Business Archives - Page 8 of 10 - Premier Insurance Services

New OSHA Guidelines Helps Employers Set Up Safe Driving Programs

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 27, 2020
Post category:Business

OSHA has published a set of guidelines to help employers reduce accidents among their driving employees. The document is not a set of new regulations or a new standard. It is only advisory ― the federal agency describes it as "informational in content" ― and is intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace." Nonetheless, the guidelines are an excellent way to establish a system that can reduce the likelihood of crashes involving your driving workers. OSHA recommends implementing a safe driving program that includes the following: Management commitment and employee involvement Senior management can provide leadership,…

Commercial Vehicle Accident Causes and Prevention

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 16, 2020
Post category:Business

America's roads, after years of steady declines in vehicle accident deaths, are seeing a significant rise in deadly accidents in the last six years. But accidents can be especially lethal if a large truck or bus is involved. In 2017, there were 37,133 fatal automobile crashes on the nation's roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration. About 12.5% of them (4,657) involved at least one large truck or bus. In addition, there were 6,419,000 non-fatal crashes, of which 7% involved a large truck or bus, This means that accidents involving a large truck or bus are almost twice as…

New Overtime Exemption Regulations Have Taken Effect

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 9, 2020
Post category:Business

New federal overtime regulations have finally been introduced for non-exempt workers after years of wrangling over the issue. Under the new rule, employers will be required to pay overtime to certain salaried workers who make less than to $684 per week - or $35,568 per year - up from the current threshold of $455, or $23,660 in annual salary. The new regulations are a midway point from Obama administration rules that would have seen the salary cap increased to $47,476, a move that was blocked by a court after protests from the employer community in December 2016. Because the Trump…

More Employers Expand Mental Health Benefits

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 6, 2020
Post category:Business

American workers are more stressed than ever, and an increasing number of people are also struggling with mental health issues. Sadly, the number of people dying from drugs, alcohol and suicide hit record levels in 2019. When someone is battling addiction or has mental health issues, it affects all aspects of their life, including work. Stress can have a significant adverse impact on business. It costs employers an average of $300 billion a year in stress-related health care and missed work, according to a Harris Poll conducted for Purchasing Power. That's why more employers are stepping up to provide their…

Commercial Crime Policies Cover Some Cyber Crimes

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:December 19, 2019
Post category:Business

In some instances, a commercial crime insurance policy may offer coverage for money a company loses due to a cyber attack, a court has ruled. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta has ruled that an insurer must indemnify a policyholder that was scammed out of more than $1.7 million in a phishing incident under its commercial crime policy. The decision is good news for companies who have not purchased cyber insurance but have commercial crime policies. This is at least the third precedent-setting case in which a court has ruled that a commercial crime policy can cover…

More Firms Being Sued for Discrimination over Medical Marijuana

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:December 12, 2019
Post category:Business

More and more companies are being sued for discrimination by job applicants who have legally been prescribed medical marijuana, after they failed pre-employment drug screenings or because of their use of the substance. The issue of medical marijuana is difficult in terms of the employment picture, especially now that 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized its use. Of those states, 16 provide workplace protections, either through their own law or case law since their medical marijuana laws were enacted. To confuse the issue further, marijuana is still illegal under federal statutes, putting employers in a difficult position…

Struggling for Survival: Businesses That Went Thin on Insurance

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:December 5, 2019
Post category:Business

Imagine several small businesses located around the country. Each is well-established and profitable. Each of them bought business insurance - property, liability, automobile and workers' compensation. They told their agents they wanted the lowest possible price for coverage, and the agents came through. But they didn't also take their agents' recommendations to purchase additional coverage. Unfortunately, they each suffered losses that threatened the very survival of their businesses. This is how they each got into such a fix: The underwater restaurateur The owner of a restaurant on the south shore of Long Island, NY, rejects his agent's offer of flood…

1/3 of Workers Are Sleepy, Leading to Safety Issues and More

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:November 7, 2019
Post category:Business

More than 35% of workers in the U.S. are not getting enough sleep, a new study has found. That can lead to serious workplace safety issues, especially for occupations that use heavy machinery, people who work in factories or warehouses, construction or as drivers. Among workers in other occupations it can lead to costly mistakes, friction among staff and poor communications, all of which can have a detrimental effect on your operations. The study by researchers at Ball State University looked at self-reports of sleep duration among 150,000 adults working in different occupations between 2010 and 2018. Researchers found the…