One question we get often from small business owners is whether they have to secure workers’ comp coverage for family members that work for them. The short answer is “yes,” in most cases. Under California law, every employer in the state that uses employee labor, including family members, must secure workers’ comp coverage, as per […]
According to the website Statista.com, the average 2018 average vacancy rate for offices nationwide was to 12.2%, while 12.1% of retail spaces and 7.8% for industrial spaces were vacant. Unfortunately, when buildings stand vacant they become susceptible to a variety of problems. There are approximately 31,000 fires in vacant buildings annually, resulting in dozens of deaths, hundreds […]
Do you ever wonder if your non-exempt employees are sneaking a peek at work e-mail off the clock? Ever suspect their bosses of pressuring them to respond to calls and e-mails after the workday ends? If those thoughts keep you up at night, it’s time to make sure your employees’ smartphones aren’t putting your organization […]
On May 25, 2018, a major rules change that impacts millions of businesses took effect. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most significant change to European data security standards in two decades. While the regulation has a direct impact on enterprises located or doing business directly in EU countries, it can […]
With temperatures rising, employers with outdoor workers need to take steps to protect them from heat illness. California employers need to be especially mindful as Cal/OSHA has workplace safety regulations governing the prevention of heat illness. The heat illness standard came into effect about seven years ago as the number of deaths due to heat […]
As insurers continue tightening their underwriting for commercial auto insurance, they are inquiring about companies’ fleet management programs. If a company lacks a program, some insurers are asking them to implement one if they want coverage. With this trend likely to continue as the number of traffic accidents and injuries continues to rise, it’s imperative […]
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 “2015 […]
You may be considering taking on some extra workers for the summer months, and often many employers will gravitate towards hiring teenagers looking for temporary work. If you are planning on hiring any workers under the age of 18, you should familiarize yourself with federal and any state laws on child labor restrictions. The Fair […]
Thanks to reforms enacted in 2014, California’s workers’ comp rating agency is recommending that the average benchmark rate be cut by 7.2% for policies effective July 1 and onward. The filing made by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau is for the state’s pure premium rates, which are essentially the base rates to cover expected […]
When is a business most susceptible to losing data, intellectual property and important records? No, not during a cyber attack or a break-in, but during lay-offs. With employees maybe feeling disgruntled after being let go, it’s common for some of them to pocket important company data – usually client lists, old e-mails, vendor contacts and […]