The National Labor Relations Board has issued a final rule that expands the definition of what’s considered a joint-employer relationship and increases employers’ potential liability. Under the rule, two or more entities may be considered joint employers if they share one or more employees and they both can determine the workers’ essential terms and conditions […]
Holiday parties have made a comeback despite, or maybe because of, more people working remotely. Many managers want to bring their teams together under one roof as it’s become apparent that connecting face-to-face is vital to a vibrant and cohesive work atmosphere. But if you are planning on throwing a company holiday party, there are […]
Fleet operators face an increased risk of potential liability if they are not diligent about checking their drivers’ moving violation records with the state Department of Motor Vehicles in addition to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. To ensure the safety of our roadways, as of 2020, it became mandatory that […]
While cyber threats grow and the cyber insurance market evolves, insurers are regularly adjusting their policy terms and conditions in response to new threats and exposure. Carriers have amassed nearly a decade’s worth of data and are getting more stringent about underwriting and demanding that policyholders do their share by implementing best practices aimed at […]
Workers’ compensation fraud costs the insurance industry roughly $5 billion each year, according to estimates by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Depending on whom you ask, fraud accounts for as much as 10% of the costs of all workers’ comp claims. This type of fraud is typically associated with malingering employees who fake injuries in […]
Skyrocketing claims costs and higher accident rates are pressuring the commercial auto insurance market, as insurers impose increasingly larger rate hikes and more are pulling out of the market or restricting who they will cover. While rate increases have been the standard for nearly a decade, since 2022 hikes are growing larger — often in […]
Cal/OSHA has proposed its long-awaited indoor heat illness prevention standard as increasingly hot summers are affecting workers in indoor spaces like warehouses, production operations, restaurants and more. The proposed standard, largely based on the state agency’s outdoor regulations, will require employers whose workplaces at times are at least 82 degrees to have a written Indoor […]
There is a growing threat to companies that use online services to administer their employee benefits and payroll as cyber criminals increasingly exploit these cloud service platforms. The results of a hacker gaining access to the company’s payroll systems, sloshing with cash, as well as employees’ personally identifiable information can be devastating both to the […]
Office and commercial building vacancies have exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving many buildings completely empty of tenants or partially occupied. According to the website Statista.com, the average vacancy rate for offices nationwide in the first quarter of 2022 was 12.3%, which is an improvement from 17.4% in the first quarter of 2021. Unfortunately, […]
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation that would bar employers from discriminating against employees and job applicants who use cannabis on their time off. The law amends the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to prohibit discrimination against an individual based on “an employer-required drug screening test” that detects the presence […]