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’Surf-by’ ADA Lawsuits Could be Next Legal Trap for Businesses
No doubt you’ve heard of the “drive-by” Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits that are filed by plaintiffs who see ADA violations at businesses (like entrances that are inaccessible by wheelchair) just by driving by the location. Now, recent court decisions could...
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CMS Writing Regs to Loosen Rules on Group Coverage Tax Credits for Small Employers
The Trump administration is crafting regulations that will allow small employers to bypass government-run exchanges to purchase coverage and still be eligible for a tax subsidy. Part of the Affordable Care Act provides for small employers to be eligible for a tax...
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DOL Abandons Overtime Rule, Asks Court to OK Salary Threshold Concept
If you remember, the Department of Labor last December was slated to implement a new white-collar overtime rule, but after business groups appealed, a federal judge in Texas issued an order temporarily blocking it days before it was due to take effect. The DOL had...
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How the Senate Health Insurance Bill Would Affect Employers
Senate Republicans released draft legislation on June 23 to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that does much of the same that similar legislation from the House would do. The aim of the draft is the same as the American Health Care Act (AHCA) passed by the...
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DOL Withdraws Guidance on Independent Contractors
The Trump administration has withdrawn guidance issued by the Department of Labor under President Obama that had tightened restrictions on joint employment and independent contractors. The move may give only the semblance of respite though, because the enabling...
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Workers’ Comp Referral Ring Busted: How You Can Keep Your Employees from Being Ensnared
One of the hidden cost drivers in workers’ comp is fraud and while many employers feel that fraud by “injured workers” is the biggest problem, there are also vendors in the system that do their part to skim money from employers and insurers. Most recently, law...
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Indoor Workers Can Also Get Heat Illness; Here’s How to Protect Them
As temperatures soar this summer, it’s not only outdoor workers that toil under the sun who are at risk of heat illness. Workers in warehouses, boiler rooms and factories are also susceptible to heat illness, which can cause severe symptoms – and even death. The...
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Responding to an Active Shooter in the Workplace
There’s an unfortunate trend building in the U.S. as the number of workplace homicides is on the rise. Workplace murders rose by 2% in 2015 from the year prior to 417 people killed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics – and shootings in particular jumped by...
read moreRating Bureau Recommends Benchmark Rate Decrease for California Employers
IN A SURPISE move, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has filed a recommendation to reduce average baseline rates on policies by 7.8% at the mid-year mark. The mid-year reduction to the baseline rate is largely the result of reforms that...
read moreTrump Hints at Withholding Exchange Subsidies to Prompt ACA’s Decline
Following the House of Representatives’ failed effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Trump has promised that the repealing and replacing law is still one of his top priorities, and also hinted at hastening its demise by withholding the premium subsidies...
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