Under new U.S. Treasury Department rules, businesses with fewer than 20 employees and less than $5 million in annual revenue will have to start reporting ownership and control information to the federal government every year. The requirement, issued under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), is expected to affect 32 million small businesses across the country.…
Each year, InterWest recognizes employees who are identified by their co-workers as having demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to their clients, workmates as well as their community. This partnership between work and giving back makes them stand out for their invaluable contributions. ______________________________ Erin Brown Account Manager, Commercial Lines Department Merced, California Erin is a pleasure…
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued new guidance on how employers can properly use software, algorithms and artificial intelligence-driven decision-making tools when screening job applicants and selecting candidates. The EEOC has grown concerned about possible adverse impacts of these technologies that can help employers with a wide range of employment matters, like hiring decisions,…
The IRS has raised the maximum amount people can funnel into their health savings accounts by 7.8% for 2024, the largest increase ever, brought to you by inflation. The IRS updates this amount annually, along with minimum deductibles as well as the out-of-pocket maximums for high-deductible health plans. Under its rules, HSAs, which help employees…
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…
Each year, InterWest recognizes employees who are identified by their co-workers as having demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to their clients, workmates as well as their community. This partnership between work and giving back makes them stand out for their invaluable contributions. ______________________________ Kelley Hoag Account Executive, Employee Benefits Department Chico, California Kelley manages a significant…
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 COVID-19 pandemic crippled global supply chains and disrupted economies around…
While drugmakers have been assailed for years for increasing their prices and driving the cost of medications higher and higher, there is another player in the health care space that is receiving increased scrutiny: pharmacy benefit managers. PBMs are intermediaries, acting as go-betweens for insurance companies, self-insured employers, drug manufacturers and pharmacies. They can handle…
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) recently released a detailed set of frequently asked questions about a new bereavement law that requires employers in the state with five or more workers to provide leave for up to five days to a worker who loses an immediate family member. The law, which took effect Jan. 1,…
A new study has found that people enrolled in traditional PPOs and HMOs are more satisfied with their plans than those who are enrolled in high-deductible health plans. But satisfaction greatly increases when HDHP enrollees stick with their plan for more than three years, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)/Greenwald Research “Consumer Engagement…