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FFCRA Leave – Significant Rule Changes

A federal court in New York recently struck down four federal Department of Labor (DOL) rules related to the leaves provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). As a result, certain aspects of the FFCRA are now more favorable to employees. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if the ruling applies nationwide or only in

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COVID-19 Prompts Workers’ Compensation Rate Increase Recommendation

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have reversed years of falling workers’ compensation rates in California, as the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau has recommended that average benchmark rates be increased by 2.6% for 2021. The recommendation was forwarded to the California Department of Insurance, which will schedule a hearing on the recommendation in the fall.

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Number of COVID-19 Workers’ Comp Claims Continues Rising

While the pandemic rages on, the number of workers in the U.S. who are filing COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims is increasing and are accounting for a growing portion of overall claims. While there is only data currently available from two states — California and Florida — the numbers coming out of the two states show

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State Issues COVID-19 Employer Playbook

The state Department of Public Health has issued the “COVID-19 Employer Playbook,” which is designed to provide in-depth guidance for reopening business operations and on how to respond to outbreaks in the workplace. Among the topics covered in the guide are support for employers on: Returning to work, Outbreak identification preparedness, Communication of identified COVID-19

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Employer COVID-19 Playbook Guidance for Enforcing Mask Requirements

The State of California released a COVID-19 Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening. Here are some of the important updates from the playbook on an issue that members may be dealing with today. The State considers the requirement of facemasks in the workplace and elsewhere important enough to include a section entitled “Guidance for Employers

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Video for Sales is Crucial in the COVID-19 Economy

The videos don’t have to be expensive, scripted or produced. Simple, genuine, human-centered webcam and smartphone videos are a transformative opportunity for connecting and communicating with your potential new customers in today’s times. They’re the next-best thing to being there in person, and they don’t even have to be delivered on jump drive. Be Relatable.

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New Employer Guide For COVID-19 Reopening

On July 24, 2020, the State of California published a guidance, “COVID- 19 Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening.” The guidance provided gives employers the tools they need to open safely and mitigate risks associated with COVID-19. The guidance covers the following topics: How to Open Safely Industry-Specific Guidance & Checklists What to do if

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Raft of Bills Would Add New COVID-19 Rules for Employers

The California Legislature is working on a number of new measures to protect workers in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures take aim at “holes” in the system that may leave employees who contract the coronavirus on the job without workers’ compensation benefits, footing higher utility bills because of working at home and

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Insurers Don’t Have to Pay for Testing Returning Workers: HHS

New guidance from the Trump administration absolves insurers of the responsibility of paying for COVID-19 tests that are required for workers who are returning to the job. The guidance, released by the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury, means that employers will likely either have to foot the bill themselves as they

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