If you’ve been in business a while, you might have heard the phrase “boiler and machinery insurance.” Today it’s called Equipment Breakdown insurance and these now cover much more than boilers and machinery, hence the name change. Read on to learn more about this valuable coverage. Insurers introduced boiler and machinery coverage in the mid-1800s...
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Section 7 and Social Media in the Workplace
Two restaurant employees complained about the company’s accounting department on Facebook — and were fired. Two teen center employees took to Facebook after an office meeting and disparaged their supervisors’ decisions — and were fired. James Damore used Google’s employee message boards to criticize how his employer was implementing its diversity policy — and was...
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How Changes at EEOC Could Benefit Employers
President Trump’s appointment to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could signal a more cooperative attitude at the agency. Now that the EEOC is likely to have a 3-2 Republican majority under nominee Janet Dhillon, its policies are expected to slant in a more pro-employer direction. Control at the field office level, where much of...
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Cannabis Cans and Can’ts
Twenty-eight states now allow the medical use of cannabis (marijuana), and eight have legalized its recreational use. Some state statutes include legal protections for employees who use it for medical purposes. But the federal government still classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, with no medical use—and illegal under federal law. How should an...
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Guidelines For Writing Letters of Recommendation That Won’t Bite You In the End
References and letters of recommendation can be a damned-if-you-do and damned-if-you-don’t situation for employers. Damned if You Do… Fear of defamation lawsuits brought by former employees has altered the way employers provide job references. Companies have no legal obligation to provide prospective employers with information on their former employees. Because employers have been found liable...
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The Year of the Cyber Attack 2017
Cyber security problems will increase in 2017, warns Experian Data Breach Resolution, a branch of the credit reporting giant. In its 2017 Data Breach Industry Report, Experian noted it expects to see several new—and frightening—trends: “Aftershock” password breaches becoming more common, Nation-state cyber-attacks moving from espionage to war, Healthcare organizations becoming the most frequently targeted...
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Don’t Get Shaken by Lack of Earthquake Coverage
When you think of earthquakes, you probably think of California, or maybe coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. But 90 percent of the U.S. population lives in earthquake-prone areas. And a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that 7 million people now face the risk of human-caused earthquakes. By including human-induced events, our...
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Service Animals, Assistance Animals, Therapy Animals—What’s the Law?
Guide dogs and service dogs have helped individuals with disabilities navigate life for decades. Now you also see assistance animals, therapy animals and emotional support animals. What’s the difference and what’s the law? Many people legitimately need service, support or therapy animals, while others use the “therapy animal” name and even fake vests and registries...
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Website Accessibility Lawsuits Increasing
A whole subspecialty of law practice is emerging, focusing on website accessibility. That’s bad news for businesses that haven’t ensured their websites are accessible to people with disabilities. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the activities of places of public accommodations, or businesses that...
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Weight Discrimination on the Rise
The majority of American adults are overweight or obese, yet studies have found that weight discrimination is increasing. One recent study found it was as prevalent as racial discrimination. The study mentioned above used a subjective measure, individuals’ perceptions of being discriminated against for their weight. But studies using more concrete measures, such as pay...
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