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May 2021
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Chief Executive Officer's Notes
What a difference a year makes! This time last year, we had no idea what the future held for many of us related to COVID-19. As we sit here today, we finally see light at the end of the tunnel. A couple things to watch for in the coming weeks, we are conducting leadership training for district chairs and our future leaders, a brown bag luncheon provided by Epic Insurance related to driver training and then our final board of directors meeting this fiscal year! As you all know, we normally do our Expo this time of year but because the hotels really won’t be opening to full capacity until later this summer/fall, we will hopefully do our final virtual board meeting in June. We are planning right now to do an in person Board of Directors meeting in September located in Carlsbad and will be providing more information soon. Please check our website at pcoc.org for more information. Chris Reardon 
Upcoming Events
PCOC 101 — District Leadership — SAVE THE DATEPCOC will host our PCOC 101 (our District Leadership training) vitually on May 25th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. If you are a District Chair or Vice, or a recently voted in Chair or Vice Chair, you are encouraged to attend this virtual event. We will discuss how to run a PCOC District, how to communicate meeting times, how to conduct a virtual meeting, the ins and outs of Robert's Rules of Order, and more. We ask that all those that are in current district leadership roles, especially those that have recently been voted in, register for this event. THERE IS NO COST for this event, we just ask you to register for tracking purposes. Click here to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pcoc-101-district-leadership-training-tickets-155743199101 Board of Directors Meeting — VirtualPCOC will host our 4th Quarter Board of Directors Meeting on June 23, 2021 @ 1:00 pm. Information on this meeting will be sent out later this month. 
Affiliate Corner
PCOC Member Value Program Superstar SpotlightCHEMTREC All transporters of hazardous materials are required by State and Federal regulations to have an emergency response telephone number on their shipping papers. This telephone number must be answered by a person knowledgeable about the transported materials whenever a vehicle is on the road.
Comings & Goings
Do you have a favorite recipe that you would like to share with PCOC and their members?For our next fundraising endeavor, we will be putting together a one-of-a-kind cookbook that will be available to purchase. What a great gift for family members and clients! Please send your recipe, with all instructions, and a picture (if you would like to include) to Karen at karen@pcoc.org or you can mail it to the PCOC office at 3031 Beacon Blvd, West Sacramento, CA 95691. We are looking for the following categories: 1. Appetizers 2. Side dishes 3. Breakfast 4. Main entrées 5. Desserts 6. Cocktails 7. Cleaning tips Please feel free to contact Karen with any questions. PCOC Monthly Insurance/Safety Tip
COVID-19 Impact on Workers’ Comp Less Detrimental Than Expected
COVID-19 claims represented only about 2% of all workers’ comp claims paid out by one insurance company by the end of the year.
Most employers around the country (93 percent) who participated in a March 2020 survey by the law firm Litler Mendelsohn Ltd., said that they are concerned about ensuring that workplace conditions and policies comply with applicable safety and health regulations. “The vast majority are taking practical steps to keep their employees safe, including communicating on hygiene practices and prevention measures (98 percent) and deep cleaning workplaces (62 percent),” according to the report. Even as the Trump administration was just starting to recommend stricter social distancing measures and states were beginning to institute stay-at-home orders, respondents were already restricting travel (83 percent), canceling meetings (78 percent), imposing quarantines for potentially affected employees (62 percent) and encouraging remote work (59 percent) — and many others were at least considering taking these actions. Job Loss and Recession Indeed, there has been tremendous concern about the effects of COVID-19 on workers and these precautions have undoubtedly helped mitigate infections. But the principal impact of COVID-19 on workers has been job loss and the recession, especially in hospitality, retail, and travel services, as well as education and healthcare. The US Census Household Pulse Survey for Dec 9–Dec 21 has estimated that 50% of the US adult population experienced loss of household employment income (regarding either themselves or a household member) since March 13, 2020. Workers’ Compensation Claims There was initial concern that workers’ compensation claims resulting from the pandemic could be significant. Even though the pandemic has contributed to more than 500,000 deaths in the US, “the workers’ compensation system has not been overwhelmed by claims to date,” according to Bill Donnell, president and chief executive officer of the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), which prepares insurance rate and loss cost recommendations for most of the workers’ compensation industry. In California, for example, about one in six workers’ comp claims was attributed to COVID-19 in 2020, but just a small proportion of those claims required significant medical treatment or hospitalization, according to Alex Swedlow, president of Oakland, California-based California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI). “At the beginning of the pandemic, the hypothetical scenarios and projections related to direct cost impact were quite grim,” wrote Kim Haugaard, senior vice president of policyholder services at Austin-based Texas Mutual Insurance Co., in an email to Business Insurance. “The current impact has not been as bad as we anticipated that it could have been.” COVID-19 claims represented only about 2% of all workers’ comp claims paid out by Texas Mutual by the end of the year, Mr. Haugaard said. Total Claims Offset by Fewer Non-Covid Claims According to data collection by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners from states throughout the country, total incurred losses through third quarter 2020 have dropped approximately 7.5% compared with the same period in 2019. While this is early data and more people will likely suffer work-related COVID-19 illnesses, insurance companies have generally suggested that during 2020, decreases in non-COVID-19 losses have more than offset increases directly attributable to the pandemic. “For example,” notes Donnell, “significantly reduced mileage has resulted in fewer work-related motor vehicle accidents and more remote work has limited the incidence of typical workplace slips and falls.” While workers with COVID-19 have generated some claim activity, so far these losses are predominantly lost time from work. Medical can range from testing costs to intensive care hospital costs. According to a recent NCCI analysis of medical payments in the first half of 2020, the top 5% of the COVID-19 medical claims are driving approximately 70% of the medical COVID-19 related payments. “This early data validates that serious claims exist, but they are few relative to the total. Among other issues, we are closely monitoring the impact of co-morbidities and are considering the possibility of long-term COVID-19-related health concerns. So, we still have a long way to go to fully understand the claims story from this pandemic,” said Donnell. For more information or help, contact the Insurance professionals of the PCOC Insurance Program. Call us at: 877.860.7378. Paul Lindsay
New Members
Frequently Requested Information
Frequently Asked For WebsitesPCOC Safety Committee PCOC Fundraising Committee PCOC C.A.R.E.S. PCOC Scholarship Department of Fish & Game Department of Food & Agriculture California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) DPR on Facebook DPR on YouTube (see "playlists" for videos pertaining to new surface water regulations) DPR on Twitter DPR LinkedIn Healthy Schools Act Structural Pest Control Board Find Your Legislator NPMA's QualityPro Accrediation Application 
One Thing in Web Marketing
A Quick Guide to Popular Search Engines – And Which Your Pest Control Company Should TargetBuilding a steady stream of traffic to your Website is essential for any Pest Control Business. There are plenty of ways to accomplish this objective, but none as prominent as Search Engine Optimization. You may wonder: what search engines should your campaign be going after? Great question... There are multiple options — each with a different level of popularity and engagement. Here is the breakdown of the most common search engines used and which is the most important for your bottom line. If you ask the average person to name a search engine, there’s a good chance they’ll answer with Google. According to GlobalStats, Google is the leading search engine taking up 88% of the nationwide market share for online inquiries. Due to Google Maps, Google Reviews, and Google My Business listings, this search engine essentially is a one-stop shop for those trying to find local businesses online. Bing While Bing is not as popular of a search engine as Google, it’s the search power for Alexa and Cortana — two of the most common voice search engines. All a person has to do is say, “Alexa, find a pest control company near me” and your services could be one of the suggested results. This search engine bears some similarities to Google and even Apple Maps when pulling in location-based data, as well as online reviews. Many Microsoft devices use Bing as its default engine, making it the 2nd most popular search engine in the USA. Yahoo!Some believe Yahoo! to be so similar to Bing that if you optimize for one — you’re optimizing for the other. This is actually true. Yahoo!’s search function has been powered by Bing since 2011. The good news for search marketers is that they can essentially hit two birds with one stone when targeting these engines. DuckDuckGo
The latest in search engines comes in the form of DuckDuckGo. This privacy-based engine has found popularity among folks who are wary of data tracking. USA Today reported in January that the service’s daily searches increased by 62% in 2020. Despite its rise in popularity, DuckDuckGo is still in 4th place (behind the above) when it comes to search market share. However, they certainly capture the attention of search marketers as online privacy continues to be a hot-button issue. So What Search Engine Should Your Pest Control Company Go After?If the name of the game is maximizing your Website's visitors, it's clear to say Google is your target search engine. Google currently is the most worthwhile investment if you really want to drum up business from online pest service inquiries. The downside of Google's popularity is the high level of competition present. If you aren't an experienced Web Marketer, you may find it challenging to obtain page one or two placement for various pest control services. Opting for easier entrance into the online search market makes Yahoo! and Bing favorable options for novice marketers. Showing up on search engines can feel like too much of an indirect way to drive leads for some... But ask any pest control business or company in general that runs successful Web Marketing campaigns, and they'll tell you: it pays to show up online. Give Market Hardware a call today to find out more about our expertise with Google! Market Hardware is happy to offer Web Marketing consultations – give us a call to learn more! Contact us today if you’re interested and want more information! You can email PCOC@markethardware.com or call (888) 381-6925.
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