There’s a growing trend out there that should alarm you if you work in HR.

The trend is that of employees seeking to solve workplace disputes through litigation, and they’re successfully pulling HR managers and consultants into the web of liability. In fact, the definition of “employer,” under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, provides for personal liability of company managers and officials.

As an HR professional, your employer may have a business policy that covers you under various circumstances, but an employer can also choose to distance itself from an employee individually named in a lawsuit – especially if the employer feels the employee acted outside the scope of employment.

What does that mean for you? It means you can be named individually in a lawsuit and then be left out in the cold by your employer.

So how do you know if you’re really at risk of being named in a lawsuit? The following HR positions/responsibilities seems to be garnering the most attention from disgruntled employees:

• The HR manager who evaluates or terminate the disputing employee.
• The HR manager or supervisory employee who communicates the decision.
• The company official who makes the defining decisions on an employee in a disputed situation.

Fortunately there are affordable insurance options available for alleviating risk and allowing you to do your job with greater peace of mind. For more information about what options you have as an HR professional, click here.

Here are a few sobering statistics when it comes to dog bites:

• Each year 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs, children making up the largest majority of victims
• 800,000 Americans receive medical attention for dog bites each year
• Half of all children will be bitten by a dog by the time they’re high school seniors
• Senior citizens are the second most common dog bite victims

Every year the third week of May is dedicated to Dog Bite Awareness, an initiative spearheaded by the U.S. Postal Service and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), as well as other national and local organizations. Each year, the goal is to increase awareness about the best ways to help prevent dog bites. Here a few suggestions provided by the AVMA:

• Carefully select your pet. Puppies should not be obtained on impulse.
• Don’t put your dog in a position where it feels threatened or teased.
• Train your dog. The basic commands “sit,” “stay,” “no,” and “come” help dogs understand what is expected of them.
• Walk and exercise your dog regularly to keep it healthy and provide mental stimulation.
• Avoid highly excitable games like wrestling or tug-of-war.
• Neuter your pet.

With all the precautions that you can take to help keep your dog from biting, there’s unfortunately no way to guarantee that it will never happen. The reality is that every dog owner is exposed to potential liability for dog bites and other canine-inflicted injuries. With that liability comes the risk of tremendous personal loss if you don’t have an insurance policy that covers the proper liability coverage.

For more information on dog owner liability insurance that meets most local, state and county ordinances, click here.

Many dog owners are asking themselves if they need dog bite insurance. First, it’s important to note that there are as many as 800,000 dog bites treated every year in the United States. The number of unreported dog bites is estimated to be as high as 3.9 million a year, and children account for more than 60 percent of dog bite victims. Many people own dogs as a method for deterring prowlers or trespassers. But, be advised, a “Beware of Dog” sign does not absolve you of liability for injury caused by your dog. Dog bite insurance could be an important consideration for any dog owner – especially owners of so-called dangerous breeds.

Most courts will hold you liable for the injuries your dog inflicts, depending on the specific circumstances surrounding the bite. In some states, like New Mexico, there are “one bite” laws – even if the bite victim was trespassing on your property. In these states, you are strictly liable for any dog bites that take place after the first occurrence. You can also be held liable on the first dog bite if the courts find you were negligent in some manner.

As the number of dog bite injuries in the U.S. rises, more and more dog owners find themselves receiving cancellations of homeowners or renters insurance, or the policies that they purchase exclude coverage for incidents involving the breed of their dog. Your dog is legally a member of your household, and you can be held personally liable for your dog’s actions. Your policy can be in jeopardy even if your mixed breed dog’s background contains certain breeds. The breeds that insurance companies most often refuse coverage for are American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, the mixed breeds commonly called Pit Bulls, and Rottweilers. Because of their powerful jaws, these dogs can cause severe injury.

Whether your dog is considered a dangerous breed or not, it would be worth a phone call to your insurance agent to determine whether or not your dog is covered – before a dog bite incident occurs. You should also consider purchasing supplemental dog bite insurance or animal liability insurance for your dog. This type of coverage is relatively inexpensive, is easy to obtain, and could save you all kinds of expensive legal hassle. Online quotes for supplemental dog bite insurance coverage can be obtained through www.xinsurance.com.

As the popularity of yoga continues to grow, many people are creating and improving yoga practices. One of the new popular yoga techniques is the exciting AcroYoga – a therapeutic method that combines original yoga, Thai massage, and exciting acrobatics.

Yoga instructors are on the front line of the AcroYoga experience. It is their responsibility to show yoga enthusiasts the best of this thrilling experience. However, it is also their responsibility to protect their clients from the possible dangers of this thrilling method. But who will protect them?

AcroYoga trainer liability insurance will. Liability coverage is essential to those who are working for the people, especially in the practice of acrobatics. Acrobatics involves jumps, leaps and other movement which, if not carried out properly, could have harmful effects on the body and on others. An AcroYoga liability insurance plan will help protect instructors, helping to justify and defend their actions.