Amid Mental Health Awareness Month, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) launched its Mental Health at Work initiative to address mental health within the workplace and introduce resources for employees and employers alike. The DOL’s initiative aims to advance mental wellness in the workplace through the following strategies: The DOL explains that high-quality jobs provide safe workplaces,...
Runaway inflation has become the economic drumbeat that keeps getting louder as election midterms approach in November, but in the workers’ compensation sector, executives see an improved picture on the horizon for both medical and wage inflation — despite the multi-decade high in the consumer price index straining families’ wallets and patience. As employers ratchet...
Small businesses are often prime targets for cybercriminals because of the sensitive information stored in their databases. They also commonly lack proactive measures to fight against cyberattacks. According to the Small Business Administration, 88% of small business owners feel their company is not prepared for a cyberattack. Cyberattacks can shut down businesses for more than 24 hours and can...
No matter the time of year, when business owners think about the common risks involved with owning a business, the safety of their employees should always be top of mind. However, the summertime can bring unique hazards, with its soaring temperatures, busy travel times and potential for strong storms. In the summer, it’s important that employers take...
According to Dun & Bradstreet, in Q2 2022, the Global Business Impact (GBI) score increased to 315, up from 297 in Q1 2022. The GBI ranks the biggest threats to business based on each risk scenario’s potential impact on companies, assigning a score to each risk. As businesses continue to acknowledge the rising risk landscape, it is...
One of the most prominent challenges facing global businesses today surrounds the deluge of massive data growth and the risk it presents to companies as the management issues of this data take shape. This risk comes in several major forms, including the legal/regulatory exposure from investigations and litigation, ongoing cybersecurity vulnerabilities and unsustainable increased spend on its...
It’s been quite a couple of years for the insurance industry, with the impacts of COVID-19, inflation, and fundamental changes to the labor market taking their toll. Despite all this, however, the workers’ compensation system is booming – it remains one of the most profitable segments of the US property and casualty insurance industry. According...
Workers in critical infrastructure sectors may be permitted to work if asymptomatic after potential exposure to a confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), provided that worker infection prevention recommendations and controls are implemented. Outbreaks of illness among workers in food-producing facilities and surrounding communities have raised unique questions that identified the need for testing for COVID-19 to...
HOW SOCIAL DISTANCING IS IMPACTING WORKPLACE CULTURE As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, one guideline that is likely to last beyond this year is social distancing. Employers have a responsibility to keep employees healthy and safe, and that duty is informing their return-to-work strategies. For instance, some organizations are keeping employees at home...
DOL RELEASES MORE Q&AS ON WORKPLACE LAWS AND CORONAVIRUS On July 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the agency’s publication of additional guidance on applying federal employment laws in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance is in the form of questions and answers added to sets of Q&As the...