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Ridgemark Insurance Services
Cal/OSHA Proposed Rules Would Impose Large Penalties for ‘Egregious,’ ‘Enterprise-Wide’ Violations
Cal/OSHA is working on new rules that would crack down and step up enforcement and penalties against California employers that commit "egregious" and "enterprise-wide" workplace safety violations. The forthcoming rules would impose substantial penalties on companies...
More Businesses Sued Over Disabled Website Access
Businesses with a web presence, particularly those that are consumer-facing, are increasingly being sued over website accessibility issues that prevent disabled individuals from using a website. While the number of such cases has been growing, 2,281 website...
Cyber Rates Ebb, Insurers Add More Exclusions
Even while cyberattacks increase, the cost of cyber insurance has been dropping thanks to businesses implementing better controls to thwart such activity and reduce their losses if they become victims of a malicious attack, according to a new report. Rates fell an...
‘Nuclear’ Jury Verdicts Are Straining U.S. Businesses
The size of jury awards has been exploding in the last few years, and they are often exceeding the limits that businesses have on their liability policies. These excessively large awards are known as "nuclear" verdicts, which are defined as those with damages of $10...
Commissioner Orders Benchmark Workers’ Comp Rate Reduction
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered that the state's average benchmark workers' compensation rate be cut by 2.1%, starting Sept. 1. The decision rejected the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau's recommendation that the benchmark rate...
Cal/OSHA’s Indoor Heat Illness Regulations Take Effect
Cal/OSHA's indoor heat illness prevention regulations took effect July 24, requiring employers to implement safety measures when indoor workplace temperatures reach or exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The new rules apply to most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants,...
Business E-Mail Compromise Scams the Most Common Type of Cyber Attack
Business e-mail compromise scams are now the most common type of cyber attack businesses face, and all types of these attacks are showing no signs of letting up, according to a new report. Nearly three out of every four businesses were targets of these types of...
OSHA Updates HazCom Standard
Changes are once again coming to Fed-OSHA's Hazardous Communications Standard, which governs the handling of chemicals and other dangerous substances. OSHA's final rule, which takes effect July 19, 2024, will bring the standard in line with the latest update to the...
Changes Coming to Electronics, Dual-Wage Class Codes
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on May 31 approved all of the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau's recommended changes to class codes for some electronics manufacturing sectors, as well as increases to the wage thresholds for construction...
Newsom, Business Groups Agree on PAGA Reforms
California Governor Gavin Newsom, legislators and business groups have struck an agreement to reform a law that has become a costly thorn in the side of employers operating in the state, the Private Attorneys General Act. The deal averts a showdown over a...