Virginia is on the cusp of creating the nation’s first pandemic workplace safety requirements for employers, a standard that many in the occupational safety and health community expect could be a model for other state-operated Occupational Safety and Health Administrations to follow. With no signs that Fed-OSHA is looking to develop similar regulations, some state…
As more of America’s workers were asked to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cyber criminals jumped at the opportunity to take advantage, it seems. Remote work means work being handled on the cloud as employees share files and need a convenient way to access them. But cyber criminals are banking on workers…
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on and more employees go back to work, the risk of catching the disease for workers has spawned a growing wave of employment litigation. Lawsuits are flying as employers struggle to keep their workplaces safe and negotiate an often-confusing mishmash of new and existing laws and regulations. Regulators have been…
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…
COVID-19-related losses for property-casualty insurers are likely to top $100 billion, with workers’ compensation accounting for about a third of all payouts, according to a new report by Wells Fargo & Co. The report estimates that workers’ compensation could see total COVID-19 claims payouts of up to $34 billion, but that factors like the severity…
As protests around the country descended into rioting and civil unrest, many businesses that have been looted, or seen their shops damaged or completely destroyed, will obviously be turning to their insurance to file a claim. While many companies were unsuccessful in filing business interruption claims for the COVID-19 crisis, claims for damage and theft…
As a business owner or company director wanting to lease a car for yourself, you have the choice of either business contract or personal car leasing, and each option has its own implications, benefits and disadvantages, particularly in terms of insurance. And if you are using your new car mostly for work (think sales calls…
Musculoskeletal disorders from manual labor in factories, construction, printing and warehouse work are one of the most common types of workplace injuries and account for one-third of all workers’ compensation costs. These injuries take a profound economic toll on both workers who suffer these injuries and on employers who pay more for their workers’ comp…
If your business is preparing to open due a relaxation of shelter-at-home orders, you should proceed with caution and make sure you have safeguards in place to protect your workers as well as customers, if they are entering your premises. Plan carefully. How can you take that first step back to a semblance of normalcy?…
One bit of good news coming from the COVID-19 pandemic is that the economic downturn has boosted efforts to close older workers’ comp claims that have been lingering as both sides cannot agree on a settlement. Due to the financial pain brought on by the sudden downturn, injured workers who have been reluctant to settle…