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Ridgemark Insurance Services
New Regulations Aimed at ‘Fixing’ California’s Property Insurance Market Crisis
With the California commercial property and homeowner's insurance markets increasingly stressed with fewer and fewer insurers willing to write policies in the Golden State, the insurance commissioner has floated a plan aimed at easing the crisis. The main thrust of...
Deepfake Technology Used to Fool Employees into Transferring Funds to Criminals
The newest cyber and financial fraud threat facing businesses is deepfake technology, which criminals are using to extract money from unsuspecting accounts payable personnel. A finance worker at a multinational company in Hong Kong was duped into transferring $25...
Is Your Business Doing Enough to Prevent Workplace Violence?
Violence in the workplace is a growing problem for which many U.S. employers are unprepared. Business owners may believe that their workforces are like families and that a violent outburst could never happen at work. They may also think that they have adequate...
Opioid Overdose Meds May Be Coming to Your First Aid Kit
Efforts are afoot to create new laws and regulations that would require California employers to include the opioid overdose medication Narcan in their first aid kits. The National Safety Council (NSC) recently asked the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to create new...
Changes Coming to Electronics, Dual-Wage Class Codes
The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California will recommend changes to class codes for some electronics manufacturing sectors, as well as increases to the wage thresholds for construction industry dual classifications. The move comes after the...
Vacant Office Buildings May Have Insurance Problems
The trend toward employees working remotely that began during the COVID-19 pandemic has proven popular, and many employers have been able to shrink their office costs by leasing smaller spaces. However, these changes have resulted in increased commercial building...
Four High Deductible Health Plan Mistakes to Avoid
With more than half of all private sector employees enrolled in high-deductible health plans, it's important that employers have in place certain protocols to ensure that they are a success. As health insurance costs have risen, more employers have started offering...
DOL Issues Final Independent Contractor Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor in January 2024 finalized a new federal rule that will make it more difficult for employers to classify workers as independent contractors. The final rule formally rescinds the independent contractor rule issued by the DOL a few years ago...
New OSHA Electronic Reporting Rule Takes Effect
A new rule by the Department of Labor requires firms with 100 or more employees in certain industries to electronically submit their OSHA Form 300 and 301 logs, starting in 2024. These are in addition to submission of Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and...
It’s Time to Post Your OSHA Form 300A
Employers with 10 or more employees must post their completed OSHA Form 300A by Feb. 1 and keep it posted in their workplace until April 30. The form must be posted where the company usually posts other employee notices, like minimum wage and workplace safety notices....