The Cal/OSHA Standards Board has relented to threats from Federal OSHA and voted to align its residential construction and roofing fall-protection trigger with its federal counterpart at 6 feet. California has been the only state that runs its own OSHA and not comply with the federal mandate that requires laborers working at heights of more…
Announcing 2023 InterWest Insurance Services Distinguished Employee Winner! Jessica Lack Commercial, Account Manager Chico Each year, InterWest recognizes employees who are identified by their co-workers as having demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to their clients, workmates as well as their community. This partnership between work and giving back makes them stand out for their invaluable contributions.…
Middle class families — those with incomes of between roughly $50,000 and $100,000 per year — are becoming increasingly reliant on workplace benefits to ensure their financial well-being in case of a disability or critical illness. Simple health insurance is insufficient to carry the load. The loss of a breadwinner’s or caregiver’s financial contribution through…
By now you should be prepared and ready to go for your 2025 policy year employee benefits open enrollment. You should have all your plan documents and have prepared or held presentations for your staff to explain the benefits package and any major changes to plans that you offer. Employees should be familiar with how…
Organizations around the world lose an estimated 5% of their annual revenues to occupational fraud, according to a survey by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The association estimates that U.S. businesses lose some $50 billion a year to employee theft, and that 75% of employees have stolen at least once from their employer…
A new study has found three out of four U.S. workers would accept a job with a slightly lower salary if it offered better health care and medical coverage. The main driver in workers prioritizing benefits is the rapidly rising cost of group health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs, according to the study by Voya…
Are you due for a workers’ compensation premium audit? Audits are how insurance rates are determined, and it’s possible that an audit will uncover information that can actually save you money — or not if you’ve hired additional staff and haven’t notified your insurer. In any case, it pays to be prepared by taking on…
With 2025 just a few months away, it’s important that small employers understand their group health insurance reporting obligations under the Affordable Care Act as they changed at the start of 2024. Before 2024, only employers that sent out 250 or more Forms 1094-B/1095-B and 1094-C/1095-C were required to file them online with the IRS.…
Lately there’s been a series of massive cyberattacks on software that organizations use to run their businesses, causing major disruptions to companies — and sometimes hamstringing their ability to operate. The most recent example is the Crowdstrike cyber-security software outage that affected some 8.5 million businesses, most notably airlines, which had to cancel thousands of…
How are you grooming the next generation of sales executives in your insurance agency? In the midst of a highly competitive job market, now more than ever any new producers you are hiring will need support from management and senior executives to help them grow and succeed. One of the best ways to help…