Protests and mass demonstrations that can sometimes descend into rioting and civil unrest are becoming more common not just in the U.S., but all over the world. Businesses can sometimes unwittingly become collateral damage from vandalism and looting. It doesn’t…
Architects, engineering firms, graphic design businesses and other service providers are increasingly being sued for alleged poor work quality, contract breach or missing deadlines — and jury awards are rising. The costs of defending against a lawsuit of that type…
Office and commercial building vacancies have exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving many buildings completely empty of tenants or partially occupied. According to the website Statista.com, the average vacancy rate for offices nationwide in the first quarter of 2022…
In October and November of 2011, floods inundated large parts of central Thailand, including thousands of factories that made everything from automotive parts and hard disk drives to eyeglass lenses and air conditioners. In addition to the human and economic…
Over the past several years, employers have seen a significant uptick in retaliation and whistleblower claims filed by employees and investigated by federal agencies. Often these claims are part of another complaint, either concerning workplace discrimination or harassment issues and…
After some workplace accidents, employers want to conduct a post-incident drug or alcohol test of employees involved, particularly in the case of an egregious incident or if they suspect a worker involved was under the influence at the time. However,…
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued new guidance for harassment prevention on construction industry worksites. The guidance, while not binding, can be used as a template for construction firms to implement anti-harassment policies. According to the EEOC, the industry…
Although technology is often billed as a productivity enhancer, allowing us to do more with less, it can be a major disruptor for productivity, as well. Behaviors of co-workers, meetings and other factors are also creating obstacles to maximizing performance.…
Research has found that workers who are provided with paid sick leave are less likely to suffer workplace injuries. Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that private-sector workers with access to paid sick leave were…
Fraud eats away at workers’ comp costs for all businesses, but it hits small firms the hardest as they may not have the resources to identify bogus claims. According to a new study by workers’ comp insurer Employers Holdings Inc.,…