California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered that the state’s average benchmark workers’ compensation rate be cut by 2.1%, starting Sept. 1. The decision rejected the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s recommendation that the benchmark rate be raised by 0.9%, citing a slight uptick in claims costs and claims-adjusting costs. The benchmark rate, also known […]
Cal/OSHA’s indoor heat illness prevention regulations took effect July 24, requiring employers to implement safety measures when indoor workplace temperatures reach or exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The new rules apply to most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses and manufacturing facilities, and require employers to provide water, rest, cool-down areas and training when temperatures exceed […]
Business e-mail compromise scams are now the most common type of cyber attack businesses face, and all types of these attacks are showing no signs of letting up, according to a new report. Nearly three out of every four businesses were targets of these types of attacks and 29% of those firms became victims of […]
Changes are once again coming to Fed-OSHA’s Hazardous Communications Standard, which governs the handling of chemicals and other dangerous substances. OSHA’s final rule, which takes effect July 19, 2024, will bring the standard in line with the latest update to the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The update revises […]
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on May 31 approved all of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s recommended changes to class codes for some electronics manufacturing sectors, as well as increases to the wage thresholds for construction industry dual classifications. The following changes will take effect for policies incepting on or after Sept. 1, 2024: […]
California Governor Gavin Newsom, legislators and business groups have struck an agreement to reform a law that has become a costly thorn in the side of employers operating in the state, the Private Attorneys General Act. The deal averts a showdown over a business-backed initiative slated to be on the November ballot that would repeal […]
Under California law, auto insurers are required to verify vehicle mileage at least every three years, including current annual mileage and miles driven to and from work and/or school. The state requires insurers to collect this information so that they can price their policies according to a policyholder’s risk and ensure that drivers who spend […]
For the first time in 25 years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued updated workplace harassment guidance for employers, increasing possible exposure to employee-initiated lawsuits. The new guidance expands employee protections to include harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as taking into account that harassment can be perpetrated virtually via […]
California employers must start complying with the state’s new workplace violence prevention law by July 1. With that deadline less than a month away, employers that are yet to adopt and implement workplace violence prevention plans that satisfy the requirements of California Labor Code, need to prepare immediately. Virtually all employers in the state are […]
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board has voted to approve new heat illness prevention regulations that will require some workplaces to make significant adjustments to their operations in order to comply. The vote has been challenged, and at the last minute the California Department of Finance withdrew its approval of the regulatory changes due to a lack […]