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www.ohiorestaurant.org 17 Summer 2012 Issue

NRA Launches ServSafe 6th Edition with Optimized, Focused Content

Available in both English and Spanish, the newest edition was created to meet the evolving needs of the restaurant industry

“I would call it a bad $20,000 surprise, except that this isn’t a surprise anymore,” Toft’s client said. “It’s a sad part of doing business. The employee was fred because he didn’t show up or call in for three days. Now, he’s fling a discrimination claim (against us).”

The client has received several similar threats within 24 months. These threats range anywhere from sexual harassment to age and racial discrimination. Unfortunately, Toft noted that his frm is seeing more and more of these types of claims.

Westfeld Insurance, a leading insurer that provides EPLI protection in its restaurant policies, estimates that 81% of EPLI claims settle anywhere from $27,800 to $50,200.

According to Toft, smart clients use two separate strategies to protect their

businesses; both are derived from their EPLI protection. First – they use their insurance agency’s tool kit to prevent claims from occurring. Westfeld Insurance provides simple, model business practices and online training so clients can train their employees, regularly reminding them of their professional expectations. The insurer also provides clients with free access to lawyers whom they can call for advice should a claim be brought by an employee. Second – clients rely on their EPLI protection policy to fnance the problems that inevitably arise despite their best preventative efforts. Along with funds to pay early settlements, insurance coverage for legal defense fees is the heart of an EPLI policy. Toft said the policy’s premium is a bargain when compared to a single legal bill. In fact, EPLI costs have held steady over the last several years despite the increasing risks restaurant operators face.

Toft offered up one fnal insider’s tip for those considering buying EPLI protection: focus on defense costs. When considering how much protection will safeguard your business, he stressed that Westfeld Insurance notes that $100,000 will cover the majority of settled claims. Most insurers also encourage clients to have frst-party coverage, which protects them from employee claims, and a second third-party coverage policy, which safeguards customers and vendors fromyour employees.

To learn more about EPLI protection and other business safeguards, contact Brad Toft at (513) 936-1218 or via e-mail at btoft@ekinker.com. You can also request a free copy of his “3 Most Common & Costly Restaurant Insurance Mistakes.”

Earlier this year, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) released the latest generation of its ServSafe ® Food Safety manager program to meet the evolving needs of the restaurant and foodservice industry.

Available now, both the English and Spanish ServSafe Manager Book (formerly ServSafe Essentials) are comprised of training materials including optimized, recalibrated and focused content created by the industry, for the industry. In addition, the ServSafe website – www.servsafe.com – has been redesigned to ease navigation by multiple audiences and refect the improvements in the 6th Edition.

Don’t forget: ORA members receive a 15% discount on ServSafe program materials. To order your materials or if you have questions related to ServSafe classes, visit: https://www.servsafe.com/ss/sra/oh/.

“Foodsafetybestpracticesareever-evolving, and as the restaurant and foodservice industry’s leading provider of food safety training and certifcation, we are evolving with them,” said Paul Hineman, the executive director of National Restaurant Association Solutions. “This new and improved version of our ServSafe program is… the result of industry collaboration to enhance usability, information fow and knowledge retention.”

The new ServSafe 6th Edition contains the latest FDA Food Code updates and is based on a new job task analysis developed exclusively by restaurant operators across segments, academic bodies and regulatory experts for real-life situations. The new edition focuses more intently on the preventative measures to keep food safe, leading to stronger food safety practices and a better trained workforce.

“ServSafe really is unlike any other food safety training program in the market today because of its source,” said Hineman. As the industry’s leading business association, the NRA is invested in programs and events that help the restaurant industry succeed, as opposed to beneftting shareholders or private investors. Restaurant managers training with ServSafe will have a whole new learning experience that translates into everyday food safety practices in any foodservice operation.”

The ServSafe program is certifed through the American National Standards Institute-Conference for Food Protection (ANSI-CFP), the leading certifer of food safety training. For seamless transition to the new training materials, certifed ServSafe instructors may access several free tools and resources available on the ServSafe website’s Instructor Tools page, which can be accessed at http://bit.ly/NBAJaE.