While most organizations ramp up their benefits communications about a month before open enrollment starts, the efforts often drop off at the start of the year. That’s a shame because many employees are woefully unaware of how their benefits function and are often not taking full advantage of what their employer and they are paying…
Construction firms are reeling from snowballing costs of building materials due to spiking demand and supply chain snarls that are resulting in massive budget cost overruns. This is especially affecting construction businesses that are managing apartment or commercial projects. These cost overruns are imperiling profits — and risking red ink — on the projects after…
Insurance agencies move significant amounts of funds through their accounts, particularly when they keep premium deposits in trust accounts before transferring them to insurers. As like any business that has significant cash flow, it’s vitally important for insurance brokerages to have their operations buttoned up tightly to protect against financial fraud. This is especially so…
Thank you to InterWest partner BBSI for inviting InterWest to volunteer with them at the Sacramento Food Bank on May 13th. InterWest’ s Jeff Keena, Ruth Elliott and Karen Esquibel worked side by side with more than 20 BBSI volunteers who showed up to assemble and fill 811 boxes of food to help ensure that…
InterWest’s Distinguished Employee: Liz Collodi Liz thinks on her feet. She takes appropriate action that is proactive rather than being reactive. She is flexible, confident and her calm nature makes her approachable. She has excellent relationships with staff, underwriters, and clients. Never was there a bond that Liz didn’t get to a client when they…
The IRS has announced significantly higher health savings account contribution limits for 2023, with the amount increasing more than 5% for individual HSA plans. The new limits were announced in conjunction with other changes, such as increases in the minimum deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). The IRS also announced rises…
As we get closer to another scorching California summer, Cal/OSHA is reminding employers with outdoor workers to take precautions to protect them against the heat. California employers need to be especially mindful as Cal/OSHA has workplace safety regulations governing the prevention of heat illness and the agency actively enforces its heat illness prevention standard. Employers…
The Human Race Sonoma, organized by the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership of Marin, is an opportunity for nonprofits to raise much needed funds to support the work they do. Making it happen on a Saturday morning are, Scott Pikey, Vic McKnight & Chet Laws (shown here with his wife Valerie) from InterWest’s Santa…
While COVID-19 cases start rising again, more people are once again likely to contract the coronavirus — and that usually involves getting tested. But for employees in your group health plan, they have many options for obtaining a test with no out-of-pocket costs. Under an executive order issued by President Biden, employees in a group…
Cal/OSHA has issued new language that amends its current COVID-19 emergency temporary standard and pushes back the expiration date of the ETS until the end of the year. The extension of the ETS comes as Cal/OSHA pushes ahead on creating a permanent airborne infectious disease prevention standard for general industry, which is expected to be…