Employee Benefits
November 24, 2021
Managing the Construction Worker Shortage
A new report released by the Home Builders Institute (HBI) predicts that the construction industry may be on the cusp of an employee shortage crisis. The HBI’s Fall 2021 Construction Labor Market Report—based on data analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics—estimates that an additional 2.2 million new hires will be necessary over the next...
November 12, 2021
Mitigating Workers’ Comp Claims for Remote Employees
As many employees have adjusted to working from home, trading their cubicle for a kitchen table and the board room meetings for Zoom appointments, many have become accustomed to making a workplace out of practically anywhere. Of course, some of these changes come with implications, especially in the workers’ compensation arena. Identifying a few key...
November 9, 2021
Building a Culture of Wellbeing in a Hybrid Workforce
Hybrid models of working — with some employees remote, some in the office and some with a varied schedule — are here to stay. While this flexible approach is appealing to employees, it often poses a challenge for employers who wish to build and maintain a vibrant and productive workplace culture. We know that culture...
October 27, 2021
Prioritizing Mental Health in the Construction Industry
There’s a variety of potential health and safety exposures for construction employers like you to consider at the job site, including falls from height, electrocution hazards and struck-by incidents, to name a few. Yet, one concern that often gets overlooked is employees’ mental well-being. Recent research found that over 80% of construction workers have felt...
October 18, 2021
Boost Your Company’s Safety Culture
Safety culture is a much-discussed concept these days, but what does it actually mean? According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Construction Safety & Injury Prevention Program Workbook, “a culture is an attitude that develops over time, based upon learning, personal experiences, beliefs, and upbringing; and is widely demonstrated by company staff. While adjusting...
October 14, 2021
Best Practices to Facilitate a Successful Benefits Rollout
Keeping employees motivated and productive in the current environment is a difficult task on its own, but when you factor in employees who are struggling financially, it’s a whole other ball game. As an employer, you want to help provide solutions by offering desirable benefits like pet insurance, flexible time off, early wage access and...
August 23, 2021
Preparing for Open Enrollment With a Hybrid Workforce
With open enrollment season approaching, now’s the time for HR professionals to kick off their planning. Due to the pandemic—and employees’ desire for flexibility—many employers now find themselves with a workforce on a hybrid schedule. It’s imperative they make appropriate adjustments to lead a successful open enrollment period. As a flexible model designed to support...
August 16, 2021
OSHA Urges Employers to Require Vaccinated Workers to Wear Masks
The U.S. agency that regulates workplace safety issued guidance on Friday urging employers to require many fully vaccinated workers to wear masks to protect unvaccinated colleagues and customers, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommended that workers wear masks “in areas of substantial or high community transmission,” such...
August 2, 2021
Preparing Workers’ Comp for Future Pandemics
Intending to recognize additional catastrophic exposures on workers’ comp systems that can impact ratemaking, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is proposing that any event exceeding $50 million in losses be excluded from the data used to set rates, including future pandemics. Other than certified acts of terrorism, NCCI’s catastrophe provision only accounts for single-event losses...
July 20, 2021
Why Starting Open Enrollment Early In 2021 Is More Important Than Ever
The COVID-19 pandemic shook the job market in ways never before seen. For one, it created so much uncertainty that employees who would’ve typically searched for a new job last year decided to stay put. For another, the pandemic prompted workers to take stock of their circumstances and consider what workplace perks matter most to...