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The IRS has released the inflation-adjusted limit for excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements (EBHRAs) for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2025. Effective for 2025 plan years, the maximum annual employer contribution for an EBHRA will increase to $2,150 (up from $2,100 for plan years beginning in 2024).   

Businesses of all sizes are susceptible to cyberattacks such as phishing scams, malware attacks and ransomware schemes, which can create significant financial loss and lead to major reputational damage. Therefore, businesses need to take measures to mitigate cyber risk. Implementing a comprehensive cybersecurity awareness program is one of the most important strategies for recognizing and preventing cyberattacks. Establishing such a program can create a stronger cybersecurity culture and provide employees with essential training to prevent breaches. This article provides more information on cybersecurity awareness programs and offers tips on implementing them successfully.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) oversees and enforces federal youth employment laws through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Under the FLSA, employers are prohibited from employing “any oppressive child labor in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce or in any enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce.” Failing to comply with federal youth employment laws can result in costly investigations and penalties.

It can feel like there’s nothing you can do to combat rising health care costs; however, taking control of your overall well-being can greatly lower your expenses. According to the National Institutes of Health, 86% of the nation’s health care costs go to treating chronic conditions. Obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes are some of the most common conditions.

Claims costs for commercial auto, professional liability, product liability and directors and officers' liability insurance have exceeded economic inflation over the last decade, with social inflation the likely culprit, according to new data from AM Best.

Social inflation has been a “thorn in the side of casualty insurers” for some time, with loss severity rising at double the pace of economic inflation. For example, the average loss severity increases from 2013-2023 for product liability was 20.4%, while average annual economic inflation was 2.7%.

Commercial property insurance provides much-needed financial protection if an organization’s property is directly damaged or destroyed by a covered peril (e.g., fire, theft, vandalism, wind and lightning). Specifically, this coverage can help reimburse property repair or replacement expenses in the event of a covered loss. When securing commercial property insurance, organizations may utilize the building and personal property coverage form, also known as the BPP. This form, which was established by the Insurance Services Office Inc., is one of the most commonly used coverage forms for insuring commercial property.

An individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (ICHRA) is a type of employer-funded health care account that provides an alternative to traditional group health plan coverage. Employers of all sizes may use ICHRAs to reimburse employees’ premiums for individual health insurance policies on a tax-free basis. Depending on their design, ICHRAs can reimburse other out-of-pocket medical care expenses, including employees’ premiums for Medicare coverage.

Commercial weather forecasting service AccuWeather has released its expectations for the 2024 season, including warnings that hurricanes could wreak destructive havoc on areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts this year.

The moment an injury occurs, it initiates a sequence of events that can last for weeks or even months. But no matter how prolonged the recovery period, the first 24 hours after an injury are the most crucial. To respond effectively to an incident, the majority of the action items should occur within 24 hours.

Your supervisors may already be experienced in handling injuries. Still, a clearly defined 24-hour injury response plan will help them provide even more effective and consistent responses and ensure that supervisors and employees know what to expect when someone is injured. The plan will also provide the necessary guidance when experienced supervisors are not immediately available to respond to an accident or injury.

Employers of all sizes continue to face attraction and retention challenges. Successful efforts to win over workers can require significant time and carry high costs, but failing to attract talent or losing existing employees is particularly costly for small businesses. Unfortunately, small businesses often don’t have the excess resources to invest in attraction and retention efforts in today’s labor market, making it difficult to compete with larger organizations.