Online data breaches are just an unfortunate fact of life now—as the New York Times put it, you might as well assume that your personal information has been taken, because cyberattacks happen all the time. That’s why we recommend Safeco’s identity-recovery coverage, available for just $1 a month for our homeowners customers. It’s best if you […]
October 2, 2018
As communities across the West Coast recover from devastating wildfires, residents living in both affected and surrounding areas face higher risk of flooding. Wildfires can drastically change the terrain and make the ground less able to absorb water. Even areas that do not typically flood are now at risk for flash flooding and mudflows for […]
September 20, 2018
The end of summer means many things, such as cooler weather, shorter days and … the start of football is here! But most important, it means kids are headed back to school. And that means we all should be extra careful on the roads, in school zones and around buses. Don’t forget to watch for […]
September 14, 2018
For many of our neighbors, summer means more than sunshine and vacations. It also means working in the yard – often with tools that can be dangerous if not used properly. Each year about 400,000 people are treated for injuries from lawn and garden tools, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Don’t […]
August 20, 2018
The Department of Labor in June issued its final rules for expanding employers’ access to association plans, a move that could result in some increases in premiums for other plans, including Affordable Care Act-compliant small group health plans. The rule in its essence allows more small businesses and self-employed workers to band together to buy […]
July 20, 2018
With temperatures rising, employers with outdoor workers need to take steps to protect them from heat illness. California employers need to be especially mindful as Cal/OSHA has workplace safety regulations governing the prevention of heat illness. The heat illness standard came into effect about seven years ago as the number of deaths due to heat […]
July 20, 2018
THE CALIFORNIA Supreme Court has handed down a decision that rewrites the state’s independent contractor law by adopting a more stringent test for determining whether or not someone is an employee for wage order cases. The new law will affect any California business that uses independent contractors and it makes it more difficult to classify […]
July 20, 2018
A NEW STATE law (SB 189) introduces amendments to an existing law (AB 2883) that defines what constitutes an owner or officer who is exempt from having to carry workers’ comp coverage. The legislation amends the current law (AB 2883) that became effective on January 1, 2017, which limits the ownership percentage of individuals in […]
July 20, 2018
Did you know that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States commute to work by bicycle, according to the U.S. Census Bureau? That’s a lot of cars off the road each day, a lot of gasoline saved and a ton of calories burned. Maybe you’re a bicycle commuter already — or maybe you want […]
July 16, 2018
If you own a boat (or better yet, as the joke goes, you know someone with a boat), you’ve probably thought about spending some evenings on the water — especially in the summertime. It’s a great thought, of course. But, when you’re boating after dark, you need to think about staying safe, even as you […]
June 28, 2018