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Liability insurance cover for
LIABILITY INSURANCE COVER FOR SANTA CLAUS REPORTEDLY “A HIGH RISK”
Vero Liability Insurance will neither confirm nor deny rumours that the well-known toy supplier and delivery entrepreneur, Mr Santa Claus, is seeking liability insurance cover from the company. Industry sources have described Claus’s exposures as “almost incredible”. Numerous elf and safety concerns about unrelenting production pressures, freezing temperatures and work conditions described as “inhumane” were raised by the workforce of the toy factories run by Claus earlier this year. Finnish authorities are reportedly investigating but have faced jurisdictional issues and challenges locating the facilities. The delivery arm of the business is also said to be a high risk for any insurer. Landing on 1.5 billion roofs with eight reindeer and a fully laden sleigh will almost certainly result in damage to some houses - and multiple public liability claims. Any insurer will need to consider the vexed question of whether this damage was unintended and unforeseeable given the long history of Claus’s delivery method, the industry insider said. And as the work occurs at height and within prescribed minimum approach distances to electricity lines, there are ongoing safety concerns for Claus and his staff. There have also been whispers of employment and human rights issues within the workforce. Bullying and discrimination based on physical differences is said to be rife amongst the sleigh team, according to Mr R. R. N. Reindeer, a long-time employee. Claus himself is repeatedly exposed to the carcinogens in soot and faces the risk of criminal charges due to his practice of entering homes without seeking the express consent of homeowners. In addition, there is a potential for claims under the Fair Trading and Consumer Guarantees Act if the business’ toys do not meet mandatory safety standards or make false representations to the end users. Rounding out these risks, MPI is said to be investigating animal cruelty allegations given that approximately 4 billion packages must be delivered by the reindeer team in the space of 24 hours. “It’s hard to see how this can be done without treating these lovely animals unkindly”, says an animal rights activist. A legal expert in the field commented that although the practice has been ongoing for almost 1700 years, this is no defence. “While traditions may be relevant in mitigation at sentencing, the offending will be established on the law as it stands in 2019.” VL’s Managing Director, Adrian Tulloch, says that as New Zealand’s leading liability insurer, VL will consider all proposals for insurance on their merits. “We have a full range of liability insurance products, and we are confident we can offer a tailored package if, or when, we are approached by Mr Claus’ broker.”
HUMANS of
From Novice to Expert
Iwona Bettridge discusses her career in insurance
Iwona Bettridge admits she barely even knew what insurance was when she joined NZI 15 years ago - now she’s a highly regarded regional manager for the company’s AON CPF (client placement facility) line.
Like many insurance professionals, Bettridge fell into the industry. “I got really sick of being a poor student, doing part-time waitressing work, so I decided to finish my last semester of Bachelor of Business extramurally and get a full-time job.”
“I landed a job at the NZI direct branch in Takapuna, selling domestic insurance in a call centre environment. Before I started, I didn’t even know what ‘excess’ meant, however, I quickly learnt with the excellent training provided.”
After a year of selling domestic insurance, Bettridge moved into the commercial space, working as a business development manager in SME and corporate environments before securing her current role.
Amongst all of this, Bettridge became a mother and now has two children, a seven-year-old girl and five-year-old boy.
Bettridge says juggling home life while advancing her insurance career was challenging but, she says both helped her realise exactly what she was capable of - professionally and personally.
“I’m a firm believer in the importance of face-to-face interaction as it promotes and instils connection.
In my role, I sit in the AON office. Conducting business with brokers
in their environment has taught me a great deal about myself and allowed me to feel somewhat comfortable in normally uncomfortable situations. At the end of the day, business disagreements should never be taken personally, and mutual respect and understanding are key."
Bettridge compares the underwriter/broker relationship to an umbilical cord – with brokers connecting the underwriter to the end customer.
“Brokers help us understand our customers’ businesses to enable us to tailor insurance solutions for them, and if that umbilical cord is not strong and healthy we run a high risk of losing the connection with our end customer – and these are the people we are ultimately here for.”
On top of strong broker/underwriter relationships, Iwona encourages diverse thinking in the workplace.
“If we always stick with the same type of people in the insurance industry because it is 'easier and more comfortable', we will only go so far in terms of development. Great ideas and collaboration are born in diverse environments.”
She believes that accepting and embracing each other’s differences will shape the future of the industry and move it forward.
“We are now seeing more inclusive and equal models of reality where you can 'dream big' and 'accomplish big', regardless of your gender, social status or religion. I’m all for that.”
