WITH MORE and more California businesses being forced to go to the California FAIR Plan for their coverage, the market of last resort has moved to increase its commercial property coverage limits significantly. This should bring a semblance of relief to companies located in wildfire-prone areas,...
IN A SIGN of the long-lasting effects of reforms enacted a decade ago, California’s workers’ compensation rate-making agency will recommend that average benchmark rates increase a mere 0.3%. The recommendation by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, would apply to policies incepting on or after Sept....
QR CODES – short for Quick Response codes – are everywhere these days, on the tables at restaurants, on posters, print and electronic advertising, and even during TV programming and commercials. But now, even these are prone to misuse and if one of your employees scans...
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...
PHISHING ATTACKS on enterprise and employees’ smartphones continue plaguing businesses, with attacks increasing 10% in 2022 from 2021, according to a new report. As more businesses have adopted bring- your-own-device (BYOD) policies, the risks grow for these attacks, which can be costly. Last year, 11.8% of mobile...
THE U.S. Department of Labor recently issued new guidance on the federal Family Medical Leave Act that has upended the notion of what qualifies as leave under the statute. Its Wage and Hour Division in February issued a guidance letter noting that employees with a serious...
THE COMMERCIAL property insurance market continues hardening, with average rates up 9.3% in the first quarter of 2023, according to MarketScout. Rates for business properties have been climbing steadily for the last six years, but those increases have grown at a faster clip since the...
AFTER THEIR property suffers storm damage, homeowners need to be on the lookout w as dishonest contractors and fake charities swoop in. In a scene that’s becoming increasingly common after a catastrophe, unscrupulous “storm chasers” are targeting people whose homes and premises have been damaged after...
A NEW STATE law that allows for digital license plates to be installed on vehicles in California, may have created a privacy nightmare for employers. The Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates Act, which took effect Jan. 1, enables fleet and commercial vehicle owners to purchase and...
THE EQUAL Employment Opportunity Commission has signaled that it plans to step up enforcement of workplace discrimination for all protected classes, particularly at firms that engage in “systemic” discrimination. Employee and job applicant discrimination complaints filed with the EEOC grew about 15% in 2022 from the...