COVID-19
April 26, 2022
Office Risk is Increasing as Workers Continue to Prefer Remote Options
Since the initial wave of the COVID-19 Omicron variant started to subside, people have begun to return to the office in larger numbers than we have seen since the start of the pandemic. But office owners are still trying to define “return.” In our 2022 commercial real estate trends overview, we explored the on-going struggle between...
April 21, 2022
CDC No Longer Enforcing Mask Mandate on Air Travel and Public Transit
On Monday, April 18, 2022, a federal judge invalidated the national mask-wearing requirement for public transit, airplanes and transportation hubs. In their decision, the federal judge for the Middle District of Florida said the CDC exceeded its authority to enforce mask-wearing. Initially, the mask-wearing requirement had been extended by the Centers for Disease Control and...
April 13, 2022
OSHA Launches Program to Protect Workers From Heat Hazards
On April 12, 2022, OSHA launched its National Emphasis Program (NEP) for protecting workers from heat hazards in indoor and outdoor workplaces. Through the program, OSHA will conduct heat-related workplace inspections before workers suffer preventable injuries, illnesses or fatalities. The NEP is effective on April 8, 2022, and will remain in effect for three years...
March 30, 2022
What to Expect From Commercial Property Insurance in 2022
Commercial property rates have seen double-digit increases for two straight years and Gary Wells, managing partner at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, does not foresee a notable drop any time soon. The 2022 outlook for this segment is still quite uncertain as severe weather events continue to present challenges for carriers, brokers, and clients. “We...
March 29, 2022
4 Reasons Why Companies Must Reimagine Employee Care
Employer benefits have a long and evolving history in the United States, with broader societal changes continually driving new advances in how companies take care of their workforce. In the 1920s, the federal government incentivized corporate retirement plans by making employer contributions tax-deductible, and in the following decades this benefit became a top negotiation item for increasingly...
March 24, 2022
What Will the Workplace Look Like Coming Out of COVID?
If one thing is certain, it’s that our world has changed irreparably over the last two years. The COVID-19 pandemic touched our lives in nearly every way. It changed how we live, how we work, how we hang out with friends and visit family. And many of those changes are poised to last well beyond...
March 18, 2022
Personalizing Your Employee Benefits Offerings
Each workforce is comprised of unique individuals with diverse backgrounds and interests. So why opt for a one-size-fits-all benefits package? Instead, consider providing benefits options that are as unique as your employees. Doing so could be the attraction and retention tool that sets your workplace apart. In fact, 73% of employees said having customized benefits...
March 15, 2022
Workplace Dangers Most Troubling to Employees in 2022
Workplace safety is now more important than ever before, according to 89% of Americans, nearly the same amount also believe that organizations have a legal and moral obligation to protect employees from unnecessary risks. This is according to a survey from AlertMedia, which also revealed 82% of people feel these obligations extend to those working remotely. While...
March 10, 2022
President Biden Urges Employees to Return to the Office
Recently, President Joe Biden urged employers to bring back workers into the office. During his remarks, Biden noted that with COVID-19 vaccination rates up and hospitalizations down, most Americans can remove their masks, return to work and move forward safely. President Biden also made similar comments days earlier during the 2022 State of the Union...
March 7, 2022
DC Loosens Mask-wearing Guidance for Most of U.S. Population
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced updates to its mask-wearing recommendations, loosening guidance for a majority of the U.S. population. The CDC provides COVID-19 Community Levels as a tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. These levels can be low, medium or high,...