Even businesses that own fleets of autos sometimes use vehicles that do not belong to them. Often, a business asks an employee to run an errand or visit a customer or vendor using that employee’s car. The business may become legally liable for anything an employee acting on the business’s behalf does while behind the […]
Here is the second half of the top 10 laws and regulations affecting California employers in 2021, changes that organizations need to keep on their radar and prepare for. 6. Wildfire smoke safety regulations With wildfires becoming the new normal in California, Cal/OSHA has set about working on permanent wildfire smoke regulations to protect outdoor […]
Every year starts with a bevy of new laws and regulations affecting employers and businesses in California, and many of the new rules this time around are an outgrowth of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on workers. Employers in California in the year ahead have a number of changes they have to contend with, […]
California employers already have a lot to digest after Cal/OSHA issued sweeping new COVID-19 safety regulations in November. Now they face additional requirements starting Jan. 1, 2021, thanks to a new law that expands notification requirements and gives Cal/OSHA the authority to issue stop-work orders on workplaces that have COVID-19 outbreaks. Here’s what you need […]
Despite the state’s rating agency asking for a 2.6% increase in workers’ compensation rates due to costs related to the coronavirus pandemic, California’s insurance commissioner has instead ordered that benchmark rates be cut 4.6%. Besides the rate increase, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau had recommended that all policies be subject to a COVID-19 surcharge […]
Commercial auto insurance rates have been on the rise since 2011, increasing often by more than 10% a year as accidents and claims costs have soared. The trucking industry has been the hardest hit by the steep increases, and there are a number of factors contributing to the rate hikes, according to a recent study […]
One of the hallmarks of the holiday season is the company Christmas party, but with the COVID-19 pandemic in hyperdrive, many companies are rethinking their plans. A number of businesses have cancelled their parties altogether, but other managers feel that in light of this very difficult year for many people, a company Christmas party might […]
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board is set to vote on new emergency regulations that will impose strict rules on employers to implement safeguards in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the workplace. The board on Nov. 19 will vote on the sweeping proposal that extends the reach of protections to employer-provided housing and […]
SB 1159, signed into law in September, requires that when a California employer “knows or reasonably should know” that an employee has tested positive for coronavirus, it must report that positive case to its workers’ compensation carrier within three business days. There is a lot of ground to cover in these reports and the legislation […]
Many business owners may be good at running their companies, but the majority of them are failing to address essential long-term planning that is critical to sustaining their businesses. The one area that the majority of business owners often neglect is planning for business continuity if they die or become disabled, according to the “MassMutual […]