Category: Newsletter


  • Getting a Head Start on Open Enrollment

    As open enrollment is right around the corner, now is the time to gear up to maximize employee enrollment, help them make the best selections for their own personal circumstances, and stay compliant with relevant laws and regulations. It’s a lot to take in as uncertainty has been a constant during the last many years […]

    October 16, 2018

  • Be Aware: Wildfire Flood Risk

    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

  • DOL Issues Final Rules for Association Health Plans

    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

  • Preventing Heat Illness as Temperatures Soar

    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

  • California High Court Upends Independent Contractor Test

    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

  • New Law Reduces Ownership Requirement for Coverage Exemption

    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

  • Ruling May Open Firms up to Employee Suits in Safety Cases

    The California State Supreme Court has issued a landmark opinion that paves the way for employees who have been injured at work due to their employer’s violations of Cal/OSHA regulations to sue for unfair business practices and other violations of the state’s Business and Professions Code. This broadens the scope of employer liability in workplace […]

    April 20, 2018

  • When the Customer Is Sexually Harassing One of Your Employees

    Society has become increasingly aware of the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. Several high-profile offenders have seen their careers harmed or ended. Employers are beginning to realize the harm this behavior among employees can cause. However, the problem might not be the business’s workers; in many cases, it is the customers. Harassment by […]

    April 20, 2018

  • New Law Reduces Ownership Requirement for Coverage Exemption

    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 […]

    April 20, 2018

  • Gender Wage Discrimination Lawsuits Heat up with #EqualPayNow

    While the #MeToo movement has spurred a new wave of sexual harassment lawsuits in organizations throughout the country, there is a parallel trend that is also gaining a foothold: unequal pay lawsuits based on gender or race. Corporate defense lawyers have expressed concern that pay discrimination cases also seem to be on the rise as […]

    April 20, 2018