Despite the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau recommending that benchmark rates in California be increased in the last two years, the rates that insurance companies are charging for coverage continue falling. But the party may soon be coming to an end, according to a new report. The California Department of Insurance in fact rejected the […]
A new law will require almost all contractors in California to carry workers’ compensation coverage, regardless of if they have employees or not. According to the author of the bill, State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, the new law was necessary due to the tendency of many small contractors to claim they have no employees, when […]
Under a new proposal by the California Air Resources Board, all new big rigs and other large trucks sold in the Golden State will have to be zero-emission vehicles, starting in 2040. The proposed rule would bar manufacturers from selling medium- and heavy-duty trucks that run on diesel or gasoline in California, and instead sell […]
Inflation is not just affecting the cost of food and fuel. It’s also spilled over to the price of almost every industrial item, as well as building materials and services. Anybody running a business, particularly one that carries inventories or has to invest in machinery or electronics, has seen prices increase on top of wage […]
Cal/OSHA has issued a reminder to employers that they are required to protect their outdoor workers from unhealthy air due to wildfire smoke. Cal/OSHA’s Protection from Wildfire Smoke emergency regulation put in place in August 2019 was made permanent in February 2021. For the safety of your workers and to comply with the regulation, it’s […]
When you’re in the construction industry you already have lots to worry about: Keeping your workers safe in one of the most dangerous industries, uninsured or underinsured subcontractors, and finding experienced employees from a shrinking pool of talent. Not only that, but lawsuits lurk in any project, exposing you to serious losses that can threaten […]
The California State Supreme Court will take up a case to decide whether an employer can be sued for liability when a worker contracts COVID-19 at work and then passes it on to a family member. The 9th U.S. District Court of Appeal asked that state’s high court clarify if California’s Workers’ Compensation Act bars […]
The United States Supreme Court has put a significant dent in California’s Private Attorneys General Act, which in recent years has resulted in a surge in legal actions against California employers by their workers. The law has been a huge thorn in the side of employers, who have been on the receiving end of litigation […]
As we approach mid-year there are about a dozen cities and counties in the Golden State that will be increasing their minimum wage for employers that operate within their jurisdictions. The state minimum wage is currently $15 an hour for employers with 26 or more workers, and $14 an hour for all other smaller employers, […]
One of the keys to keeping the costs of a workers’ compensation claim from spiraling out of control is prompt claims reporting. Claims are routinely filed late, either by the injured worker who fails to report it to the employer, or the employer dawdling or procrastinating and not reporting the claim to its insurer. Either […]