No one plans on becoming disabled and missing work, but it can happen. An illness or an accident could cause one of your employees to be unable to work for months, or even years. While their health insurance will cover their medical expenses, it won’t cover the cost of living while they recover. Only 30%…
In the waning days of 2022, Congress passed a bipartisan $1.7-trillion spending bill that includes legislation that expands rights for pregnant and nursing employees. The budget bill, which President Biden has signed into law, included the Pregnant Workers Fair Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). Employers will…
As health insurance and health care costs continue rising, more employers and health plans are turning to centers of excellence to manage patients with chronic conditions. Centers of excellence are unique operations that focus on containing costs and delivering quality and coordinated care from diagnoses to treatment and recovery for patients with acute or chronic…
Employers with 10 or more employees must post their completed OSHA Form 300A by Feb. 1 and keep it posted in their workplace until April 30. The form must be posted where the company usually posts other employee notices, like minimum wage and workplace safety notices. Form 300A summarizes the total number of fatalities, missed…
Recent studies have highlighted an alarming trend in American health care: More and more people are struggling with medical bills and many are delaying care due to high costs. The most recent poll by Gallup found that 38% of those surveyed said they or a family member had delayed care in 2022 due to high…
While overall sexual harassment complaints have ebbed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and have fallen below their post-#MeToo movement highs, jury awards continue rising. Employers who receive a complaint about workplace sexual harassment need to take immediate steps to investigate the matter and take remedial action when warranted. But the best way to…
Besides health insurance and a 401(k) plan, other benefits that employees value highly are generous paid time off and flexible or remote work, according to a new survey. But for the first time, the annual study by employee benefits provider Unum found that the younger generations are not on the same page with their older…
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…
Americans are eligible to sign up for Medicare when they turn 65, but more of us are staying in the workforce longer than ever before. In fact, the average retirement age has increased three years in the last three decades. There are a number of issues that Medicare-eligible workers face that your human resources staff…
The ongoing labor shortage affecting the construction industry is leading to increasing exposure for contractors due to a number of risks. Working short-staffed or with employees new to construction can lead to increased workplace injuries, which in turn can result in higher workers’ compensation premiums. It can also result in shoddy work that needs to…