The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued new guidance for preventing harassment on construction industry worksites. The guidance, while not binding, can be used as a template for construction firms to implement anti-harassment policies. According to the EEOC, the industry has an especially high incidence of harassment complaints, and “some of the most egregious incidents […]
Cal/OSHA is working on new rules that would crack down and step up enforcement and penalties against California employers that commit “egregious” and “enterprise-wide” workplace safety violations. The forthcoming rules would impose substantial penalties on companies that have shown a disregard towards California workplace safety regulations and the wellbeing of their employees. Employers that are […]
Businesses with a web presence, particularly those that are consumer-facing, are increasingly being sued over website accessibility issues that prevent disabled individuals from using a website. While the number of such cases has been growing, 2,281 website accessibility lawsuits were filed in 2023, down from 2,387 the prior year and 2,352 in 2021, according to […]
Even while cyberattacks increase, the cost of cyber insurance has been dropping thanks to businesses implementing better controls to thwart such activity and reduce their losses if they become victims of a malicious attack, according to a new report. Rates fell an average of 17% last year after surging in 2021 and 2022 as the […]
The size of jury awards has been exploding in the last few years, and they are often exceeding the limits that businesses have on their liability policies. These excessively large awards are known as “nuclear” verdicts, which are defined as those with damages of $10 million or more. In 2023, such verdicts totaled $14.5 billion, […]
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: […]