Page 36 - BusinessWest July 7, 2021

approach to serving clients, said Murphy, adding that, in this industry, it is generally understood that, in order to protect an organization from unwarranted claim costs, the most effective mea- sures an employer can implement must occur before the employee has separated.
Elaborating, she said UTCA helps compa- nies identify and target cost drivers, and then works with them to develop solutions for reduc- ing them, an MO that has resonated with a wide range of clients.
The firm now boasts 20 employees, including Murphy’s daughter, Meghan Avery, senior vice president; and son, Evan Murphy, director of cli- ent development, as well as a number of indepen- dent contractors who handle hearings in a num- ber of different states.
Getting back to those giants in the industry, Murphy said trying to compete with them, at least with regard to price, is extremely difficult, and this is why so many smaller players have not been able to stay in business over the years. She’s deter- mined not to join the growing list of casualties.
“I would not do that my clients; I feel the mar- ket needs a reliable, responsible, client-focused broker in the industry, and I’m going to keep slug- ging as long as I can,” she said, adding that she laments the loss of many smaller players.
“I’d welcome more privately held, small or medium-sized competitors from the perspec- tive that they be expected to be more focused on results, unable to confuse the marketplace with a very diluted spectrum of services or a blitz of advertising,” she explained. “It’s said that iron sharpens iron, and I think there’s a lot of truth to that. There’s plenty of business to go around and no shortage of complexity or issues employers
must contend with in our space.”
Market Forces
There has certainly been enough business in recent months, as companies of all sizes have been forced to contend with the huge bill that has come due in the wake of huge numbers of people going on unemployment due to the pandemic and the deep toll it took on busi-
nesses across virtually every sector. Indeed, Murphy described that
period as by far the busiest of her career, dominated by helping cli- ents handle both legitimate and fraudulent claims — and there were large numbers of both.
And then came what most would describe as a controversy regarding the solvency assessment and the decision of the governor and the Legislature about how to address it.
fix has been provided and nothing more needs to be done,” she said. “And that could not be further from the sentiments that we are experiencing on the ground, from our clients, and even those who aren’t clients — people who have reached out to us because they know of our role on this issue.
“There need to be discussions about tax equity and tax justice,” she went on. “The larger corpora- tions are not going to feel this as much. But the
“
tax justice. The larger corporations are not going to feel this as much. But the smaller and medium-sized businesses are going to be far more disadvantaged; it’s going to impact them detrimentally. There’s no upside to how this was managed.”
There need to be discussions about tax equity and
From her position on the front
lines of this battle, Murphy heard directly from
a number of small and mid-sized business own- ers facing huge assessments, often through no fault of their own, at a time when many were
still struggling to fully dig their way out from the pandemic. Thus, she became highly visible, and highly vocal, in efforts to convince the Legislature to use money from the American Rescue Plan to offset those costs to businesses. Despite those efforts, Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature have instead opted to spread out the payments — an estimated $7 billion in total — over 20 years, a decision that disappoints her on many levels.
“The governor and the Legislature believe the
smaller and medium-sized businesses are going to be far more disadvantaged; it’s going to impact them detrimentally. There’s no upside to how this was managed.”
As noted earlier, this controversy has put UTCA, and especially Murphy, under a brighter spotlight. For her, it’s a different role, one she’s accepted enthusiastically because of what’s at stake and because of the way her clients — and, as she said, non-clients, too — are now in the line of fire.
Murphy
Continued on page 37
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