November 25, 2025 Higher reconstruction costs faced by the commercial property/casualty insurance industry are being driven more by rising labor costs than by materials, according to recent data and industry sources. While material costs continue to rise because of inflation, and potentially tariffs, labor costs are increasing more steeply because of a supply/demand imbalance, especially among skilled trades such as electricians. The demand for skilled trades drives up co

November 24, 2025 The new guidance grants employees and employers “transition relief” until Jan. 1 of the first calendar year after final rules are issued to determine if they fall under a category for exemptions. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service issued guidance Friday that will temporarily allow more workers to cash in on the “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” provisions of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Under

November 24, 2025 Following the 2024 presidential election, prognosticators predicted that President Donald Trump’s second administration would usher in a significant increase in immigration enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Those predictions have proven accurate. During the first Trump administration, ICE dramatically increased worksite enforcement. Between fiscal years 2017 and 2018, worksite enforcement investigations surged by 405%, accompan

November 24, 2025 For the 15th consecutive fiscal year, Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) sits atop OSHA’s preliminary list of the 10 most frequently cited standards. And the number of violations is “likely to grow” when the agency releases finalized data for fiscal year 2025 in the spring, said Eric Harbin, regional administrator for OSHA’s Dallas Region. Harbin was onsite in September at the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo in Denver to present the prelim

November 24, 2025 People can be resistant to change for any number of reasons: the need for familiarity and stability, 
a perceived loss of control, fear of failure, etc. So, it’s not unusual for safety professionals to encounter pushback to a new rule or initiative – or even a change in personal protective equipment. “One of the things I like to do to understand people is flip it around a little bit,” said Ron Gantt, vice president of environmental, health and safety at

November 21, 2025 Portland, OR — In response to seven worker deaths caused by heat-related illnesses in the state over a recent 11-year period, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has issued a hazard alert. The alert cites National Safety Council data showing that, in the United States, 442 workers died from heat-related illnesses between 2013 and 2023. It also details three of the worker deaths in the state over that span. The institute recommends employ

November 21, 2025 An immigrant building contractor with a grade-school education has admitted overseeing a far-flung scam that shielded nearly $150 million in construction payrolls from insurance and tax obligations. Rene Mauricio Escobar, 55, pleaded guilty in Jacksonville’s federal court to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, charges that together can carry a prison sentence as long as 25 years. The case continues a year

November 20, 2025 Bay Lake, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A fight on a construction site at Florida’s Walt Disney World resort left one employee hospitalized and another in handcuffs, officials at the park said. On Nov. 17, police said a fight at the future location of Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, the next Disney Vacation Club Resort broke out between the two employees. According to the report, deputies responded to reports of an unconscious man at the Disney-owned site of th

November 20, 20205 Employers often assume liability for wage-and-hour violations rests solely with the company. But under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), managers, supervisors, HR professionals, and even executives can face personal liability for unpaid wages, overtime violations, and recordkeeping failures. Unlike many other employment statutes, the FLSA’s definition of “employer” is expansive; it’s broad enough to capture individuals who exercise control over pay pra

November 19, 2025 Bill 59, the Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime (the "AMOHSR"), received assent on October 6, 2021. This legislation represents a major reform of the occupational health and safety regime, resulting in significant changes to the Act respecting occupational health and safety (the "AOHS") and the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (the "AIAOD"). Among these changes was the implementation of an interim regime

November 18, 2025 Florida’s insurance commissioner has approved a 6.9% average decrease in workers’ compensation rates for the voluntary market for 2026, marking the ninth straight year of rate cuts in the state. The average rate reduction will be for new and renewal workers’ comp policies, starting Jan. 1. Like most states, Florida has seen a steady drop in experience, or worker injury rates, in the last decade in most job classifications. Florida also has seen a decline i