Author Archive
Workers’ Comp Insurers Continue Cutting Their Rates
Despite the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau recommending that benchmark rates in California be increased in the last two years, the rates that insurance companies are charging for coverage continue falling. But the party may soon be coming to an end, according to a new report. The California Department of Insurance in fact rejected the […]
Contractors Will Need Comp Coverage Even If They Have No Workers
A new law will require almost all contractors in California to carry workers’ compensation coverage, regardless of if they have employees or not. According to the author of the bill, State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, the new law was necessary due to the tendency of many small contractors to claim they have no employees, when […]
State Moves to Ban Sale of Non-Electric Big Rigs, Semis in 2040
Under a new proposal by the California Air Resources Board, all new big rigs and other large trucks sold in the Golden State will have to be zero-emission vehicles, starting in 2040. The proposed rule would bar manufacturers from selling medium- and heavy-duty trucks that run on diesel or gasoline in California, and instead sell […]
Vacant Buildings Pose Risks, Insurance Challenges
Office and commercial building vacancies have exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving many buildings completely empty of tenants or partially occupied. According to the website Statista.com, the average vacancy rate for offices nationwide in the first quarter of 2022 was 12.3%, which is an improvement from 17.4% in the first quarter of 2021. Unfortunately, […]
New Law Bars ‘Discrimination’ Against Cannabis-Using Employees
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation that would bar employers from discriminating against employees and job applicants who use cannabis on their time off. The law amends the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to prohibit discrimination against an individual based on “an employer-required drug screening test” that detects the presence […]
Commercial Property Insurance Gets Scarce in At-Risk Areas
Commercial property insurance rates remain stubbornly high in California for businesses with properties that are susceptible to wildfire risks. Coverage is relatively easy to find at reasonable prices in any of California’s larger cities, but in small cities and towns, it’s a different story. Business with facilities in any areas that abut woodlands and other […]
Most Small Firms Underestimate Cyber Attack Costs, Recovery Time
A new survey has found that most small businesses greatly underestimate the recovery costs after a company is hit by a cyber attack, as well as the time it takes to recover. Nationwide Insurance’s “Agency Forward” survey found that 40% of small business owners estimate that a cyber attack would cost their organization less than […]
Teach Your Driving Staff to Be Defensive Drivers
When you have driving employees, you have to ensure they drive safely not only to avoid an accident and injuring themselves, but also injuring other drivers or pedestrians. While your workers’ compensation insurance will cover an employee’s injuries, your commercial auto insurance would have to cover any claims for third party injuries. An accident can […]
Inflation, Jury Awards Continue Driving Insurance Premiums
Inflation is not just affecting the cost of food and fuel. It’s also spilled over to the price of almost every industrial item, as well as building materials and services. Anybody running a business, particularly one that carries inventories or has to invest in machinery or electronics, has seen prices increase on top of wage […]