Huntington Pacific Insurance Agency Blog

Has your premium for workers’ comp recently increased? What choices do you have to minimize this additional financial burden? Whatever method you choose to come up with the extra money needed, your focus should not just be on maintaining your coverage. You should also concentrate on reducing the cost of insurance. How can you do this?

According to the Department of Industrial Relations, businesses in California must provide workers’ compensation for their employees, even if they only have one staff member. It is important that you explain this coverage to your workers to ensure they understand their rights after an occupational injury or illness. Addressing the questions below is a good place to start in understanding workers’ comp.

The California Department of Industrial Relations recorded 14,255 nonfatal workplace injuries and illness in 2010. What was your business’ share of that total? An accident on the job could quickly spiral out of control when it is handled improperly. There are three basic steps to remember when a mishap occurs on the premises.

Has sexual harassment ever been reported at your business? A document created by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states that there were 11,364 reported cases of sexual harassment in 2011. According to the report, men filed 16.3 percent of these claims. Many people fail to realize that sexual harassment is not a female-only crime. Males also experience unwanted sexual attention and pressure at work.

California is often considered to be a state of sand, sun, and fun by those who don’t live there. While it is a popular vacation destination, locals do more than just lay around on the beach. Did you know that, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, California was among the top ten economies in the world in 2011? Imagine how many workers are housed within its borders. Strong businesses are essential in keeping the state going.

Even in today’s world of equality and political correctness, employment practices liability insurance is essential. A lawsuit centered on discrimination could greatly damage your business financially, from the amount of money you have to spend fighting the claims in court, to any resulting community boycott. Gender discrimination is a common cause of complaint for both men and women in the workplace. To prevent applicants, employees, and past workers from filing a discrimination lawsuit, you should consider making the following part of your business practices.

As a small or medium-sized business owner, you may not have many staff. Yet even employing one person means you need California workers compensation in place. It also means you should use some of your precious time to write up a set of detailed policies and procedures for your business.

Liability insurance may be one of the key growth areas in the insurance business today. This may be due to the appearance of new risk definitions, and it may partly be due to an increase in lawsuits. These days, general liability insurance may not be enough for the typical business, and you may need to consider employment practices liability insurance as well. It is designed to provide business coverage for allegations of a number of employment law violations.

Employment practices liability insurance covers a multitude of situations. One common issue included under this coverage is harassment. Is harassment going on at your business? Would you recognize harassing acts if you saw them? Understanding what harassment is and how it happens could help you prevent it at your business.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA for short, is designed to ensure individuals with physical or mental impairments have an equal chance in the workplace. Failing to offer a fair shot at employment to the deaf, blind, wheelchair-bound, or other disabled persons could lead to a lawsuit against your business. While your employment practices liability insurance may help cover the costs of the legal proceedings, applying the following procedures could help you avoid such a situation: