Employers Are Offering New Perks But, What Are Employees Really Looking For?

 In the face of the Great Resignation, employers have been boosting the perks they offer as part of their total rewards packages. However, many employers are still questioning what employees really want. From unlimited paid time off to daily yoga classes, employers have experimented with various monetary and non-monetary perks.

For Silicon Valley, this is nothing new. Since early in the 2010s, many tech companies have offered wide arrays of unique perks in their struggle to compete for top talent. This included benefits from house-cleaning services to in-office dog parks and barbers. In contrast, most other industries held back, leaving most perks relatively basic. For example, one study from 2016 indicated that most offered on-site parking and complimentary coffee, and only a fifth would offer free snacks in the break room.

However, this gap in perks between tech and other industries may be closing due to the Great Resignation. Voluntary benefits such as childcare, tuition assistance, and financial planning services have become some of the most significant benefits offered by many employers. Also, according to a recent survey, more than 90% of employers report that voluntary benefits will play an essential part in the makeup of their total rewards strategy in the coming years.

According to multiple surveys of workers, paid time off is the most desired voluntary benefits employees are looking for. This is followed by remote working options and paid family leave. This third perk, paid family leave, is rated as particularly important by women, who are more often the primary caregivers in a household when deciding where to work. Other perks such as financial planning services and professional development have also been named in surveys as important perks by many workers.

Storing Your Vehicle During Florida’s Summer Months

So, you have decided to leave your vehicle in your Florida garage for the summer while you spend time in the Illinois, Ohio, New York (or wherever home away from home is) to get away from Florida’s brutally hot and humid summers.

What happens if you get back to Florida in October, open up your car door, and see white mold all around your steering wheel, dashboard, and leather seats, and to make things worse…your car won’t start, and you have flat spots on your tires? Did you as the homeowner do something wrong? Did your homewatch guy do something wrong? What could have been done to prevent such issues? Well, when conditions are right…mold can grow and can spread very quickly in your vehicle, and your vehicle battery can drain quicker than you may think. I’m not a car expert and I’m not a mold expert…but as an insurance agent I’ve dealt with my fair share of the above-mentioned situations over the past many years. That being said, I’d like to share some personal tips with you that could prove to be very beneficial.

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CONTROLLING HUMIDITY IN A GARAGE:
If you are like most people, then you probably don’t have an air-conditioned garage. If your garage is known to hold a lot of humidity in the air, then you need to get the humid stagnant air issue under control first.
• Consider purchasing a box fan from a Home Depot or Lowe’s and setting it sturdily in your garage. Also purchase a manually programmable timer to connect the fan to. A suggestion would be to set the timer so that the fan turns on every day between 12PM and 5PM. The fan turning on will circulate the air in your garage during the hottest or most humid time of the day. Some of my clients have installed a ceiling fan in their garage and simply let in run on low. It’s a great way to have continuous air circulation in your garage.
• You can also purchase a portable dehumidifier for your garage and program it to run when the relative humidity level gets over your desired setting. Make sure to run the dehumidifier hose so you have the end of the hose sticking out of the corner of your large garage door. That way the water can drain outside and not into your garage. 

CONTROLLING HUMIDITY IN A VEHICLE PARKED IN AN UNDER BUILDING OPEN-GARAGE:
• My agency does not recommend the use of DampRid in unoccupied or vacant Florida homes, or even in vehicles.  However, there is one exception.  The only time I suggest using DampRid in a vehicle is when the vehicle is parked outside under a carport or in an under building open-garage without any direct sun.  In those situations, the humidity in a vehicle can rise very quickly.  Since the vehicle is parked outside, there isn’t much else you can do, because you cannot control the environment surrounding your vehicle as you could if it were parked in a garage (with access to electricity to run an A/C unit, a fan, or a dehumidifier).  So, if you are going to use DampRid in your Florida stored vehicle, I suggest using two of the large DampRid 4-pound tubs/buckets, and the buckets should be replaced with two new large buckets every 4 weeks (or sooner if needed).

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LEAVE VEHICLE WINDOWS OPENED OR CLOSED:
Everyone has their own opinion on this…however, let me give you both scenarios.
• If you leave the windows opened about 6 inches, it will allow air to circulate throughout your vehicle, especially if you install the box fan (suggested above) in your garage.  Air circulating is healthy for your vehicle and doesn’t allow humid air to sit stagnant in your vehicle.  It also makes it a tad harder for potential mold spores to easily settle on your vehicle’s interior surfaces and spread.  Here is the issue…If your garage has a roof leak and rainwater (moisture) enters your garage, the uncirculated humid air (moisture) in your confined garage can settle in your vehicle and mold can start to grow and spread rather quickly if conditions are right.  The mold will start to feed on any organic material it can find in your vehicle.  It usually likes leather seats, and it loves dead skin cells and skin oils.  That’s why steering wheels seem to get a lot of surface mold on them.
• If you decide that you want to close all the windows in your vehicle, then I also suggest closing all of the vents in your vehicle.  Make sure that you engage your air recirculation button before you turn off your vehicle.  This will close the air intake door-vent.  Keeping humid air from making its home inside your vehicle is key to helping keep your vehicle mold free!  If it were my vehicle and I had to choose between keeping the windows opened or closing them…I would choose to close them.  In speaking with homewatch providers across Florida, the consensus is to close them.  The other added benefit from closing your windows, is that it will deter snakes and mice from making their home in your vehicle.

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MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE’S BATTERY:
No one wants to come back to their Florida home, only to have a vehicle that won’t start. It gets really hot in your garage during the summer months. The heat along with your vehicle staying idle for long periods of time can cause your battery to drain or go flat. It will then require a jump-start or a charge, both of which can lower the lifespan of your battery. If left flat long enough your battery will need to be replaced. So how do you avoid having issues with your vehicle’s battery? Well, you have 3 options:

• Option 1: You disconnect the battery. You may lose your dashboard and radio settings, but at least your battery won’t be drained from an unknown item somewhere within your vehicle’s electrical system. It can be burdensome to have to pull out the ratchet set each time to disconnect your battery. So, what some of my clients have done is to have a battery disconnect switch (some call it a “kill switch”) connected to the battery’s negative terminal. That way all you have to do is turn the knob and it disconnects the battery. Then you simply turn the knob the other way and it connects your battery again. There are several different kinds of disconnect switches. You can ask your auto repair tech which one is best suited for your vehicle.

• Option 2: You connect a vehicle battery maintainer to your battery. Please note that a battery charger and a battery maintainer are NOT the same. Do NOT connect a battery charger to your vehicle for long period of time…use a battery maintainer instead. A battery maintainer is a device that connects to both your negative and positive battery terminals and plugs into your garage electrical outlet. It’s essentially a trickle charger that helps a battery maintain a charge while sitting dormant. The trickle charge is enough to counteract self-discharge, but not so large that it threatens to overcharge your battery. By using a battery maintainer, you’ll be able to extend the life of your battery. When properly maintained, your battery can last for more than five years. However, without proper maintenance, your battery may fail in less than two years. You can get a decent battery maintainer at your local auto parts store for around $35 to $70 depending on the one you choose to purchase.  Make sure you know what kind of a battery you have (Standard, AGM, Lithium, Gel), so you can purchase the appropriate battery maintainer for your vehicle.

• Option 3: Do nothing, leave your battery as is, and hope for the best. Typically, someone will choose this option because 1) they do not want to disconnect their battery and lose all their dashboard and radio settings, 2) they have a new vehicle with a new battery and think nothing will happen, 3) they don’t want to take a chance that a malfunctioning battery maintainer could (although very rare) start a fire in the garage, and 4) their service technician at a local car dealership told them they don’t need one.

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AVOIDING LONG TERM TIRE FLAT SPOTS:
So, you get back to your Florida home after being away for 6 months, you hop in your vehicle and head off to the store for some groceries. On the way to the store, you feel this unnerving vibration that appears to be coming from your tires. You think, “Is my car safe to drive? Do I need to replace my tires?” Once you realize your tires have flat spots you start asking yourself, “What could I have done to prevent this?” If you look online, you’ll find numerous blogs on what to do and what not to do. Essentially it comes down to where are you storing your vehicle and for how long. Flat spots occur on your vehicle’s tires when the weight of a vehicle presses down on the same section of immobile tire for long period of time, changing your tire’s circumference. It’s been suggested that tires nowadays can withstand flat spots much better than older tires due to technology and quality. Others suggest that it is not the case. Either way, here are some easy-to-do basic suggestions that could help minimize flat spots:
• Make sure the tire pressure in all 4 tires is properly filled to standard manufacturer’s recommendations and consider adding an additional 5 to 10 pounds of air pressure. Just make sure that when you drive your vehicle again, that you drop the air pressure back to manufacturer recommendations.
• Park each tire on a piece of thick carpeting. This is so your tires don’t come into direct contact with the hot or cold concrete.
• Have your homewatch company or neighbor back your vehicle out and back into your garage once or twice a month so that your tires are not sitting in the same spot for too long a period.
• Consider purchasing flat-free tire supports or tire storage ramps and parking your vehicle on them. They can cost anywhere from $80 to $300 depending on the kind you buy. I like the FlatStoppers brand. Once tires are set on FlatStoppers, they settle into the ramp’s concave depression, which helps support more of the tire. This disperses the weight of the vehicle more evenly onto the tire, helping to prevent any flat spotting. (www.FlatStoppers.com)

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CAR COVERS:
Many people ask, “Should I cover my vehicle when I leave my Florida home?” A big determining factor is whether you are storing your vehicle inside or outside.
• Inside Storage: If you are storing your vehicle in your Florida garage, there really isn’t much of a need to place a car cover on it unless you want to protect it from dust and dirt. However, if you decide to place a car cover over it, it is imperative that you make sure your vehicle is COMPLETELY CLEAN AND DRY before putting on the car cover. If your vehicle is slightly wet prior to putting on the car cover, then you could trap moisture between the car cover and the vehicle. Which may cause some discolorations on your paint. It may even trap moisture around your vehicle that could instigate surface mold within your vehicle. If your vehicle is dirty prior to putting on the car cover, then you could risk scratching the paint as the cover moves along the surface of your vehicle.

• Outside Storage: If you are storing your vehicle outside (say under a carport), then you once again need to make sure that your vehicle is COMPLETELY CLEAN AND DRY before putting on the car cover. The kind of cover will really matter in this situation. Make sure you buy a good quality breathable car cover that keeps moisture out. The car cover should be waterproof (remember…nothing is ever 100% waterproof when it comes to mother nature) and be securely attached to avoid heavy winds blowing it off or causing it to tear.

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FUEL STABILIZERS:
If the fuel in a vehicle will remain longer than 90 days, then consider adding a “fuel stabilizer” to your gas.  Prior to leaving your vehicle for the summer months, add the fuel stabilizer with a full tank of gas and let the engine run for a few minutes to circulate the fuel stabilizer through all system components.  The fuel stabilizer helps prevent condensation forming in the tank when temperatures change.  It helps prevent gasoline from oxidizing and it coats metal surfaces to prevent corrosion.
• Some quality storage fuel stabilizers can keep fuel fresh for extended periods of up to 12 to 24 months.
• Be sure to get the proper fuel stabilizer for the type of fuel you are putting in your vehicle.
• Remember that not all fuel stabilizers are created equal.
• Always seek advice from your vehicle’s manufacturer prior to doing anything you are not certain of.

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Suggestions:
• Wash your vehicle and have the interior of your vehicle cleaned out and vacuumed prior to leaving.
• Have your homewatch company to do a visual check of your garage to look for signs of ceiling leaks, water intrusion, and pest or rodent issues.
• Have your homewatch company do a visual check of your vehicle (flat tires, visible signs of mold, functioning battery maintainer, etc.).

• Have your homewatch company visit your home a minimum of every 2 weeks (twice per month). One visit per month is not recommended. A lot can happen in an unoccupied or vacant home or property in 30 days. 

24 Things To Do AFTER You Move In (Don’t Forget!)

Congratulations on your move! All of your stuff has arrived at your new place, now what?

It’s not as simple as just unpacking and decorating your new home. There are many other things you have to do outside of just the “moving” part of it.

Here are 24 things to do after you move in:

1. Change Your Locks
2. Get Your Utilities Set Up
3. Inspect Your Boxes & Furniture
4. Plug-In Your Refrigerator & Appliances
5. Unpack Essentials First
6. Get Organized
7. Learn Your Home
8. Childproof Your Home
9. Get Your Pets Acclimated
10. Go Grocery Shopping
11. Unpack and Organize Everything
12. Recycle Packing Materials
13. Update Your Address
14. Transfer Medical Records
15. Find New Health Care Providers
16. Create A Budget
17. Decorate & Organize Your Home
18. Install A Home Security System
19. Explore Your Neighborhood
20. Meet The Neighbors
21. Register Your Children In School
22. Map Out The Best Routes To Work & School
23. Tell Your Friends About Your Move
24. Have A Housewarming Party

1. Change Your Locks

The absolute first thing you should do is change your locks. Who knows who may still have a key to the home – past pet sitters, babysitters, random uncles, etc. Get those locks changes as soon as you move in to keep your family safe from possible intruders.

2. Get Your Utilities Set Up

If you haven’t already, make sure your water, electricity, gas, cable, and internet are all set up in your home. Otherwise, you’ll be taking cold showers and reading books!

3. Inspect Your Boxes & Furniture

Do a quick run through and make sure all of your items are safe and still intact. Most movers are professional and do a great job, but nobody is perfect.

4. Plug-In Your Refrigerator & Appliances

Since your movers don’t do this for you, make sure you plug-in and set up your major appliances. If you’re not sure exactly how to do it, you can always hire someone to come out or visit the school of YouTube.

5. Unpack Essentials First

Not everything has to be unpacked all at once. Make sure you go through your boxes and unpack the essentials first.

6. Get Organized

It’s best to put in organizing tactics before you start to unpack your items. Otherwise, you’ll be handling items multiple times and moving things around non-stop.

7. Learn Your Home

When moving in, you should know certain things about your new home that you probably don’t know yet. Here are some things to learn about and teach everyone in your home.

• Know locations and operations of the fuse box, gas valves, water valves, sprinkler systems, ac unit, and pool filter – teach everyone.
• Teach everyone about evacuation routes and what to do during a fire, earthquake, etc.

8. Childproof Your Home

If you have small children, don’t forget to childproof your home. You never know how quick a child could stick something in a light socket or slip and fall onto the corner of the fireplace hearth.

9. Get Your Pets Acclimated

Dedicate some time to take your dogs for a walk and get used to where your home is. Give them ample time to sniff around to get a full understanding of where their new home is. Take them for a few walks a day to get them acclimated. If you have cats, keep them inside for some time and consider putting them on a leash for the first few days so they can get acclimated to where you live.

10. Go Grocery Shopping

Make sure you go grocery shopping and make a large list of everything you need to buy again. Since you’ve likely thrown away old condiments or spices, you’ll have to re-purchase those the next time you go. Here’s a shopping list for your first week in your new kitchen.

11. Unpack and Organize Everything

After doing a quick unpacking, now is the time to dive in and get everything unpacked. It’s best to give yourself a 2-week time period, but no longer. If you wait too long, you won’t realize if you’re missing anything or if it’s buried in some box, you don’t know about.

12. Recycle Packing Materials

Don’t just throw away your cardboard boxes in the trash or recycling bin. Stack it all in a pile and post it on Craigslist, OfferUp, or Letgo. The best way to recycle something is to literally allow someone to use it again right then and there.

13. Update Your Address

Make sure you update your address with these places:

• The post office (you can also ask them to forward your mail for up to a year)
• Your bank
• Your credit card company
• Your miscellaneous financial companies (401k provider, stockbroker, commuter program, or FSA/HSA plans)
• The gas, electric, and water companies
• Your cable/internet provider
• Newspaper and magazine services
• Companies you use on a regular basis (like Netflix, Amazon, mail-order prescriptions)
• Your employer (as well as recent former employers)
• Your children’s schools
• Your doctors
• Your friends
• The DMV
• Your insurance companies

14. Transfer Medical Records

Getting your medical records transferred to your new doctor is important. Check out this article on how to transfer your medical records so you have a full understanding of what you can and can’t do. In any case, a phone call to the doctor’s office might be your best choice.

15. Find New Health Care Providers

If you moved far away, it’s important to find a new health care provider that accepts your insurance. Do this sooner than later since the moving-in process can take some time, you don’t want to be left with no way to see a doctor if something happens.

16. Create A Budget

Even when saving money for a move is essential, people still spend a lot of money on their new home after a move. Make sure you have a budget after you move since you’ll likely be spending a lot of money. Check out this simple way on how to create a budget.

17. Decorate & Organize Your Home

Now for the fun part! Let’s start to decorate and organize your home to function and look exactly how you want it! If you have a good eye for decorating, you probably already know exactly what kind of furniture you want. But if you need a little help, you might want to go onto websites like Wayfair to get an idea of what kinds of furniture or art pieces you’ll want in your home.

18. Install A Home Security System

Whenever you move into a new home, check to see if there’s already a home security system. It might be as easy as switching the system into the new homeowners’ name. If not, consider having someone come out and assessing your home and educating on what kinds of home security systems are best for you.

19. Explore Your Neighborhood

This is a great thing to do with your family. A couple of times a week, head out and drive around to see what’s nearby. Sure, you can just sit in your home and see what’s close by but use this one as an opportunity to get out of the house and go exploring with the family!

20. Meet the Neighbors

Neighborhoods aren’t the same as they were 50 years ago. Thanks to people desiring television, internet, and video games, too many people simply don’t know their neighbors. Meeting and knowing the people who live nearby can create a sense of belonging and shared identity in your local area.

21. Register Your Children in School

If you have kids, this step is very important. Registering your kids for a new school takes a bit of planning. When you register, make sure you have the correct documents you need to get them enrolled. This includes birth certificates, proof of residency, immunization records, emergency contact forms and the school application itself. If they are transferring schools, you will need the transcripts from their previous school.

22. Map Out the Best Routes to Work & School

Spend some time driving around your new area getting to know what’s around and the best routes you will be taking on a daily basis. Drive to work, your kid’s school and other common stops you make to see how long your commute times will be. No one wants the hassle of a stressful commute when they first move in, so it is important to figure out what your best routes will be.

23. Tell Your Friends About Your Move

Nowadays telling your family and friends about your move may seem a bit outdated. However, it is still important to keep everyone up to date with where you are. Send them an e-vite to a housewarming party so they can be the first to enjoy your new space with you!

24. Have A Housewarming Party

Moving into a new space is exciting and is definitely a good reason to have a party. Having a housewarming party is a must, for many reasons. First off, it will motivate you to unpack and get settled into your home faster than you normally would. It also gives you the opportunity to get to know your new neighbors by inviting them over to enjoy a few bites to eat and a social gathering. For your other friends and family members, sending them an invitation to your party will also make them aware of your new address. Lastly, having a housewarming party is the perfect opportunity for you to break-in your home and start this new chapter off right.

Hurricane Recipe - Drink Tutorial

 

Hoha Floridians! It’s hurricane season at www.DougMyrick.com! And boy we are getting hammered with this storm. Ok, so it’s not storm season when I wrote this – but it IS right around the corner, and today we will be making a Miami classic – you guessed it – the HURRICANE.

Here is everything you will need for your hurricane:
Rum, Bottled Water, Batteries, Flashlights, Canned Raviolis, Cooler with Ice, Beer, inflatable
Wait, wait... Sorry. That is the wrong Hurricane list.

Ingredients

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• White rum 2oz
  White rum is also known as silver rum. Get something good like Captain Morgan's White Rum or Bacardi will be great too.
• Dark rum 2oz
  
• 1oz lime juice
  
• 1oz of orange juice
  Get the good stuff or fresh squeeze it. It's only an ounce and the effort will not kill you.
• 1/2oz passion fruit puree
  
• 1/2oz simple syrup
• 1 dash of grenadine
  
• Orange wheel & cherry for garnish.

Instructions

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Fill your shaker with ice. Add the light and dark rums, lime and orange juices, passion fruit puree, simple syrup, and grenadine. Shake until well chilled.

Strain into a large hurricane glass over ice. Garnish with the orange wheel and cherries.

Sit back, hunker down, and prepare to be blown away because this muy buenas hurricane is so strong, Jim Cantore might show up.

See you next time Floridians!