​Slips, trips and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents, cause 15% of all accidental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities.

Most companies are serious about workplace safety and that goes even for office workers, whom they provide with proper chairs and ergonomically appropriate workstations.
But with so many people suddenly having been thrust into working from home, workers have converted guest bedrooms, kitchen tables and living rooms into workspaces, and ergonomics has mostly gone out the window in the process. Most telecommuters are working at makeshift spots in their homes, often on laptops in positions that are far from ergonomically correct.

​Once they have paid their annual premium, many employers pay scant attention to their workers' comp policy until the renewal date starts closing in. Unfortunately, that's not the best time to attempt to control costs. 

Knowing how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined and how your state’s work comp laws address it can help you make sure your employees get the help they need.

It’s common to think of PTSD in connection with military personnel; however, anyone who has been exposed to a traumatic experience can suffer from PTSD. Most cases of work-related PTSD come from high-risk occupations, such as police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical crews. However, any dangerous environment can bring about PTSD symptoms if an event causes psychological trauma.
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Traffic accidents continue to be one of the leading causes of high-severity workers' comp claims, according to research.

The National Council on Compensation Insurance found in a study that the cost of workers' comp claims for accidents involving motor vehicles was 250% more than the average for all workplace accidents.
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​A recent appeals decision denied coverage to a company on its directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance policies for taking too long to file the claim.
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Workplace injury rates rise during the summer months. When summer rolls around, companies in many sectors, including agriculture and construction, significantly increase production.
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After an employee is injured on the job, recuperation times can vary, but every day they are away from work, the claim cost increases and productivity suffers. 
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​Cost containment will be the chief workers' comp insurance concern for U.S. employers over the next 12 months, according to a survey.
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The relationship between employer and worker is not always straightforward. Even the IRS has made it clear that it’s not easy to classify independent contractors and employees. Every case they evaluate is different based on a wide variety of factors.

In the case of Acosta v. Jani-King of Oklahoma, Inc., the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the lower court’s ruling, instructing the district court to consider “economic reality factors,” including:

• The degree of control exerted over the worker;
• The worker’s opportunity for profit or loss;
• The worker’s investment in the business;
• The permanence of the working relationship;
• The degree of skill required to perform the work; and
• The extent to which the work is an integral part of the alleged employer’s business.” 

Not only will misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor, rather than as an employee, lead to costly fines and penalties, it violates the Fair Labor Standards Act and IRS regulations.
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Continue reading for an article by CHUBB that provides important information on the risks of misclassifying workers.