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While most organizations will never experience an active shooter situation, it’s clear it can happen anywhere and to anyone. According to FBI data, 250 active shootings took place between 2000-2017. From 2000 to 2006, shooting incidents averaged 6.7 a year, jumping to 16.4 a year from 2007 to 2013, and then averaging 22 a year […]

As the unemployment rate continues to head south, more and more employers have a difficult time finding qualified employees to meet their needs. This means that it’s more important than ever for employers to have an effective strategy to return employees to work as quickly as possible when they suffer an on-the-job injury. Employers must […]

The U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently denied an employer’s motion to vacate a jury’s award of punitive damages to a former employee of an iron-casting company who claimed he was terminated for reporting alleged safety and health hazards. When no corrective action was taken after he repeatedly complained about a […]

Department of Labor opinion letter Issued April 29, the opinion letter https://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/FLSA/2019/2019_04_29_06_FLSA.pdf addresses whether a service provider for a virtual marketplace company is an employee of the company or an independent contractor under the FLSA. It concludes that the workers who provide services to consumers through this company’s virtual platform are independent contractors, not employees […]

Employers looking to boost the bottom line would be smart to closely examine the costs of their health and safety incidents. While high-profile disruptions such as cyber-attacks, IT outages, or extreme weather get more attention, health and safety incidents are the leading financial loss drivers for businesses around the globe, according to the BCI 2019 Horizon Scan. […]

With a national opioid crisis that defies holistic solutions, the legalization of medicinal marijuana in more than 30 states and recreational marijuana in 10 states, increases in deadly overdoses in the workplace, changing state laws, confusion over OSHA’s anti-retaliatory drug testing rule, and concerns about medical privacy, no employer should think they are immune to […]

The 2018 World Series left in its wake memories of clutch hits, gutsy pitching, and ballet-like leaping catches. But the one memory that also stands out took place even before the first pitch was thrown, when Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts posted his opening game lineup. The lineup was remarkably missing his three best hitters, all left-handed batters […]

Form 300A posting deadline February 1, 2019 Electronic rule making update Form 300A electronic submission deadline: March 2, 2019 How the data is being used: Site-Specific Targeting Initiative This month, all employers required to keep Form 300, the Injury and Illness Log, should be reviewing the Log to verify that entries are complete and accurate […]

While more and more insurers are offering telehealth as part of their health plans, the highly regulated workers’ comp industry is just getting it’s feet wet. Telemedicine is the use of electronic communication technologies to provide medical services to injured workers without an in-person visit. This fast-paced, instant ability to connect with a medical professional […]

The USG + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index (CCI) https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/cci_2018_q3_9-06_release.pdf is a quarterly economic index designed to gauge the outlook for, and resulting confidence in, the commercial construction industry. While earlier reports indicated that the shortage of skilled workers affected schedule performance and jobsite efficiency, the September index added a new dimension – […]