Supreme Court Leaves DACA in Place
The Supreme Court declined on Feb. 26 to review a federal district court decision requiring the government to continue to process Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application renewals. The status of DACA, which grants work permits to those who arrived in the United States as children when their parents crossed borders unlawfully, has been a…
Read MoreGuns in Parking Lots Laws by State
When considering whether to prohibit or restrict an employee from storing a firearm in a privately owned vehicle parked on employer property, an employer should first consider state laws. Many states throughout the country have “parking lot storage” laws that give employees the right to keep firearms in their vehicles even when they are parked…
Read MoreIRS Issues New Tables for 2018 Tax Witholding
IRS Issues New Tables for 2018 Tax Withholding Starting Feb. 15, 2018, employers must use new tables to determine how much income tax to withhold from their employees’ paychecks. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued the required new tables, in Notice 1036, on Jan. 9, 2018. The notice contains early release copies of the “Percentage…
Read MoreOSHA Log Summary Reminder – Post by Feb.1st
REMINDER: Post your OSHA Log Summary by Feb. 1 It’s that time of year: Feb. 1 marks the deadline for you to tabulate your annual OSHA Log Summary (OSHA Form 300A) and post it in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. The summary must list the total number of job-related injuries…
Read MoreHouse and Senate Pass Tax Reform Bill
On Dec. 20, 2017, the tax reform bill, called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is now expected to be signed into law by President Trump shortly. This tax reform bill, drafted based on a tax reform plan that was developed in…
Read MorePaid Sick Leave – State Law Overview
As a growing trend, states across the country are continuing to enact their own paid sick leave laws. Currently, eight states and the District of Columbia have enacted statewide laws that require employers to provide paid sick leave benefits to employees. Employers that are subject to these laws may face compliance challenges as they update…
Read More2018 Minimum Wage Rates
The current federal minimum wage rate is $7.25 per hour. However, many states have adopted minimum wage rates higher than the federal rate. When the state rate and the federal rate are different, employers must pay their employees the higher rate. The following states have adopted new minimum wage rates for 2018: · Alaska…
Read More2017 Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently unveiled its top 10 most frequently cited violations. The agency reports the leading causes of workplace injuries during its fiscal year (October through the following September). The 2017 top 10 list of most frequently cited standards did not change significantly from 2016, with fall protection violations remaining…
Read MoreContractors Pollution Liability Insurance
Contractors, no matter what industry they work in, face environmental risks stemming from operations on a daily basis. For most contractors, a single pollution incident or loss can seriously damage their reputation, operations and even their balance sheet. Making matters worse, pollution incidents can be sudden or occur gradually over time. While many contractors assume…
Read MoreWhat to Expect When Applying for Cyber Insurance
Every insurance policy starts with an application, and cyber liability insurance is no different. While the underwriting process in long-established insurance lines is streamlined, this is not the case for cyber liability insurance. Currently, application forms for cyber insurance are not standard and can be complex—often consisting of dozens of pages. For businesses attempting to…
Read More9 Cyber Risk Questions Every Board Should Ask
When a data breach or other cyber event occurs, the damages can be significant, often resulting in lawsuits, fines and serious financial losses. What’s more, cyber exposures impact businesses of all kinds, regardless of their size, area of focus, or status as a private or public entity. In order for organizations to truly protect themselves…
Read MoreTop 10 OSHA Violations Announced
On Sept. 26, at the National Safety Council’s annual Congress & Expo, OSHA Deputy Director of Enforcement Programs Patrick Kapust announced the preliminary list of 10 standards most frequently cited by the agency’s inspectors during Fiscal Year 2017. Fall protection was the most-cited standard for the seventh year in a row, followed by Hazard Communication, and…
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