Governor Newsom signed legislation in March that requires California employers with more than 25 workers to provide them with up to 80 hours of COVID-19-related paid sick leave. The new law even requires employers to pay workers that took COVID-19-related sick leave prior to March for the time they took off. The law is retroactive to […]
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that President Biden signed into law on March 11 contains a number of provisions intended to help small businesses and other organizations hurt by the pandemic. Foremost, it includes additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to struggling businesses, and a number of special grants to companies in […]
Cyber insurance rates are going to increase dramatically in 2021, driven by more frequent and more severe insured losses, according to a recent industry study. The report by global insurance firm Aon plc predicted that rates would jump by 20% to 50% this year due to two main factors: 1. Cyber attacks are becoming more […]
OSHA recently updated its COVID-19 safety guidance to recommend that employees who have been vaccinated should continue wearing face masks, practice social distancing and comply with any other COVID-19 safety protocols while on the job. That means that the same workplace protocols that apply to unvaccinated employees will apply to those who have received their […]
New legislation would, if passed, bar employers in California from testing for cannabis use to deny or terminate employment. The measure, AB 1256, would bar employers from using hair or urine tests to check if their employees use marijuana, because such checks do not test actual impairment but rather that a person has used marijuana […]
While companies scramble to protect themselves against cybercriminals and malicious attacks on their servers, there is a growing amount of business compromise crime that uses both technology and a human touch to extract funds from businesses. Businesses have lost millions of dollars to social engineering scams, where attackers impersonate a company president or executive who […]
Besides the health and economic devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic has left in its wake, it has also caused supply chain disruptions that have affected a number of industries. The fallout for companies of all types illustrates the fragility of most businesses’ supply chains. The pandemic has left retailers with half-empty shelf space because product […]
After issuing emergency regulations in November, Cal/OSHA began to step up its enforcement of COVID-19 protections in California workplaces. The types of business being cited cut across many sectors. Although most are focused on health care settings, the inspections are also sweeping up retailers, restaurants, fitness centers, agricultural operations, food processing, and other manufacturing settings. […]
As more Americans work from home than ever before, many employers are wondering about their obligations under OSHA as well as how to reduce the chances that workers may be injured while telecommuting. Obviously, the chances of an injury when working from home are small. The most common issue that is likely to arise long-term […]
A new law will make it easier for insurers to settle workers’ compensation claims with older workers who are enrolled in Medicare, in an attempt to resolve an issue that can sometimes drive up premiums for affected employers. The law adds transparency by letting workers’ comp insurers inquire about whether Medicare may have been used […]