Their little paws and happy faces have graced California Casualty for close to 15 years. They are the service dogs who temporarily call California Casualty home before heading off to become service animals for those with various disabilities.
Three of our employees are puppy trainers for Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit that provides service dogs for adults with physical disabilities, hearing issues, physical, cognitive and development disabilities, or for therapy in a visitation, education or healthcare setting.
If you have a pet-friend at home or work, you know how much joy and fun they bring. That’s how it is at California Casualty.
Each dog spends the first year-and-a-half of their life with a trainer getting socialized, learning commands and dealing with distractions. California Casualty, with a large number of employees with varying schedules and personalities, is the perfect place for their education, and the company encourages it.
While there have been as many as four pups roaming our hallways, there is currently only one – Darien, being raised and trained by Mary, one of our claims representatives. Darien is a year-old golden lab. He’s the 18th puppy that Mary has taken in.
She and her husband share a love of animals and a desire to give back to the community. Canine Companions was the perfect way to fit volunteering into their busy schedules.
The training has left a permanent bond between Mary and the pups. Mary keeps in touch with every dog, and each one remembers her when she visits, even a decade later.
Many people at work can’t wait to play with and puppy-sit Darien. One of those is Jasmine, who is convinced that spending time with Darien helps her as much as it helps him. “Darien makes me happy and makes my day go better,” she said.
Mary said that Darien is so popular that she often has to search to find where he has gone at various times of the day. “I know that many of my co-workers think Darien is a therapy dog for them, reducing stress and bringing joy to their day. They often come to my desk to give him pets when they are having a challenging day, saying how much it helps.”
Karen, the manager of our Learning and Development department, is another volunteer for Canine Companions. While raising puppies to go to others takes an emotional toll, she said it’s worth it knowing the joy and independence they give to those with physical disabilities.
We love the dogs that are fostered within our company walls, and we look forward to the pitter-patter of little paws and the boundless love when new ones arrive.
TAKEAWAY:
Learn more about Canine Companions and their dedication to helping others at www.CCI.org.
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We realize how dedicated you are to making your communities better places. That’s why California Casualty created giving initiatives to say thanks to the members of the affinity groups with whom we work.
Recently, Tucson fire captain Max S. was the recipient of a $5,000 Work Hard/ Play Hard “Choose Your Tools” award from California Casualty. The contest recognized the dangerous work first responders do. Max loved the prize because it’s a gift that will last him a lifetime. “I appreciate California Casualty for understanding how hard firefighters work,” he said.
And New Jersey RN Kellie W., a policyholder herself, started the New Year with a $1,000 Nurses Night Out award from California Casualty. Kellie, a school nurse and a member of the New Jersey Education Association, said, “I was so surprised and honored to receive this prize from California Casualty.”
The Nurses Night Out award was created to thank nurses and nurse practitioners for all they do to keep their communities healthy. The winners can use the $1,000 in any way they wish: hosting a party, a relaxing day at the spa, or taking a much-needed vacation.
Nurse Kellie plans on using the funds for a summer tour of the national parks with her family, but will also treat teachers and staff at the school to a breakfast in the near future.
“California Casualty protects American heroes and we want to show our support to the men and women who take care of America,” emphasized Mike McCormick, California Casualty Sr. Vice President.
TAKEAWAY:
Learn more about the many ways California Casualty gives back to the individuals and groups that we serve by visiting www.calcas.com/newsroom.
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Taking a ride on your snowmobile can be risky business. California Casualty has protection in case you or a family member accidentally runs into someone else gliding across the ice and snow.
Our snowmobile policies can provide coverage for:
Bodily injury and property damage liability
Comprehensive and collision
Uninsured motorists
Towing assistance
California Casualty also has the insurance you need for your RV.
Our Agency Services department can help insure high-performance snow machines and all-season, all-terrain vehicles such as quads and side-by-sides.
California Casualty wants to make sure that you can explore the great outdoors knowing that you have the insurance protection you need.
TAKEAWAY: Find out about the many insurance products California Casualty and our partner companies can provide for your snowmobile, ATV or RV at www.calcas.com/other-insurance.
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Americans are driving more and there’s been a corresponding increase in in automobile crashes. As we go about the routine of driving our kids to school, battling traffic to and from work, or heading to weekend events, it’s easy to forget the simple things that can make the trip safer. Nothing is more important than the safety of you and your family, and here are some traffic and driving reminders:
Always wear seat belts – the most effective way to protect your precious cargo – even for a quick trip to the store or a neighbor’s house
Secure children and infants in appropriate car and booster seats at all times to reduce the risk of injuries by 70 percent – it’s also important to have seats inspected (as many as half of the children riding in vehicles are in improperly installed safety seats)
Pay attention to the roadway and avoid electronic devices, applying makeup or turning around to interact with passengers – actions that double your risk of a crash
Be familiar with areas where you are driving and obey road signs and local traffic laws
Slow down in bad weather – conditions can change rapidly
Accidents and breakdowns happen when you least expect them. Now is also a good time to assemble a safety kit for your car or truck that includes a spare cell phone battery, first aid kit, blanket, fire extinguisher, jumper cables, reflective warning triangles and foam sealant for flat tires.
Working hard to provide you great service is a core value at California Casualty.
One of the ways we ensure that we live up to your expectations is by following the California Casualty Code. Written in 1965, it formalized the beliefs of high ethical standards and quality of service to customers; ideas that were passed down from our founder, Carl G. Brown.
Reinforcing this tradition of ethics and accountability is California Casualty’s PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence) in the Code program. It recognizes employees who exemplify the key values contained in the California Casualty Code: Acting with Integrity, Fulfilling Our Promises, Providing Exceptional Service, Pursuing Excellence through Learning and Working as a Team. The award highlights the actions of employees who have gone above and beyond everyday expectations to benefit customers and fellow employees.
At California Casualty, every job is important and individual employee contributions make a difference to our success. The PRIDE in the Code program acknowledges and celebrates those who inspire us to greater levels of individual and collective achievement that, ultimately, result in a better experience for you.
Colleagues nominate others they see making a difference for customers and coworkers. Every three months, quarterly winners of the PRIDE in the Code are announced. This year’s recipients included Monique in our Underwriting department, who was nominated for Providing Exceptional Service when she made custom, personalized coasters for everyone in the unit; Jenny, from our Actuarial department, who was also cited for Providing Exceptional Service after mastering new coding techniques to create a more efficient rating program for the various states we insure in; Christopher, also an Actuarial department staff member, who was nominated for Providing Exceptional Service for optimizing efficiency for his team through his dedicated work to seamlessly transfer to a new and improved quoting platform (this took learning a new programing language and consolidating numerous Excel files into a single table) while he was on family leave helping take care of his newborn; and Karen and Susan from Learning and Development, who took time from their demanding workload to man the lobby area when a guard didn’t show up, ensuring the safety of employees and guests. Karen and Susan were nominated for Working as a Team.
Each year, one of the quarterly winners receives the annual Thomas R. Brown PRIDE in the Code Award, the second-highest honor in the company. It acknowledges a staff member whose actions have benefitted customers, the company, and colleagues.
In 2016, Dena, from our IT department, was chosen for the Thomas R. Brown PRIDE in the Code Award. She was nominated for stepping up to take on a project for our Claims department that impacted 4,000 policies. Without a fix, The Claims team would have had to manually update the policies – a task that would have taken months to complete. Dena tackled and completed the solution in just a couple of weeks.
Dena receiving her award from Executive VP Mike Bower
Dena’s nominator said that her actions were a clear example of the special teamwork that many share at California Casualty, promoting the feeling that we are all working for something greater than ourselves, and that our role is important in that bigger picture.
Dena said the great culture at California Casualty, and so many people working to live up to the California Casualty Code, has made her 39 years with the company so enjoyable.
The 2017 Thomas R. Brown PRIDE in the Code Award recipient will be named soon at our company’s Town Hall Meetings. We will share their story in an upcoming issue of the Connection.
TAKEAWAY: Learn more about the California Casualty Code and how it guides us to serve you better at https://www.calcas.com/our-code.
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Their little paws and happy faces have graced California Casualty for close to 15 years. They are the service dogs who temporarily call California Casualty home before heading off to become service animals for those with various disabilities.
She and her husband share a love of animals and a desire to give back to the community. Canine Companions was the perfect way to fit volunteering into their busy schedules.
We realize how dedicated you are to making your communities better places. That’s why California Casualty created giving initiatives to say thanks to the members of the affinity groups with whom we work.
And New Jersey RN Kellie W., a policyholder herself, started the New Year with a $1,000 Nurses Night Out award from California Casualty. Kellie, a school nurse and a member of the New Jersey Education Association, said, “I was so surprised and honored to receive this prize from California Casualty.”
Taking a ride on your snowmobile can be risky business. California Casualty has protection in case you or a family member accidentally runs into someone else gliding across the ice and snow.
Bodily injury and property damage liability