Contractors with No Employees Face New Workers’ Compensation Requirement

concrete construction workers

A new law will require almost all contractors in California to carry workers’ compensation coverage, regardless of if they have employees or not. According to the author of the bill, State Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) the new law was necessary due to the tendency of many small contractors to claim they have no employees, when…

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Workers’ Compensation: Reporting Claims Later Can Push up Costs 50%

One major factor in keeping the costs of a workers’ compensation claim from spiraling out of control is to report the claim promptly. Claims are routinely filed late, either by the injured worker who fails to report it to the employer, or the employer procrastinating and not reporting the claim to its insurer. Both of…

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Workers’ Comp Construction Dual-Wage Threshold Increase

Business Insurance Claims Services

Nearly all the workers’ compensation dual-wage class codes for the construction sector have increased as of Sept. 1, 2022. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approved the recommendation by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) of California to increase the wage thresholds for high-wage workers. What are Dual-Wage Thresholds Dual-wage thresholds divide high and low-wage workers…

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How to Protect Workers Against Heat Illness

Worker with Heat-Illness

As another scorching summer is upon us, Cal/OSHA is reminding employers with outdoor workers to take precautions to protect them against the heat. California employers need to be especially mindful as Cal/OSHA has workplace safety regulations governing the prevention of heat illness. The agency actively enforces its heat illness prevention standard. Employers should also comply…

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Control Losses by Identifying Top Factors Leading to Injury

professional using tablet risk management graphs

The latest trend in workplace safety best practices is tracking “leading indicators” – or building on the lessons learned from past events – to reduce the chances of future injuries. Safety professionals are increasingly keeping track of near misses, hours spent on training and facility housekeeping and measuring the impact on the organization’s overall safety…

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AB 5: New State Law Alters Employment Landscape

delivery driver independent contractor

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that codifies a court ruling from last year that set new ground rules for what constitutes an independent contractor, and which expands on that ruling. There’s been a lot written in the media about the law, AB 5, and much of it misses the point. Some…

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