Each week, you’ll find specially curated news articles to keep you up to date on the ever-evolving world of insurance and risk management. The articles are divided out between items relevant to Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits/Human Resources, and Compliance. We’ve included brief summaries of each item as well as a link to the original articles.
PROPERTY & CASUALTY
Relay partners with CyberCube
“Insurance technology provider Relay Platform has announced a partnership with cyber risk analytics platform CyberCube. Relay allows clients to intake, submit and compare quotes digitally. The quotes are then presented in Rely’s Smart Client Proposal, which enables agents and brokers to convert more business. Relay combines API, manual and email quotes while providing analytics to help boost renewal rates.” Full Article
– Insurance Business America
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HUMAN RESOURCES, & COMPLIANCE
Do Employers Have Obligations Under OSHA with Respect to COVID-19 Safety? “Employers are subject to OSHA requirements related to COVID-19 safety in a few ways. Non- healthcare employers still have to comply with the General Duty Clause by performing job hazards assessments relating to COVID-19 exposures and protecting employees from those hazards including, but not limited to, providing personal protective equipment and contact tracing.” Full Article – Littler Mendelson
The Remote (Worker) is Broken! Workers’ Compensation and Stay-At-Home Employees “In a post-pandemic world, work-from-home and hybrid work arrangements have become the norm in many industries. While employers and employees have become adept at hosting Zoom and Teams meetings, this significant uptick in remote work begs the question: What if an employee gets injured while at home?” Full Article – Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
Facing Your Face Mask Duties– A List of Statewide Orders “Governors and public health officials across the country implemented stringent mitigation measures to help contain the spread of COVID-19. As COVID-19 case rates fluctuate, face coverings are not uncommon as a preventative measure. Numerous jurisdictions have encouraged—or mandated—citizens to wear face coverings when out in public, especially when social distancing cannot be maintained effectively. Some directives also obligate employers to provide masks to their employees. – Littler Mendelson
” Full Article
Top 10 Labor & Employment Issues in M&A Transactions “Our business is buying (or selling) a company – now what? Due diligence is an essential part of a successful merger or acquisition, and there are countless labor and employment issues that may come up during this process. Should due diligence reveal that the target company is not in compliance with a certain law, the parties will have to analyze the risks associated with the transaction as a result of non-compliance. Is it too costly to come into compliance now? Are the risks of litigation or government action material?” Full Article – Akerman
Form I-9 Flexibility to End in October: What This Means For Employers “Many employers have adopted flexible working policies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing their employees to work remotely on a part-time or even full-time basis. As an employer with flexible working policies, you may have been taking advantage of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) temporary deferral of the requirement that you physically inspect your employees’ identity andemployment authorization documents in person at the start of employment, as part of the process for completing the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.” Full Article – Venable LLP
“Dazed and Confused”: What Multi-State Employers Need to Know About the Current Trend of California and Several Other States Prohibiting Discrimination of Off- Duty Cannabis Use “Within the past year, seven states and several cities[4] across the country have expanded these protections to include recreational use of cannabis, with California being the most recent state to pass such a law. With the passing of AB-2188, California now joins Nevada,[5] New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Montana, and Rhode Island to make it “unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment, . . . [for] the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace.” Full Article – Gordon & Rees
STATE & INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE
In addition to the RISQ Review, RISQ Consulting also provides a resource that features changes and updates to State and International Compliance measures. We’ve included brief summaries of each item below, and also provided links to the original articles if you’d like to read further.
CALIFORNIA
California Expands Pay Transparency and Reporting Obligations
“On September 27, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 1162, which requires certain employers to provide more pay transparency on pay scales and expands pay data reporting obligations for other employers. The new obligations take effect on January 1, 2023.” Full Article
– Jackson Lewis
Bereavement Leave Now Protected in California
“On September 29, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1949, which amends the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to require covered employers to provide eligible employees with 5 days of bereavement leave. AB 1949 applies to employers with 5 or more employees nationwide.” Full Article
– Jackson Lewis
WASHINGTON D.C.
Washington D.C. to Expand Antidiscrimination Protections to Include Independent Contracts and Homeless Individuals
“Effective October 1, 2022, an amendment to the District of Columbia’s Human Rights Act (“the Act”) will expand the universe of workers protected under the Act, as well as codify workplace harassment as an unlawful discriminatory practice.” Full Article
– Proskauer Rose
NEW YORK
NYC to End Private Employer COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate on November 1, 2022
“On September 20, 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city will end its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private employers on November 1. Adams stated that lifting the mandate now “puts the choice in the hands of New York businesses” as to whether to require employee vaccination, subject to accommodations for religious or medical reasons. ” Full Article
– Cooley LLP
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Updates Paid Family and Medical Leave Contribution Rates for 202
“The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has announced changes to the employer contribution rates under the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) effective January 1, 2023.” Full Article
– Jackson Lewis
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