

Sanofi-Aventis — 2007 alleged gender discrimination requesting $300 million in damages

Toyota — Sexual Harassment allegations requesting $190 million in damages (settlement details in 2006 undisclosed)

Bell Canada — $104 million settlement for gender discrimination

Boeing Co. — $72.5 million settlement for gender discrimination

Sprint — $57 million Age Discrimination settlement in 2007

FedEx — $55 million race discrimination settlement in 2007

Morgan Stanley — $54 million gender discrimination settlement in 2004

Verizon Communications — $49 million settlement for pregnancy discrimination

For more information about Hylant's Executive Risk Practice, contact Jim Lash.

Jim.Lash@hylant.com
513 354-1611
888 985-2400

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