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Ridgemark Insurance Services
OSHA: Vaccinated Workers Should Still Wear Masks, Socially Distance
OSHA recently updated its COVID-19 safety guidance to recommend that employees who have been vaccinated should continue wearing face masks, practice social distancing and comply with any other COVID-19 safety protocols while on the job. That means that the same...
New Bill Would Bar Employers from ‘Discriminating’ Against Workers for Positive Marijuana Test
New legislation would, if passed, bar employers in California from testing for cannabis use to deny or terminate employment. The measure, AB 1256, would bar employers from using hair or urine tests to check if their employees use marijuana, because such checks do not...
Business Compromise Scams Continue Climbing
While companies scramble to protect themselves against cyber criminals and malicious attacks on their servers, there is a growing amount of business compromise crime that uses both technology and a human touch to extract funds from businesses. Businesses have lost...
Supply Chain Disruption Lessons from Pandemic
Besides the health and economic devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic has left in its wake, it has also caused supply chain disruptions that have affected a number of industries. The fallout for companies of all types illustrates the fragility of most businesses’...
Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Inspections Pick Up Steam
After issuing emergency regulations in November, Cal/OSHA began to step up its enforcement of COVID-19 protections in California workplaces. The types of business being cited cut across many sectors. Although most are focused on health care settings, the inspections...
OSHA, Workers’ Comp Implications for Telecommuting
As more Americans work from home than ever before, many employers are wondering about their obligations under OSHA as well as how to reduce the chances that workers may be injured while telecommuting. Obviously, the chances of an injury when working from home are...
New Rules Clear Up Workers’ Comp, Medicare Conflicts
A new law will make it easier for insurers to settle workers’ compensation claims with older workers who are enrolled in Medicare, in an attempt to resolve an issue that can sometimes drive up premiums for affected employers. The law adds transparency by letting...
Don’t Make These Mistakes When Posting Cal/OSHA Form 300A
Employers with 10 or more employees must post their completed Cal/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...
EEOC Issues New COVID-19 Vaccination Guidelines for Employers
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has affirmed that employers can mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees, subject to some limitations. The EEOC's updated guidance offers direction regarding employer-mandated vaccinations, accommodations for employees who...
COVID-19 Relief Bill Extends Unemployment Benefits, PPP and More
The $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill, passed by Congress and signed into law on Dec. 27, includes a number of provisions that affect employers and their workers in terms of paid sick leave and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Act provisions. The legislation also...