Studies show that for every major workplace injury or fatality, there are nearly 10 minor injuries — and more than 30 accidents that lead to property damage. While minor injuries may not seem consequential, they can be indicators of structural problems in an employer’s safety standards. Capturing data even on minor incidents that may seem…
As a record amount of U.S. workers struggle with mental health issues and stress, more employers are offering new chatbot apps to help them. A survey this past summer of 457 employers by Willis Towers Watson found that 24% of them offer a “digital therapeutic” for mental health support. Some 15% of the businesses surveyed…
The cyber-security landscape changes constantly. This year, experts are predicting greater threats to business computer networks and individuals seeking to keep their information private. For employers, it’s important to stay on top of these threats so that they can ensure that their security protocols and internal procedures are up to the task of beating them…
Despite group health plan inflation increasing again in 2024, a new study has found that employers continue staying the course in not shifting costs to employees who may already be overstretched by inflation and medical bills. Instead, 64% of employers say they are looking for ways to boost their health and well-being offerings to better…
A new study has found that most employer-sponsored family health plans are increasingly unaffordable for workers due to rising costs and them footing a significant part of the premium, even with employer assistance. Workers at smaller firms, defined as those with fewer than 200 employees, are especially affected as they typically have to pay a…
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued proposed language to update its guidance on harassment in the workplace. The proposed guidance “reflects notable changes in law, including the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock vs. Clayton County (which held that LGBTQ individuals are protected from workplace discrimination under Title VII), the #MeToo movement and emerging issues,…
The explosion in demand for new, costly and highly effective weight-loss and diabetes drugs is poised to play an outsized role in increasing the cost of health care, and in turn, health insurance in America. These groundbreaking drugs — the most popular sold under the brand names Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy — are partly to…
Every year starts with a number of new laws and regulations that will affect businesses in California. This year is no different. This is part II of a two-part series. 6. No more non-competes Under two new laws, non-compete agreements with employees are expressly illegal starting in 2024 and if an employer requires one…
A law that requires California employers to report cases of COVID-19 in their workplace to their workers’ compensation carrier sunsets on Jan. 1, 2024, removing a requirement that many business owners say has become more difficult to comply with in the post-pandemic era. AB 1751 requires “rebuttable presumption” for workers’ comp purposes for COVID-19, meaning that…
The National Labor Relations Board has issued a final rule that expands the definition of what’s considered a joint-employer relationship and increases employers’ potential liability. Under the rule, two or more entities may be considered joint employers if they share one or more employees and they both can determine the workers’ essential terms and conditions…