General Industry
October 17, 2024
Best Practices for Safety Committees
A safety committee is crucial for creating and maintaining a safe workplace culture. These committees bring together employees, management and safety professionals to proactively address workplace hazards. There are several organizational benefits to implementing a safety committee. They can provide a safer work environment, increase employee morale, lower workers’ compensation premiums by improving incident rates...
October 10, 2024
Commercial P&C Rates Up 3.8% in Q3, but Q4 Could See Hurricane Effects
The U.S. property and casualty insurance market saw rates rise an average of 3.8% for commercial lines and 6.75% for personal lines in the third quarter, according to the latest data from MarketScout. The average increases for Q3 are down from 4.36% for commercial lines and 7.6% for personal lines in the second quarter. The...
October 3, 2024
Navigating Cybersecurity Challenges in the Construction Industry
The construction industry is continuously moving toward digitization, adopting advanced technology such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Building Information Modeling software. These innovations help to automate tasks, reduce waste and improve efficiency, productivity and safety. However, this shift also brings significant cybersecurity risks. As construction companies increasingly rely on digital tools...
October 1, 2024
Hurricane Helene Brings Catastrophic Flooding and Damage to Multiple States
After making landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend region, Hurricane Helene sped inland with a path of devastation, bringing historic flooding, millions of power outages and causing more than 90 deaths in multiple states. Coming ashore as the strongest hurricane on record to hit the Big Bend region of Florida, Helene...
September 26, 2024
Proposed OSHA Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard
OSHA recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register regarding heat injury and illness prevention. If finalized, the new standard would apply to all employers conducting indoor and outdoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime and agricultural sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction, subject to limited exceptions. It would also be the...
September 24, 2024
Preventing Age Discrimination in the Workplace
Age discrimination, or ageism, in the workplace involves treating an applicant or employee unfavorably because of their age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits age discrimination against those aged 40 or older in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training and benefits. Some states also have laws...
September 11, 2024
Preparing for the Fall and Winter Virus Season
During the fall and winter months, respiratory viruses tend to spread more widely. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were the main causes of severe respiratory disease during these times of year. Although some people have mild symptoms when they catch the flu or RSV, others get sick enough to...
September 10, 2024
Pay-or-Play Affordability Percentage Will Increase for 2025
On Sept. 6, 2024, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2024-35 to index the contribution percentage in 2025 for determining the affordability of an employer’s plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For plan years beginning in 2025, employer-sponsored coverage will be considered affordable under the ACA’s “pay-or-play” rules if the employee’s required contribution for self-only...
September 5, 2024
OSHA Releases New Online Severe Injury Report Dashboard
On Sept. 4, 2024, OSHA released an online tool giving users the ability to search its severe injury report (SIR) database and view trends related to workplace injuries occurring in states covered by federal OSHA. Key Highlights OSHA requires that employers report all severe work-related injuries, such as amputations, in-patient hospitalizations or losses of an...
September 4, 2024
Preparing for the 2024 Election
Federal, state and local elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 5, this year. Employers should be aware of the number of ways elections impact the workplace. For instance, some employers are subject to voting leave requirements, and elections can lead to employee behavior challenges. As voting approaches, savvy employers can prepare by taking steps to...