OSHA encourages employers to investigate all accidents in which a worker was hurt, as well as close calls — sometimes called “near misses” — in which an individual might have been injured if the circumstances had been slightly different. The agency suggests using the term “incident investigation,” since nearly all accidents are preventable. Reasons to […]
October 17, 2023
A new report by Aon warns employers to expect average group health insurance costs to increase 8.5% in 2024, as inflation starts hitting the cost of delivering care as well as pharmaceuticals. The report predicts that employers will pay an average of $15,088 in 2024, compared to the average this year of $13,906. The cost […]
October 17, 2023
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation that will increase the amount of paid sick leave days California workers are eligible for. The law, SB 616, will expand the minimum number of paid sick leave days that employers are required to provide to five days (40 hours) from the current three, or 24 hours. The new […]
October 17, 2023
August is National Eye Exam month. When was the last time you got your vision checked? August is National Eye Exam Month! Are you one of the 11 million people who need vision correction? If you’ve never been to the eye doctor, you could have vision trouble and not know it. Due to the aging […]
August 9, 2023
Employers who were surveyed for a new report expected that group health insurance premiums would increase 5.4% this year and at a faster clip in 2024 as inflation hits medical costs. Employers said they are looking to manage growing group benefit costs without shifting costs to employees, as they realize that their staff are likely […]
July 27, 2023
If you have not yet done so, it’s time to update your employee handbooks and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster to account for changes to workplace anti-discrimination laws. The Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act, signed into law last year, came into effect June 27 and the EEOC has […]
July 27, 2023
A recent study has found that injured workers are often left feeling frustrated and fending for themselves after they file a workers’ compensation claim. The survey of injured workers by researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada found that workers reacted in a number of ways when experiencing “procedural” unfairness, frustration in how […]
July 27, 2023
If you have staff who work remotely, you’ll want to pay attention to changes that are coming to the workers’ compensation class code you use for them. Starting Sept. 1, California’s telecommuter class code will finally get its own pure premium rates, that is lower than what’s currently being charged. Since many people starting working […]
July 26, 2023
A surge in demand for pricey, new and highly effective anti-obesity medications could put a financial strain on employers who sponsor their employees’ health plans. Employers have long offered coverage for certain weight loss tools, such as bariatric surgery if employees qualify for the drastic procedure that requires an operation. Other medications that have been […]
July 26, 2023
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 […]
July 26, 2023