Blog
Ridgemark Insurance Services
The Story Behind Increasing Commercial Auto Insurance Rates
Commercial auto insurance rates have been on the rise since 2011, increasing often by more than 10% a year as accidents and claims costs have soared. The trucking industry has been the hardest hit by the steep increases, and there are a number of factors contributing...
What Companies are Doing for Holiday Parties During Pandemic
One of the hallmarks of the holiday season is the company Christmas party, but with the COVID-19 pandemic in hyperdrive, many companies are rethinking their plans. A number of businesses have cancelled their parties altogether, but other managers feel that in light of...
Daunting Emergency COVID-19 Workplace Safety Rules on Tap
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board is set to vote on new emergency regulations that will impose strict rules on employers to implement safeguards in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the workplace. The board on Nov. 19 will vote on the sweeping proposal that...
California’s COVID-19 Tracking Requirement Challenges Employers
SB 1159, signed into law in September, requires that when a California employer “knows or reasonably should know” that an employee has tested positive for coronavirus, it must report that positive case to its workers’ compensation carrier within three business days....
Don’t Get Caught without a Business Succession Plan
Many business owners may be good at running their companies, but the majority of them are failing to address essential long-term planning that is critical to sustaining their businesses. The one area that the majority of business owners often neglect is planning for...
COVID-19 Workers’ Comp Claims Grow, While Overall Claims Plummet
While the number of COVID-19 workers’ compensation cases filed in California continues to grow, total workplace injury and illness claims in the state have fallen nearly 20% so far in 2020 compared to 2019. Through September, the state had recorded 47,412 COVID-19...
Injury and Illness Prevention Plans Save You Money, Period!
Employees are your most valuable asset, but many businesses overlook the importance of having a workplace safety program in place to protect them. Loss control is about employers caring for their workers’ safety. Successful loss control programs are means of reducing...
New Workers’ Compensation Rate Filing Expands COVID-19 Surcharge Tiers
The California Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau has amended its 2021 rate filing to make its earlier recommended COVID-19 surcharge more equitable. The Rating Bureau is leaving unchanged its overall recommendation that benchmark rates be increased an...
Mandatory Employer Sign-ups for CalSavers Have Begun
If your company does not offer its staff a 401(k) plan, you need to be aware of deadlines for registering your employees in the CalSavers Retirement Savings Program. The program is designed to help California workers who do not have access to an employer-sponsored...
The Big Question: Can Employers Require Workers to Vaccinate?
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and more employers bring staff back to the workplace, many businesses are considering implementing mandatory vaccination policies for seasonal flus as well as the coronavirus. A safe and widely accessible vaccine would allow...