Press & Interviews
North Bay Business Journal – October 2021
Small and large businesses must deal with employee vaccination issue
North Bay Business Journal Monthly Featured Column
By Andrew McNeil & Rosario Avila
We appreciate that there are people who feel differently about the vaccine, be it for medical, religious or other personal reasons.
So, for employers (no matter the size) that simply want to require that everyone to be vaccinated, we pose the question: Does that decision really make sense for the company?
Photo credit: Rohnert Park, Calif – Jim Wilson/The New York Times
North Bay Business Journal – September 2021
Petaluma’s Arrow Benefits buys Sebastopol insurance benefits firm Aita and Associates
The North Bay Business Journal
By Susan Wood
Arrow Benefits CEO Joe Genovese told the Business Journal that Aita and Associates served as an ideal fit with Arrow, with its 1,500 clients and 40 employees. He also liked how Aita offered similar employee benefits, a crucial component to retaining and attracting good talent in the age of a coronavirus-spawned labor shortage.
NorthBayBiz Magazine – November 2021
The Traditional 9-to-5 Workday is Finished—Now What?
by Andrew McNeil & Rosario Avila
The 9-to-5 workday—also commonly known as “the way we’ve always done it”—is how our workforce has behaved since Henry Ford implemented the policy in the 1920s. But since the Industrial Revolution, “work” has changed dramatically…the last 18 months brought the issue completely into focus. A strong argument can now be made that it simply doesn’t make sense to continue with a traditional 9 to 5 workday.
North Bay Business Journal – December 2021
Think returning to a pre-pandemic work structure is the answer? Big mistake
By Andrew McNeil & Rosario Avila
The most recent fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is the struggle to keep and maintain our workforce. Businesses everywhere are closing their doors due to an inability to hire and retain people. This includes local popular restaurants like Crêperie Chez Solange in Larkfield, Bistro 29 in Santa Rosa, and many others that became severely stressed by this situation. Unfortunately, many of our clients are facing the same dilemma. What can an employer do to get out in front of these challenges?
Photo credit: Andrew Spear/The New York Times
NorthBayBiz Magazine – December 2021
Growth: Now is the Time to Be Bold
by Joe Genovese
Multiple studies indicate that the U.S. economy is going to experience a strong recovery as we rise out of the pandemic. In a new Forbes.com article, titled “The New Face of Growth in 2021” by Frank Sorrentino, chairman and CEO of ConnectOne Bank, wrote, “Looking ahead, businesses will have to plan for future growth in a much different way than they were accustomed to…one of the biggest trends emerging from the last year has been consolidation.” I couldn’t agree more: The business landscape has indeed changed forever, and now it’s up to us all to adapt and shift.
North Bay Business Journal – December 30 2021
Sonoma County-based Arrow Benefits Group receives a North Bay GIVES award
Interview with CEO & Managing Principal Joe Genovese
We keep our eyes and ears open to all nonprofits because we believe that they are essential part of this community. We know we can’t give to everyone, but our team members have become a resource to bring attention to organizations that need help. We communicate with our people to find out who they want to support and are inspired by their passions for these organizations to assist them.
NorthBayBiz Magazine – February 2018
BEING HEART SAFE – An Arrow team interview – by Bonnie Durrance
Imagine this: You’re in your office working at your desk and a coworker approaches in distress, collapsing in front of you. What would you do? Your mind would probably race: Is this a heart attack? Does anyone know CPR? Isn’t there a defibrillator somewhere? Where is it? Does it still work? Does anybody know how to use it? By now you’re shouting, “Call 9-1-1!” Every 27 seconds someone, somewhere in the U.S., is suffering a heart attack or a sudden cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
North Bay Business Journal – February 8, 2018
Sonoma, Napa wineries cover employee health costs at high level, report finds
by Cynthia Sweeney
When it comes to recruiting and retaining talent, one thing employers want to know is what their competition is offering employees by way of benefits.
A recent survey of wineries in Sonoma and Napa counties reveals details about what kind of health benefits wineries are offering their employees.
“It comes down to ‘what are other people doing?’” said Andrew McNeil, principal at Arrow Benefits Group in Petaluma, which conducted the benchmark report. “When we go out and meet with winery clients or prospective clients, they want to know what other wineries are doing. This report shows them where most people are and what they offer so they can compete for talent in a tight labor market, to recruit and retain talent. Then they can figure out if they need to kick it up a notch.”
North Bay Business Journal – February 7, 2018
New health-benefits trends for California employers
by Cynthia Sweeney
The Business Journal asked area insurance experts about changes employers can expect in health insurance coverage in 2018…Jordan Shields: If the association is well-run there could be better rates, but historically, that has not been the case. The problem is the association has to start from zero and build underlying carriers. Also, if the larger market rates start looking better than the association rates, members will start to leave.
April 2018
Our Spanish Division lead Rosario Avila is interviewed here by Employee Benefit Advisor Magazine for the division launch, named Alianza (alliance in English), the interview focuses on her breakthrough work in the industry translating the benefit in benefits to the Hispanic community. Using native language and a familiar vernacular the program allows clients & employees to make the most use of their benefits then previously before.