We regularly review our remote working business plan to ensure we continue to operate effectively throughout this pandemic. Every member of our broking and claims team has worked tirelessly to ensure our service proposition during lockdown remained seamless and we shall continue to work remotely following advice and official guidelines from The Government.  We are planning the return to our office premises as and when The Government guidance allows us to do so and currently carrying out specific Covid-19 risk assessments and taking all necessary steps to ensure the safe return of our team.

Like all businesses, we are working on a practical framework to consider new ways of operating, complimenting and improving the service proposition we provide to our clients. In the meantime, contact numbers and email addresses remain unchanged, so you don’t have to do anything differently to get in touch. Some phones however may be diverted to mobiles. We continue to facilitate client and new customer meetings using Zoom video conferencing and to ease the strain on our remote telephony capability we ask that you communicate with us by email, wherever possible. Your business is and will always continue to remain our focus.

Please follow us on our LinkedIn: Hamilton Leigh Ltd or on Twitter @HamiltonLeigh which is where we’ll flag relevant updates rather than sending multiple emails. The webpage we will be updating regularly is as follows: www.hamiltonleigh.com

Now the Government has begun lifting lockdown restrictions and business owners are focusing on getting their businesses back up and running, we want to share some helpful advice to support you with your preparation. From safety checks to supply chain disruption and security measures to staffing, getting back to business will be far more than just switching the lights back on.

This document highlights the exposures that directors, officers and senior managers may face as we return to business, in addition to setting out some considerations you should be taking into account as we enter what can only be described as unchartered waters.

Get back to business the right way.

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK many of our clients are implementing contingency plans such as home-working, skeleton staffing, social distancing and cleansing regimes to maintain operations. However, for some organisations this is not possible, and following the latest government advice some workplaces will now temporarily shut down for a period of time. Buildings, whether temporarily closed or permanently unoccupied can be at greater risk from the likes of arson, antisocial behaviour such as vandalism or squatters, theft, and escape of water.

Read the full guidance here

There is much discussion regarding business interruption insurance and why in most cases, it does not extend to cover financial losses suffered as a result of forced business closure. Its imperative businesses receive additional financial support from the Government as a consequence of having purchased Business Interruption insurance, as explained further in this article.

Get the full update here

It’s been many weeks since many parts of the world went into lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, forcing many workers into remote working. Unsurprisingly, cyber criminals are taking advantage of the current situation and increased number of vulnerable targets. It pays to stay abreast of cyber exposure. We have documented some of the most recent common attacks that we have seen.

Common Cyber Attacks

Hamilton Leigh has activated our remote working business plan to ensure we can continue to operate effectively should a number of our employees become ill, or are required to self-isolate due to the virus.

This is a unique situation which is continually changing. We are taking all pragmatic and sensible steps to ensure that we’re well prepared and well positioned to minimise the potential impact on the welfare of our people, while continuing to deliver on our service commitments to our clients.

Our operational resilience

We have put contingency plans in place to deal with potential disruption as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and we have implemented the necessary steps to maintain good customer service throughout this period. Specifically:

• We have been liaising with all insurance companies around their operational resilience and business continuity to ensure we are prepared for any future changes in guidance and we remain in constant dialogue regarding plans.
•  Our claims service remains our service priority to our clients and ensuring this continues to be well managed.
• We have introduced measures to enable secure remote access to our IT systems so our people can work from home.
•  In the event that the UK Government enforces office closures, we will be ready to respond in a manner which will not significantly disrupt our ability to continue to service our clients.

Our people

The health, safety and welfare of our people and our clients remain our priority. We continue to review and respond to the current advice and official guidelines from the UK government and health organisations. Specifically:

We are encouraging all people to follow the NHS general good practice guidance to prevent the spread of virus.

We have postponed all business travel and client facing meetings until further notice. We have introduced the use of Zoom video-conferencing instead.
We are also promoting digital forms of communication to ease the strain on our telephony capability and ensure that we can continue to service our clients effectively. Please wherever possible contact us using email.

Please follow us on our LinkedIn: Hamilton Leigh Ltd  or on Twitter @HamiltonLeigh which is where we will flag relevant updates rather than sending multiple emails.

The webpage we will be updating regularly is as follows: www.hamiltonleigh.com

• ABI guidance: Travelling to the EU in the case of a No-Deal Brexit

Whether you plan to take your family on a continental road trip in the coming months or work for a transport organisation that frequently enters the EU, the results of Brexit may alter your current travelling agenda.

In the event of a no-deal, several UK driving laws will change—for both UK citizens and commercial drivers. All drivers are being urged to contact their insurer to arrange a ‘Green Card’, which would be required under EU regulations as proof of insurance in the event of a no-deal. The Association of British Insurers is advising customers to contact their insurer for a green card about one month before they plan to drive their vehicle in the EU, or risk breaking the law. Don’t wait until it’s too late—use this guidance to ensure compliant driving practices post-Brexit.

Changes for UK Citizens

The government recently announced that—in the event of a no-deal—from 28th March 2019, UK citizens will need additional documentation to drive within the EU or EEA.

In terms of taking a holiday abroad, a no-deal will cause the type of international driving permit (IDP) that some countries accept to change. This means that UK citizens must possess both a UK driving licence and the correct IDP to drive in EU and EEA countries. For more guidance on finding the right IDP for your travels, click here.

If you are a UK driving licence holder that is currently living in the EU or EEA, it’s important to exchange your UK licence for a local EU licence before 29th March 2019. If you fail to do so, a no-deal may require you to pass a driving test within the EU country you reside in to continue driving there. You will be permitted to use your EU licence when visiting the UK, and you can exchange your EU licence for a UK licence (without taking another test) if you return to live in the UK. The government emphasises that you should exchange your licence as soon as possible to avoid longer processing times and delays.

Changes for Commercial Drivers

The government stated that commercial drivers will also need updated documentation to drive within the EU and EEA in the event of a no-deal. Although UK lorry drivers with international routes to and from the EU or EEA currently must have a standard international operator’s licence and a community licence, some countries may not recognise this documentation in a no-deal.

To prepare for this possibility, UK operators need to have an European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) international road haulage permit for international travel. The application period for ECMT permits closed on 18th January. If you applied for an ECMT permit, click here to find out what happens next. If you did not apply for an ECMT permit, consider investigating other options for transporting goods to the EU and EEA.

Lorry drivers should also consider exchanging their UK Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) for an EU Driver CPC, which they can do by applying to the relevant body in an EU or EEA country.

For insurance solutions to help weather uncertainty, contact Hamilton Leigh today.

In recent years, UK organisations have experienced a dramatic increase in the prevalence of cyber-attacks, increasing the need for cyber-security risk management. Recent industry research found that there were as many cyber-claims in 2018 as there were in the past four years combined.

While this alarming statistic emphasises the importance of implementing initiatives to protect your organisation’s data, doing so can also help limit your directors’ and officers’ (D&O) liability concerns.

Under the GDPR, directors and officers are largely responsible for prioritising cyber-security throughout their organisation. With this in mind, senior leadership could face serious consequences if our business suffers from a data breach. Consider the following tips to reduce cyber-risk and protect your senior leadership:

• More than IT—Many organisations fail to understand that cyber security should be considered a company wide risk management concern—not just something for IT to handle. Break this stigma among your directors by incorporating cyber-security into routine senior-level discussions. These conversations should pertain to your most critical data assets, including where data is located and who has access to it. In addition, discuss what security controls you have in place and how often they are tested.
• Legal concerns—Your leaders should know what is legally required of them in terms of establishing proper cyber-security measures. In addition, they must document evidence of compliance.
• Access to expertise—As well as discussing cyber security in senior meetings on a routine basis, directors should also receive input from cyber-security experts during these conversations.
• Company culture—Directors need to help generate a culture that prioritises cyber security by setting standards for management, training staff members and providing a proper budget.

Apart from risk management, protect your organisation with robust cyber and D&O cover. For more information, contact Hamilton Leigh today.