  In order to improve our customer service and company work flow, we are upgrading our agency management system. We are very excited about this transition and the new enhanced benefits it will provide!
Because of this, there will be a delay in our service through Friday, April 1st. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Should you need immediate assistance during this time, please e-mails Stephanie at sdew@winstarins.com or call 512-628-5186. We are excited for this next step as a company, and will release more information about the upgrade very soon.
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 Workers' Compensation Carriers are experiencing challenges with checks being sent via USPS either not arriving on time or not at all resulting in customer accounts being cancelled for non-payment. If possible, please consider paying your workers’ comp policy premium online. You can make your payment without creating an account online, and there is no additional fee to pay online! You will need:
 You can also create an account with Texas Mutual. They have a robust website that allows you to report claims, view the status of a claim, obtain loss control information and more.   We highly recommend that your insurance premium payments be made by ACH or credit card rather than mailing us your check. With delays in the mail service and thefts of mailboxes, your check may take weeks to reach us if it reaches us at all.
Since the Postal Service implemented new service standards on October 1, 2021, we are experiencing more and longer mail delays than ever. Mail is now taking several days if not weeks to be delivered.  Texas employers that do not provide workers’ compensation coverage must file DWC Form-005, Employer Notice of No Coverage or Termination of Coverage.
This form:
Find the form and information on how to file on the TDI website. Email below for more information.  The safety and well-being of our community and clients are our top priority. Texas is forecasted to experience freezing temperatures for prolonged periods throughout the remainder of the week. This weather includes the potential for snow, sleet, and freezing rain that can create hazardous conditions. During extremely cold weather, staying warm and safe can be a challenge. Learn how to prepare for winter storms, prevent cold temperature-related health problems, and protect yourself during all stages of a winter storm by reviewing the CDC winter weather preparedness guidelines by following the link below:  Other items for your consideration.
Here are some tips to help prevent water damage from frozen pipes.
 We highly recommend that your insurance premium payments be made by ACH or credit card rather than mailing us your check. With delays in the mail service and thefts of mailboxes, your check may take weeks to reach us if it reaches us at all. Since the Postal Service implemented new service standards on October 1, 2021, we are experiencing more and longer mail delays than ever. Mail is now taking several days if not weeks to be delivered.  In addition, thieves are now stealing entire mailboxes including one recently near our office. This concerns us as checks could be in those mailboxes.  This is a new world we live in and we need to adapt to these ongoing challenges. For your safety, we recommend that you make ACH payments to us. There is no cost to you for these ACH payments as we will pick up the $3 per transaction cost. Your payments can be made securely here:  As always, we appreciate your business and are here to help if and when you need us.
We celebrated Five Years today since we took over the reigns of Regnier & Associates and started anew as WinStar Insurance Group. It was fun to look back at all of the change and growth we achieved, and look forward to more success in the future! Cheers to Five Years! 🎉
Establish clear workplace policies - Develop an employee handbook and distribute it! Sample employee handbooks and HR forms libraries are easily accessible and most law-firms or insurers will happily provide content. For your protection, be sure your handbook includes an employment-at-will statement and an equal employment opportunity statement. Create written workplace policies on employment practices; post them and include in employee handbooks. Establish a policy for employees to report concerns and for management to respond. Educate management and employees about ethical and workplace practices. You may wish to include diversity and sensitivity training as part of this education program.
Hire carefully—Screen employees thoroughly, avoiding any discriminatory practices.
Provide job descriptions - Create a detailed job description for each role. Each job description should clearly define the required skills and performance expectations.
Institute a zero-tolerance policy – This should be established for substance abuse, harassment and any form of discrimination. Additionally, have an "open door" policy in which employees can report infractions without fear of retribution. It is advisable to have a couple of people that issues can be reported to instead of just one.
Keep thorough records - Document all employee complaints or investigations, as well as what your company did to resolve those issues.
Perform regular employee reviews—Review employee performance and keep a written record of reviews.  Under Department of Labor (DOL) regulations, your retirement plan will need to maintain an ERISA Fidelity Bond. A fidelity bond protects the assets in the plan from misuse or misappropriation by the plan fiduciaries. Plan fiduciaries include the plan trustees and any person who has control over the management of the plan and its assets. REQUIRED ERISA FIDELITY BOND AMOUNT At the very least, the bond must be equal to 10% of the value of the total plan assets, with a minimum bond value of $1000 and a maximum bond value of $500,000. For the first year, the bond amount will be based on the estimated amount of assets that will be handled by the plan for the year. If you have non-qualifying assets more than 5% of the total plan assets, the bond amount needs to be equal to 100% of these assets. WHY DO I NEED AN ERISA FIDELITY BOND? There are serious consequences for not purchasing and maintaining a sufficient ERISA fidelity bond. Not having this required coverage can be a red flag to the Department of Labor that they need to take a closer look at the plan. You are not only at risk for a DOL audit, but there are citations associated with not having this required coverage. HOW DO I OBTAIN AN ERISA FIDELITY BOND? Colonial Surety Company is a national online insurance company that is U.S. Treasury listed and licensed in all states and territories. As experts in all aspects of ERISA regulations, Colonial Surety Company will ensure that you are properly bonded and that your bond is renewed prior to expiration so that your plan remains in compliance Use the below link to obtain the ERISA Fidelity Bond
by Kathy Haenszel - Sales Executive  These days we can’t be too careful to protect property that we’re responsible for. When handling property belonging to the corporation, extra care should be taken to make sure it’s secured. Especially in the event anyone has cash or checks that belong to the utility, it shouldn’t be left in a vehicle overnight. If you’re issued a company laptop, please don’t leave it in a vehicle when it is parked for the evening – it’s just too tempting to a thief.
Also, remember to lock your company vehicle when leaving at the end of the day, whether parked at the office or at an employee’s home. by Desiree Moore - Assistant Account Manger  In a world where you can access so many things in just a few clicks of a button, protecting your data is crucial. Adding Multi-Factor Authentication is an extra layer of protection by the site/application requiring a numerical code as a second form of digital identification. This is accomplished from the code sent from a dedicated app in the form of a text or email. Don’t let virtual hackers get into your system. Please see the flyer below for more in-depth details to learn how you can better protect yourself.  |
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Licensed & doing business in the following states only: Texas, New Mexico, & Oklahoma
Licensed & doing business in the following states only: Texas, New Mexico, & Oklahoma