How 25 Christmas Traditions Got Their Start

Posted on December 21, 2022December 16, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

Learn why we decorate trees, swap cookies, and hide pickles and elves, among other Christmas traditions.

History.com | by LESLEY KENNEDY | UPDATED:DEC 22, 2021 | ORIGINAL:DEC 17, 2019 | Shield Insurance

From its Puritan roots to complaints of rampant commercialism (“What is it you want?” Charlie Brown asks Lucy in A Charlie Brown Christmas. “Real Estate.”), Christmas in America has been filled with traditions, old and new. Some date back to 16th-century Germany or even ancient Greek times, while others have caught on in modern times.

Here’s a look at 25 ways Americans have celebrated the Christmas season, from singing songs and reciting poems to decorating trees and swapping cookies to drinking eggnog and wearing ugly sweaters.

Christmas Trees

Decorated trees date back to Germany in the Middle Ages, with German and other European settlers popularizing Christmas trees in America by the early 19th century. A New York woodsman named Mark Carr is credited with opening the first U.S. Christmas tree lot in 1851. A 2019 survey by the American Christmas Tree Association, predicted that 77 percent of U.S. households displayed a Christmas tree in their home. Among the trees on display, an estimated 81 percent were artificial and 19 percent were real.

The Rockettes

Since 1925, first known as the Missouri Rockets, this iconic dance troupe has been kicking up its heels, officially becoming the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in 1934. From performing at movie openings to entertaining troops to making TV appearances, they’re perhaps best known for their annual Christmas Spectacular.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Decades later, it may be hard to imagine that this beloved TV special inspired by Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip was first rejected by CBS executives. But when it finally aired on December 9, 1965, almost half of all U.S. TV sets were tuned to the broadcast, and the show went on to win an Emmy, a Peabody, an enduring following, and even a trend of “Charlie Brown” Christmas trees. “I never thought it was such a bad little tree,” Linus says in the special. “It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.”

Christmas Pickles

If there’s a pickle among your snowman, angel, and reindeer ornaments, you’re likely taking part in the American tradition of hiding the green ornament on the tree, so that the first child to find it wins a gift, or gets to open the first present Christmas morning. The practice’s origins are a bit murky (or should that be briny?), but, it’s likely it grew from a Woolworth’s marketing gimmick from the late 1800s when the retailer received imported German ornaments shaped like a pickle and needed a sales pitch.

Elf on the Shelf

Love it or loathe it, since 2005, moms and dads have either joyously or begrudgingly been hiding a toy elf each night from Thanksgiving to Christmas. More than 13 million elves have been “adopted” since 2005 when Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell, published the book Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition that comes with the toy. Social media has even inspired some parents to set up elaborate scenarios for their elves—as in He TP’d the tree! She filled the sink with marshmallows!

Yule Log

Yule logs were part of ancient winter solstice celebrations, but it was Americans who turned the wood burning into must-see TV. Back in 1966, WPIX-TV in New York City aired a continuous 17-second loop of a fireplace for three hours along with holiday music. That led to eventual better production and nearly 20 years of annual viewing. Today, you can view the yule log on demand and on the web. (In fact, HISTORY offers its own yule log themed to the series Forged in Fire.)

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History of Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2022December 16, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

History.com | Updated: Dec. 2022 | Original: Oct 27, 2009 | Christmas | Meet the Agents of Shield

Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends, and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25—Christmas Day—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

How Did Christmas Start?

The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.

The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year were finally fermented and ready for drinking.

In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.

Saturnalia

In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, enslaved people were given temporary freedom and treated as equals. Businesses and schools were closed so that everyone could participate in the holiday festivities.

Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year.

Is Christmas Really the Day Jesus Was Born?

In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention the date of his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius, I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century.

By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today’s Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the “lord of misrule” and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined “debt” to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.

When Christmas Was Cancelled

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When Is it Time to Stop (or Start) Hosting the Holidays?

Posted on December 19, 2022December 14, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

Passing the baton and changing traditions can be difficult for families

AARP | By Robin L. Flanigan | December 06, 2022| Hosting the Holidays | Home Insurance

Hosting the holidays can be a marathon sport. There’s planning the meals, buying the groceries, cleaning the house, cooking the food. It’s a lot of work, especially for older adults who have been at the holiday helm for two — sometimes three — generations.

When is it time to call it quits and let the younger generation take over hosting the Holidays?

That’s a difficult question for all involved. It can be difficult to give up the role of host after so many years; on the other side, it can be hard to take over that role, especially after a lifetime of baking, decorating, game-playing and gift-giving traditions.

“It’s a very emotional topic,” says Andrew G. Celli Jr., a 57-year-old attorney in Manhattan.

The traditions at his mother’s house — the home where he grew up in Rochester, New York — have “a rhythm and a regularity that makes it incredibly special and specific to her and the way she does things.”

But their family is large. Celli and his two siblings each are married with multiple children, some of whom have significant others, which means gatherings draw nearly 20 people. It’s a lot of work for Dolores Celli, who lives alone and is approaching 90, to make her usual lasagna; prime rib, or chicken with lemon, garlic, and rosemary; pizzelles; and the apple pie recipe her grandmother always used in Italy.

“It means taking the house apart and putting extra tables out, but I enjoy every moment of it,” she says, adding that she also provides breakfast for guests in the mornings. “Fortunately, I’m healthy enough to do it. Every year is a blessing as far as I’m concerned, even though I’m sure one of these days one of the kids is going to say, ‘No more.’”

While Andrew Celli says neither he nor his siblings have put their foot down once and for all just yet, he will be hosting Christmas at his home this year.

His mother “is incredibly strong and somewhat stubborn, but at the end of the holiday weekend, she is pretty tired,” he says. “We want her to enjoy the traditions that we can re-create at my house, without her having to do all the work.”

The importance of hosting the holidays & rituals

Going to the same house, eating the same food, and interacting with the same people for decades brings a sense of comfort and belonging.

“Traditions help create meaning in our lives, and help find and establish family connections,” says William C. Torrey, the Raymond Sobel professor of psychiatry and interim chair of psychiatry at Dartmouth Health and Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine in New Hampshire. “Any change in how you celebrate the holidays can easily feel disruptive, but it also creates an opportunity for more conversation and expression of appreciation.”

That’s not so easy for Evey Meyer, 76, to believe. “I will be at the edge of my grave when I stop hosting,” says the former biology professor from St. Louis.

Rather than a chore, Meyer views hosting Hanukkah (“It wouldn’t be Hanukkah if I didn’t make potato pancakes”) as an act of survivorship, “something the Jewish holidays are partly about.” She points out that her generation may resist relinquishing the holiday reins in part because subsequent generations are less likely to engage in religious rituals — a worldwide phenomenon confirmed by a Pew Research Center analysis in 2018.

Meyer says that providing meals is linked to her self-image: “I’ve always been the feeder. When people think of me, I hope they think of food.”

At some point, however, the duties can become too much. It may take an older person days to recover, and younger adult guests may start to feel guilty for remaining on the receiving end. When this happens, it’s time for an honest, and possibly tough, conversation.

Adjusting to new holiday approaches

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How to Tie a Wreath Bow in Five Different Styles

Posted on December 16, 2022December 14, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

Plus, the best ribbon to use for each wreath bow technique.

MarthaStewart.com | By Roxanna Coldiron | November 22, 2019 | Wreath Bow | Visit Shield Insurance

The holiday season means decorating the house with lights, ornaments, and garlands of winter evergreens. And while the Christmas tree may take center stage in your home, it’s the wreath that welcomes your guests at the front door. In most cases, this is the first thing that people see when they come calling at your door, and it’s a hint at the rest of the holiday décor that awaits them inside. “Wreaths are like small, round Christmas trees,” says Cynthia Sheen, owner and interior designer at Cinzia Interiors. “A lot of the bow styles that I do for Christmas trees can be done for wreaths as well.”

Some wreaths don’t seem complete until they are finished off with a large, lavish bow, which enhances the overall look of the wreath and can be complementary to the other décor in your home. A crisp ribbon will make the nicest bow; grosgrain, satin, taffeta, and velvet are ideal choices. You can tie different styles of bows on your wreath. We asked designers for their ideas on styling your own wreath bows.

Traditional Bow

Of course, a traditional bow on your Christmas wreath is a classic choice. Ideally, use a wide ribbon in one of these classic colors—red, green, gold, or white. Cut ribbon to the desired length. (A bow with extra-large loops or extra-long tails will require more length.) Form the ribbon into two equal loops with about 12 inches of ribbon between them. Cross the right loop over the left. Knot the loops by pushing the right loop behind the left, under, and through the hole. Pull the knot tight, adjusting loops and tails to the desired size. Lightly fold the ends and cut, creating a notch. Attach the finished bow to the wreath with a small piece of green florist’s wire.

Rosette Wreath Bow

Rosette bows are tufted with several loops, and therefore, have a lot of fullness to them. Sheen makes large rosette bows using 16 to 19 loops, but you can make fewer loops for a smaller wreath. Satin ribbon is perfect for this style because it keeps its shape and does not easily fall flat. To tie a rosette, fold a length of ribbon accordion-style into a stack, with as many loops as you like. Cinch the middle of the stack with wire, and twist to secure. Cover the wire with more ribbon if desired (just glue it in back), and fluff the loops.

Curly Wreath Bow

Kade Laws-Andrews, owner and interior designer at Kade Laws Interior Design, is partial to the curly bow. For a large bow, you will need 24 to 36 inches in length for the ribbon. “Wired ribbon is best,” Laws says. “Cinch the middle with a pipe cleaner.” Then, roll up the ribbon and unroll it to make spiral curls. This style of bow is ideally placed on the top or bottom of the wreath. A bow with shorter curls looks nice on the top of a wreath, while one with longer curls looks best from the bottom.

Layered Bow

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4 Surprising Benefits of the Flu Shot

Posted on December 15, 2022December 14, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

The vaccine can protect you from influenza, and it may have some other perks as well

AARP | by Beth Howard | October 3, 2022 | Flu Shot | Health Insurance with Shield Insurance

Not getting sick from the flu is reason enough to roll up your sleeve for a flu vaccine every fall. And along with preventing millions of cases of influenza each year, flu shots also reduce hospitalizations for complications of this misery-making seasonal illness.

A 2021 study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that adults who got vaccinated were 26 percent less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and 31 percent less likely to die from the flu compared to those who were unvaccinated. There seems to be protection from illness even when vaccines aren’t perfectly matched to the strain of flu virus circulating (since the shot is formulated months in advance).

But evidence suggests that there are other payoffs beyond defense from fever, fatigue, chills, and aches.

“People don’t really appreciate the other potential benefits of flu shots,” says Michelle Barron, M.D., senior medical director of infection prevention and control for UCHealth in Aurora, Colorado. “It’s actually arming your immune system to fend off other problems.”

Here are four unexpected ways a flu vaccine can benefit the body and the brain.

1. A boost for the brain?

Previous research has suggested that flu vaccines may protect the brain from dementia, and a new study from the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston makes the case even stronger.

This study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, compared more than 47,000 people age 65 and older who were vaccinated against flu to a similar group of nearly 80,000 people who were not vaccinated. The findings: Those who got a flu shot were 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease over a four-year period.

“We weren’t actually expecting it to be that high,” says study coauthor Avram S. Bukhbinder, M.D., now a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Bukhbinder has several theories for the vaccination’s potential effects on the brain. Perhaps by preventing the flu, the shot quells inflammation that can lead to harmful brain changes.

His most intriguing hypothesis is that vaccines alter the brain’s overall defenses. “There’s good evidence that when we get these vaccines, they help us make antibodies to the specific pathogen — the influenza virus,” he says. “But they may also modify the immune system in such a way that it’s better at either cleaning up amyloid and tau [the proteins responsible for the plaques and tangles that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s] or by preventing these proteins from building up in the first place.”

2. The flu shot is linked to a stronger heart

A history of heart disease or a stroke can make flu more likely and more dangerous. In addition, flu can be a trigger for heart attacks and strokes in people at high risk for them.

According to a 2018 Canadian study, people who got the flu were 6 times more likely to have a heart attack within a week of getting the diagnosis. And Columbia University researchers saw a significant jump in strokes in the month after fighting the flu, according to new research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke.

A flu shot can also spare you the potential heart harms. A new study led by the University of Toronto that incorporated six previous studies covering more than 9,000 patients showed that people who received a flu vaccine had a 34 percent lower risk of a major cardiovascular event in the 12 months following vaccination. Higher-risk vaccinated individuals with acute coronary syndrome — a group of conditions that abruptly stop blood flow to the heart — had a 45 percent risk reduction of a major cardiovascular event, and a 56 percent reduced risk of dying from heart disease in the year after they got the shot, according to the findings, which appear in JAMA Network Open. How the flu shot protects the heart isn’t fully known, but it may have to do with the plaques that build up on the artery walls of people with heart disease. The body’s immune response to the flu creates inflammation that is believed to disrupt these fat deposits, causing blood clots that may trigger heart attacks and strokes.

“The vaccine may interact with the body’s immune system and inflammatory processes to help stabilize plaques that might be present in blood vessels, thus preventing these plaques from rupturing and causing further problems,” says lead study author Bahar Behrouzi Homa, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate at the university.

3. The flu shot could curb complications from other chronic conditions

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5 key specialty lines insurance trends affecting businesses

Posted on December 14, 2022December 13, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

Liberty Mutual | Published 12/07/2022 | Specialty Lines Insurance

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on many businesses. What began with supply chain issues soon transformed into even more complicated challenges, including labor market difficulties, an economic recession, and fraught geopolitical obstacles.

These changes left risk managers and other business stakeholders looking for innovative ways to help protect their specific and sometimes unusual risks — something they could only find in the specialty lines market.

Kristin McMahon, senior vice president, Global Risk Solutions North America specialty claims for Liberty Mutual and Ironshore, outlines five trends affecting the specialty lines market that businesses should be aware of and prepare for in the current risk environment.

1. Cyberattacks continue to loom. | Specialty Lines Insurance

As businesses increase their reliance on video platforms, continue to store more data in the cloud, and adopt remote and hybrid working models, the danger of cyberthreats looms larger.

“Cyber is one of the only risks that has the capacity to impact every company and industry,” said McMahon.

And while any industry size and type can be affected, businesses with fewer than 100 employees are currently experiencing 350 percent more attacks than larger companies.

“Historically it was the larger accounts in the crosshairs,” McMahon said. “But this year, we are seeing small- and medium-sized businesses suffer ransomware events more frequently than larger operations.”

Why? According to 2022 research by CNBC, small businesses are ill-prepared to handle cyberthreats. Less than half of small businesses have installed antivirus software or backed up their files externally, while only a third have implemented basic security measures like automatic software updates and two-factor authentication. Noted McMahon, “Without the proper digital ‘hygiene’ and contingency plans in place, organizations will increasingly place themselves in harm’s way.”

“Cyber is one of the only risks that has the capacity to impact every company and industry.”
-Kristin McMahon, senior vice president, Global Risk Solutions North America specialty claims for Liberty Mutual and Ironshore.

This doesn’t mean that larger organizations can be complacent. According to a 2021 Accenture survey of senior executives, the average number of cyberattacks experienced per company increased 31 percent compared to 2020.

“For larger companies, cyber hygiene is certainly critical. What’s also important is having the board of directors take an active role in protecting the business from cybercrime. Getting support from the top helps an organization prioritize cybersecurity and take active steps to stay on top of trends, conduct due diligence of third-party vendors, and more,” said McMahon.

2. A backlog of civil jury trials results in “rocket dockets”. | Specialty Lines Insurance

As businesses closed their doors to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, so, too, did the courts. While some innovations, such as holding trials in stadiums or over Zoom, allowed for the necessary social distancing, many cases were outright delayed. In Texas, for example, courts processed only 200 trials in 2020, compared to their normal 10,000 annual average.

Noted McMahon, “Since the return of in-person trials, the courts continue to navigate a significant case backlog. To get caught up, some judges are employing ‘rocket dockets,’ an approach that encourages plaintiffs and defendants to either settle or try their cases on an accelerated schedule.”

“Since the return of in-person trials, the courts continue to navigate a significant case backlog. To get caught up, some judges are employing ‘rocket dockets,’ an approach that encourages plaintiffs and defendants to either settle or try their cases on an accelerated schedule.”
-Kristin McMahon, senior vice president, Global Risk Solutions North America specialty claims for Liberty Mutual and Ironshore.

One side effect of this phenomenon: plaintiffs’ attorneys in some cases will settle in pretrial for a reasonable amount, opting to only try cases with juror appeal for which they could receive large jury awards.     

“It’s the older pre-COVID-19 cases accruing prejudgment interest where you have aggressive plaintiffs’ attorneys who believe in their high-damages cases — they’re going to hold out and try it to a jury,” McMahon said. 

3. Societal and legal trends continue to drive social inflation and nuclear verdicts.

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Sickness and child care disruptions continue to wreak havoc for working mothers

Posted on December 13, 2022December 13, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

Worklife News | December 8, 2022 | by Ambreen Ali | Child Care

Since mid-October, Michelle Shank Boczonadi has not had a single week at work that she wasn’t also juggling child care challenges.

She’s a Denver-based senior director at Comcast Cable and mother to two-year-old Remi, whose nanny-share arrangement next door has been disrupted by RSV, flu, strep throat, pink eye and the stomach bug in the last six weeks alone.

Boczonadi is hardly alone, as high rates of illness and limited child care have combined to add pressure on working parents this fall. In October, a record number of parents missed work due to child care problems. Women are more likely than men to shoulder that burden and drop out of the workforce entirely to care for young children.

In New Jersey, Melissa Vogt became a first-time mom in May. Her son had Covid at one week old and was hospitalized with RSV a few weeks before she had to return to work. He started daycare at three months, and he’s had to stay home multiple times since because he has been sick. When he’s home, she often works anyway.

“A lot of times I start the day, and I try to get away with it without telling them. I just do the best I can from my phone while holding him,” said Vogt, who works in business development and client services for an education company.

Vogt said she is trying to be as available as possible since she recently took maternity leave. Her husband is very involved and helpful, but they face a common economic reality. “My husband makes twice as much money as me, so by default I’m the one who has to take care of our son,” she said.

As many workplaces have put in place return-to-work policies and settled into new hybrid routines, working mothers are still struggling. For them, the stresses induced by the pandemic — including sickness-related disruptions and lack of child care — still haven’t let up.

“They’re carrying the load of being the breadwinner. They are also in most cases carrying the burden of parenthood, of running their household. We’ve been asking women for years and years to layer roles without offering additional support.”

Jill Koziol, co-founder of Motherly.

Worse, in some cases, their workplaces and colleagues have embraced a new normal that assumes such pressures are over, sidelining parents of young children who can’t keep up.

Vogt feels guilty when she can’t attend after-hour work events and the responsibility falls on her coworkers. She hasn’t talked to them about it, even though some of her friends tell her that it’s fair for her to be unable to attend those events as a mother of young kids.

Child Care Pressure on moms

The flexibility of modern work has created opportunities for mothers of young kids like never before. More moms of kids under the age of six have joined the workforce in recent years, according to the research nonprofit PRB. There are a variety of factors – from women facing economic pressures to them attaining higher education levels. They are more likely to work in flexible ways, such as in part-time roles or as entrepreneurs.

These women also face a unique set of pressures to juggle child care responsibilities. Among parents of kids aged 12 years and under, women spend three more hours on child care every day than men, according to a study by The Hamilton Project that was published by Brookings. That imbalance varies but holds true in heteronormative households regardless of who is working.

This imbalance came to light during the pandemic, when mothers of young kids were the most likely not to return to the workforce after the initial pandemic-induced disruptions in spring 2020. The decline was significant and incongruous: Nearly all fathers in the same situation returned to work, a paper published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis noted.

The working moms who remain in the workforce are “carrying an immense load,” Jill Koziol, co-founder of the well-being community Motherly, said recently on the C-Suite Conversations podcast. Motherly’s 2022 State of Motherhood report found that 47% of women are the primary breadwinner in their household.

“It falls to the companies to take the lead and make sure that, if they want to have a truly diverse and inclusive environment, they are also thinking of parents and caregivers.”

Lindsay Kaplan, co-founder of Chief, a network of female executives.

“They’re carrying the load of being the breadwinner. They are also in most cases carrying the burden of parenthood, of running their household,” Koziol added. “We’ve been asking women for years and years to layer roles without offering additional support.”

The report also found that twice as many women left the workforce than men in the pandemic, and that 46% of mothers who are still unemployed initially left due to a child care issue. As Koziol put it, “The pandemic brought many women to their breaking point.”

An ongoing child care crisis

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13 Fall Home Improvement Projects That Pay Off Big in Winter

Posted on December 9, 2022December 5, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

Some are simple DIY tasks, others should be done by a professional

AARP.org | By Sheryl Jean | October 19, 2022 | Home Insurance | Home Improvement

As winter approaches, fall is the perfect time to prepare your home so you stay warm and dry in colder weather.

A checklist of inspections and projects will ensure your home’s systems and appliances work properly, which may increase its energy efficiency and lower your utility bills. Think of it as an annual checkup for your home just like you see your family doctor regularly.

“Staying on top of simple maintenance pays dividends in the long run,” says John Wessling, president of the American Society of Home Inspectors. “Little things can make a huge difference … and prevent bigger problems. That window caulking now may prevent a $35,000 wall repair because water got behind the siding.”

Lora Novak, an editor for the House Method website that provides home service recommendations and reviews, advises scheduling service sooner than later. It may take longer to get an appointment as many companies may be short of staff or parts due to supply chain issues, she adds.

Here are 13 home improvement chores to focus on this fall:

1. Fine-tune your furnace: Home Improvement

Novak says a furnace check is crucial so you don’t risk losing heat during winter. Change the air filter, which becomes dirty and inefficient over time. Hire a professional for a full maintenance check, which may include a furnace inspection, duct cleaning, and an airflow evaluation.

A furnace inspection could cost less than $100, but a tuneup may cost more than $200. If you’ve got a tight budget, Wessling suggests getting a heating and cooling inspection every other year but only if you change the filter regularly yourself. Look for HVAC specialists through Air Conditioning Contractors of America and North American Technician Excellence.

2. Clear gutters and downspouts: Home Improvement

Even if you don’t have trees, leaves, pine needles, and other debris can clog gutters in the fall. That can cause ice dams or water to back up, potentially damaging the roof, siding, or trim. Clean out gutters and downspouts, and direct downspouts 2 to 4 feet away from the foundation, says Mark Graham, vice president of technical services for the National Roofing Contractors Association. DIY is possible, but if you don’t feel safe on a ladder, hire a professional. The average cost for a single-story house is about $160.

3. Check seals and weatherstripping

If you see gaps between exterior windows or door frames, you may need to re-caulk them or install new weatherstripping. Check that storm windows are secure. Cover screen doors with glass or replace them with storm doors for energy efficiency, says Wessling, who owns Wessling Home Inspection Services in St. Louis.

4. Repair roofs

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Why employee turnover is more contagious than ever

Posted on December 8, 2022December 5, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

Worklife | November 30, 2022, by Oliver Pickup | Business Insurance | Employee Turnover

In the hybrid-working era, job departures are more contagious than ever.

When a teammate goes — whether pushed or pulled — it leaves colleagues reflecting on their positions while having to pick up the extra slack. And it means they are 9.1% more likely to head for the exit, too, according to a new report published in mid-November by global employee analytics and workforce platform Visier. As the Great Resignation shows no sign of breaking stride, this statistic could become a thornier issue for business leaders and HR professionals.

“Employee turnover can be contagious because humans tend to imitate other people,” said Andrea Derler, principal of research and value at Visier. “This means that when a fellow employee’s intentions to quit become clear, it can trigger others to evaluate their situation.”

A cluster of departures is also incredibly destabilizing for any organization and could lead to a recruitment scramble. This desperate-but-necessary tactic might plug the gaps before more employees leave, but the rush to hire could be a misstep if they turn out to be a bad fit for the company.

“I was taught that teams ‘form, norm, perform, and storm,’ so one resignation can lead to many,” said Simon Roderick, managing director of Fram Search, a U.K.-based financial recruitment organization. “Firms, managers, and teams often lose their way, and sometimes whole change is the only way to gain stability again.”

The Visier report found that smaller teams have a higher probability of experiencing higher resignations due to turnover contagion. “This is because of stronger interdependencies between team members’ tasks and their stronger personal relationships,” said Derler.

Smaller teams but bigger problems

Piers Hudson, senior director of Gartner’s HR functional strategy and management research team, agreed with this insight. “Smaller teams have micro-cultures, so when someone goes, it is worse as a trigger point,” he said.

As such, Hudson was not shocked by the 9.1% figure. “If anything, I was surprised it wasn’t higher,” he said. “Any departure would lead you to reconsider your role. It might raise things like your compensation and whether the person who has left is being paid more elsewhere.”

Gartner delved into causes for considering one’s position should a teammate leave. “It often creates more work for the rest of the team, and 56% of people told us that the number of tasks went up when a colleague left,” said Hudson. Also, 28% reported that if a favorite colleague had departed, then work was “less pleasurable.”

“Employee turnover can be contagious because humans tend to imitate other people. This means that when a fellow employee’s intentions to quit become clear, it can trigger others to evaluate their situation.”

Andrea Derler, principal of research and value at Visier.

Lesley Cooper, a well-being consultant and founder of London-headquartered mental health service WorkingWell, believes that having best friends at work develops a mutually reinforcing attitude to stick at a job, whatever the challenges. So when that workplace buddy goes, the person left feels isolated and exposed.

“Some people stay in jobs or inside a toxic team because they have one or more work relationships that they value enough to compensate for the aspects of their job or the team culture that they find uncomfortable,” Cooper said. “We often hear: ‘I don’t like the job or the company, but I love my colleagues.’”

Therefore, when a favored colleague leaves, the balance is disturbed, and “the ‘protective’ effect of the co-worker companionship” is removed, meaning there are fewer reasons to stay, she added.

Employee Turnover is a Hybrid headache

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The New Heart Health Guidelines You Need To Know About

Posted on December 7, 2022December 5, 2022 by Shield Insurance Agency

HuffPost.com | Jillian Wilson | Nov 16, 2022, 05:45 AM EST | Health Insurance | Heart Health

You can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease by following this advice from the American Heart Association.

Maintaining a healthy heart is a challenge for many people. It requires dedication to a workout regimen, eating healthy food, and staying in touch with your doctor about your cardiovascular disease risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and more).

Cardiovascular disease ― which includes heart disease, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, arrhythmia, and heart valve problems ― is the No. 1 killer of Americans, according to Dr. Leslie Cho, the section head of preventive cardiology at Cleveland Clinic. Every 34 seconds, someone in the U.S. dies of cardiovascular disease.

This all may sound pretty scary, and it is. But “90% of heart disease is preventable,” Cho said. And those preventable measures are outlined in the American Heart Association’s recently updated Life’s Essential 8, which is described by AHA as “key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.”

Here’s what to know:

Sleep is now included in the heart health guidelines.

For the first time, sleep is included in the heart health guidelines because it is “vital to cardiovascular health,” according to the AHA. Adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep each night to have an optimal immune system, for cell, blood vessel, and tissue restoration, to improve brain function, and to lessen the risk of chronic disease.

“There’s lots of data about Americans not getting enough sleep or having bad sleep, and we know a lot more about if you have poor sleep, that increases your risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but also things like high blood pressure and heart failure,” Cho said.

She added that studies show sleep deprivation can also increase cardiovascular risk factors like obesity and diabetes. “It’s a vicious cycle,” she said.

And there is even more risk for people with sleep apnea, a condition in which you stop breathing in your sleep. The condition has “been linked to things like high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and heart failure,” Cho said, noting that it’s important to talk to your doctors about your quality of sleep to see if you might be suffering from sleep apnea or another sleep issue.

Secondhand smoke and vaping are now official risk factors (though they were already well-known risks).

Quitting smoking has always been an important way to cut your risk of cardiovascular disease, but now the guidelines explicitly include the dangers of secondhand smoke and vaping.

According to the AHA, “about a third of U.S. children ages 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke or vaping,” and both are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.

“In modern America, we’ve been led to believe that vaping is better than smoking, and that’s not true,” Cho said. Vaping can cause lung problems and cancer, and delivers nicotine, which is highly addictive, she said.

The heart health guidelines also underscore the importance of other healthy lifestyle habits.

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