Insurance agent agency release

[Kritin]

Jurisdiction

Arizona

So the situation is this,

I worked for an agency over a year ago with my last employment date being June 2018. I am now working at a new agency but I'm going to be laid off because my former agency has not released my appointments yet. Is my former agency allowed to hold onto my appointments for more than 1 year? I contacted my former and they said it will take 4-6 weeks from my request to obtain a release letter and by that time I will be unemployed.

 

[army judge]

Is my former agency allowed to hold onto my appointments for more than 1 year?

No one that is unfamiliar with the terms of your former and current employment can offer you more than speculation in response to the aforementioned question.

I suspect a conversation with your current and former employer might result in a solution other than the interruption of your paycheck.

It can't hurt to try, but be polite and pitiful to the point of begging for forbearance and help.

 

[cbg]

I don't think I'm alone in saying that I don't know what you mean by "released your appointments". I've worked in some aspect of HR for 40 years now and I've never heard that phrase used before. Please clarify, and we may be able to respond.

 

[Kritin]

So I'm an insurance producer. I worked for a brokerage that sold multiple products through multiple "carriers", or companies. An appointment is a contract with the insurance company itself to sell for them. In order for to sell the same companies products for a different insurance brokerage the carrier, say Blue Cross Blue Shield, would require a release letter from my previous brokerage.

Hope that provides some clarity.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I think a call to the AZ Insurance Commission would likely get you an answer and possible action you can take if the answer is what you want it to be.

Here's their number. (877) 660-0964

 

[adjusterjack]

Is my former agency allowed to hold onto my appointments for more than 1 year?

Why didn't you ask for your release when you left in June 2018?

said it will take 4-6 weeks from my request to obtain a release letter

Then they aren't withholding anything for more than a year if you only just requested the release.

by that time I will be unemployed

You would certainly qualify for unemployment insurance. Remind your employer that he pays for that and see if he'll make some sort of accommodation so you keep your job.

I think a call to the AZ Insurance Commission would likely get you an answer and possible action you can take if the answer is what you want it to be.

Couldn't hurt. But I doubt that the D of I would intervene in a broker/employee issue.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Couldn't hurt. But I doubt that the D of I would intervene in a broker/employee issue.

But they would be a good place to ask if there is a rule about appointment releases.

 

[Kritin]

I did ask for a release in 2018 when I left to which I did not get it. And the az commission cant help because AZ is a non appointed state. The states in which I need an appointment in are AZ, CA, GA, Fl, IN, KY, MO, NJ, OH, TN, TX, VA, and WA

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Well this is what you get for not following up a year ago.