October 17, 2025 Over the past decade, employers have faced an increasing number of employees who take prescribed medication for a variety of conditions, including pain, anxiety, depression, and other long-term conditions. The employees may disclose their prescription drug use as part of return-to-work discussions or in conjunction with a drug screening.   In some situations, employers become concerned over the impact of prescription drugs on safe and effective work performan

October 17, 2025 For those thinking that classifying workers as independent contractors is a cheaper way of doing business, beware.   A California court just ordered a home healthcare business to pay $10 million in restitution and civil penalties for misclassifying its home care workers as independent contractors.   The judgment in the case states that the company already was on notice for the misclassification and also had represented to its customers that the workers were a

October 16, 2025 Rep. Berny Jacques is trying again to pass his bill expanding E-Verify compliance to all private employers.   A Florida Republican on Thursday re-filed a bill from last year requiring all private employers to use a federal database verifying whether new hires are legally in the country.   Rep. Berny Jacques, a Seminole Republican, issued HB 197 to mandate all private businesses use E-Verify, a federally operated system allowing employers to electronically ver

October 16, 2025 Online safety training proactively prevents workplace accidents, reducing claims and associated costs.   Key Highlights Online safety training reduces accident rates by equipping workers with hazard recognition and safe procedures, preventing costly claims before they occur. Regulatory compliance is simplified through digital training libraries, helping employers avoid fines and penalties that can increase workers’ comp costs. A strong safety culture, support

October 16, 2025 Seasonal employment can be a great way to add temporary workers for retail, restaurants and catering, delivery, customer support and more. But is your business compliant and protected?   The holiday shopping, service and tourism rush can be a very lucrative time of year for small businesses — but holiday hiring logistics can be a challenge. NEXT highlights what business owners need to know: when to start recruiting, how pay and overtime work, and if seasonal

October 16, 2025 More than 50% of Florida’s manufacturing workforce is 45 years or older.   While Florida leads the nation in attracting and developing skilled workers, headwinds are approaching, according to Florida Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly.   Florida is now third in the nation in terms of total manufacturing companies, but only 10th in the number of manufacturing employees, at approximately 430,000. Since 2014, Florida has increased manufacturing employment by 23.3% an

October 15, 2025 On September 19, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a False Claims Act (FCA) settlement with a New Jersey shipyard that allegedly hired subcontractors employing undocumented workers.   The recent settlement highlights an ongoing shift in the federal government’s strategy to enforce immigration laws aimed at businesses with federal contracts. It also underscores the Trump administration’s stated focus on enforcing immigration laws through various l

October 14, 2025 A construction firm owner in Miami greatly underreported his company’s payroll, defrauding a workers’ compensation insurer of more than $380,000 in premiums, Florida authorities said Monday.   Jose Arias-Reyes, president of AR Carpentry Services, is an illegal alien who has twice been deported, only to re-enter the United States, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer said in a bulletin.   “Florida does not tolerate illegal immigration, nor do we tolerate criminal

October 10, 2025 Washington — Tens of thousands of workplace injuries a year are linked to hotter temperatures, according to a recent study out of Harvard University and George Washington University. Researchers from the universities examined 2023 data from  OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application  for establishments with 100 or more employees, primarily in high-hazard industries. “Each injury was  geocoded  and matched with high-resolution weather data for the specific injury dat

October 10, 2025 When the Senate approved David Keeling to take over as the head of OSHA and Wayne Palmer to lead MSHA Tuesday, it ushered in a new day for employers across the country. You can expect to see workplace safety policies, priorities, and regulations shift over the course of the next few years now that new leadership is officially in place. How will these moves translate into action? What should employers expect? And more importantly, what should you do? Here is y

October 9, 2025   New research reveals that an alarming 96 percent of drivers admit to both driving aggressively and being on the receiving end, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.   The study found that the more drivers are exposed to aggressive behavior on the road, the more likely they are to exhibit aggressive driving behavior themselves.   “Almost every driver has either experienced or engaged in some form of aggressive driving, and that cycle only fuels