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November 12, 2025 On an early October morning on the south side of San Antonio, a 79-year-old worker at a manufactured-home dealership lost his life in a workplace incident now under federal investigation. Federal safety officials are probing the fatal event at the company to determine whether safety protocols were followed and whether broader hazards exist.   The Incident Unfolds  Around 5:00 a.m., the employee arrived at the site of Palm Harbor Homes (Elmendorf, Texas) and opened the facility’s gate. Shortly thereafter, his pick-up vehicle began to roll backward, and when he attempted to re-enter the cab to stop the motion, he fell out. The truck then rolled over him, resulting in blunt force and crushing injuries from which he did not survive. He was able to call 911, but was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner classified the manner of death as accidental. Why Safety Regulators Are Involved The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened an investigation to determine whether the dealership complied with workplace safety requirements. Given the fatal outcome and the circumstances—an older worker, vehicle motion, possible lack of safeguards—the incident raises questions about vehicle immobilization procedures, worker supervision, training, and hazard recognition. What This Means for Safety Practitioners From a health and safety perspective, this case highlights several critical issues relevant to workplace professionals: Vehicle motion control:  Any operation where vehicles are parked, gates are opened, or workers are in proximity to vehicles must evaluate vehicle restraint, blocking, and worker-positioning hazards. Older worker dynamics:  At 79 years of age, the worker’s mobility, reaction time, vision, and physical strength may have been more limited than younger coworkers. A risk assessment should consider demographic factors and task suitability. Early-morning operations:  The incident occurred pre-dawn, when visibility, alertness, and staffing may be sub-optimal. Fatigue, reduced supervision, and fewer personnel could compound hazards. Employer hazard assessment obligations:  The employer must assess hazards inherent in routine tasks, even those that seem benign, like opening a gate, and ensure controls are in place: physical restraints, safe work practices, training, and emergency response. Regulatory exposure:  With OSHA’s investigation active, employers should review their procedures for preventing employee contact with moving vehicles, ensure safeguards (such as wheel chocks, parking brakes, gate-locking mechanisms, worker-lockout procedures) are in place, and rectify gaps before a serious event occurs.   Final Word: Prevention Before Response This tragic event serves as a sober reminder that workplaces deemed low-hazard (such as a dealership or an early-morning shift gate opening) can nonetheless house fatal risks when controls are absent or insufficient. For practitioners in the safety and health community this is an opportunity to review their own vehicle-movement policies, specifically where older employees, early-hour work, or moving equipment are involved. Proactive hazard recognition and control implementation remain the strongest safeguard

November 12, 2025 Manoa, HI — Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Oregon State University will partner to create best safety practices “based on the nature and stresses of small construction businesses.”   Funded by a grant from the nonprofit Job-Site Safety Institute, the project “embeds researchers directly within real jobsites.” The goal: to produce a guide encompassing best practices, training and behavioral interventions for construction operations with 20 or fewer employees.   To accomplish this, the researchers plan to complete various case studies and interviews. They’ll examine how work operations, workplace culture, decision-making influences and stressors affect residential construction projects.   “This grant is exciting for JSI because this research brings us to the front line of construction sites, where safety isn’t just a manual or checklist but a real-world experience,” JSI Executive Director Rob Matuga said in a press release. “The project will allow researchers to be immersed in the daily realities of the jobsite, where they can listen to the voices on the ground and observe the hidden risks, habits, unspoken rules and human factors that truly shape safety onsite.”   Vineeth Dharmapalan, principal investigator and assistant professor of civil, environmental and construction engineering at UHM, added in the release that “our aim is to capture the daily pressures behind safety decisions.   “Triangulating these perspectives will allow us to create best practices that are both solidly evidence-based and grounded in the lived experiences of small contractors.”

November 11, 2025 On November 5, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published guidance giving employers a break from penalties for new reporting requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s (OBBBA) provision regarding taxes on employee tips and overtime pay. Under the provision, for tax years 2025 -2028, employees may take an above-the-line tax deduction on qualified overtime pay and qualified tips. To help accomplish this, employers must report the total amount of qualified tips and overtime pay on their employees’ Forms W-2. They will also need to report the amount of qualified tips and overtime compensation for non-employees on the applicable Forms 1099, even though the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn’t apply to independent contractors. To comply with this reporting requirement, employers must: Identify and calculate qualified tips and overtime above the regular rate required by the FLSA, and Separate the overtime amounts. For 2025, however, the IRS won’t penalize employers that fail to file correct information or give employees correct statements. The IRS realized that employers might not currently have the information they need to report or the systems or procedures in place to be able to correctly file the additional information, and give such information to employees. The IRS has already announced that it won’t update Forms W-2 and 1099 for the 2025 tax year to account for the OBBBA-related changes. This doesn’t mean that employers are prohibited from providing the reports. The IRS still recommends that they do. Employers can submit the information: Through an online portal, providing additional written statements to employees; Using other secure methods; or For qualified overtime pay, by entering the amount in Box 14 of employees’ Form W-2. Key to remember: The IRS won’t penalize employers for not submitting overtime or tip pay information for tax year 2025.

November 6, 2025 On November 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance confirming employers will not be penalized for failing to report cash tips and overtime compensation in the manner required in the latest federal budget reconciliation bill. This guidance may be especially relevant to employers in the entertainment, hospitality, restaurant, and tourism industries.   Quick Hits New guidance from the Treasury Department and IRS provides penalty relief to employers for tax year 2025 for failing to satisfy the new requirements for reporting cash tips and overtime compensation under 2025’s comprehensive budget bill. The guidance gives employers relief with respect to the transition period of the 2025 tax year to gather the correct information without penalty. The grace period does not extend beyond the 2025 tax year. The guidance states that employers will not face incorrect information return penalties for failing to provide a separate accounting of cash tips or the occupation of the employee receiving tips. Employers also will not face penalties for failing to separately provide the total amount of qualified overtime pay. This relief applies only to information returns, such as Form W-2, filed for tax year 2025 and only to the extent that the employer otherwise files a complete and correct tax statement.   The IRS noted that Forms W-2 and 1099 for tax year 2025 will not be updated to account for the changes contained in the 2025 budget bill. The IRS encouraged, but did not require, employers to give tipped employees the occupation codes and separate accountings of cash tips to facilitate employees’ claims of the deduction for qualified tips for tax year 2025. Likewise, it encouraged, but did not require, employers to give employees a separate accounting of overtime pay, so employees can claim a deduction for qualified overtime pay for tax year 2025. Employers can make the information available to their employees through an online portal, additional written statements, or (in the case of overtime compensation) in Box 14 of Form W-2.   Reporting Requirements Under the 2025 budget bill, workers who customarily and regularly receive tips can deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their income subject to federal income tax starting on January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2028. Businesses must report these tips on Form W-2 for employees and on Form 1099 for nonemployees. The IRS released a list of eligible tipped occupations, including bartenders, waitstaff, cooks, dishwashers, bakers, gambling dealers, dancers, musicians, concierges, hotel housekeeping staff, hairdressers, barbers, massage therapists, and nail technicians.   Meanwhile, workers can deduct up to $12,500 or $25,000, depending on filing status, in overtime pay from their income subject to federal income tax, starting on January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2028. Businesses are required to report qualified overtime compensation on Form W-2 for employees and on Form 1099 for nonemployees.   Next Steps Employers may wish to become familiar with the new reporting requirements for cash tips and overtime pay and take steps to fully comply with those reporting requirements for tax year 2026. They will not be penalized for not complying with those reporting requirements for tax year 2025. However, the IRS encouraged employers to provide employees with the information needed to facilitate employees’ deductions. Generally, IRS penalties for each incorrect or late Form W-2 can range from $60 to $680 per form.

November 6, 2025 Even as Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed for Florida to be the most aggressive state in assisting the federal government with immigration enforcement, state law still allows hundreds of thousands of companies to skip doing an E-Verify check.   In Florida, private companies with fewer than 25 employees don't need to use the federal database that confirms an employee's immigration status. On Wednesday, a state House committee moved forward a bill that would require all private employers to use the screening program, closing what some lawmakers have called a loophole.   There is no matching legislation in the Senate so far this session, but Jacques said he is in talks with senators.   During the Wednesday committee meeting, Jacques noted that small businesses already have to collect an employee's I-9 form, which is meant to verify employment eligibility.   "When you drill down to it, this simply enforces the law," Jacques said.   The bulk of private businesses in Florida have fewer than 25 employees. About 476,000 businesses in Florida have 19 employees or fewer, according to a 2025 report from the U.S. Small Business Administration. About 42,000 businesses have 20 or more employees.   When DeSantis first ran for office in 2018, he promised to pass E-Verify legislation.

November 4, 2025 Milwaukee — More than half of workers think safety takes a back seat to profits at their current job, results of a recent survey show.   Brady, an industrial and safety printing systems and solutions company, asked 1,000 adult workers about both physical safety concerns on the job (such as building security, emergency preparedness and equipment hazards) and psychological safety concerns (including harassment, stress and trust in management).   Results show that 54% of the workers don’t “fully trust” their company’s leadership or human resources department to create a safe work environment, with 40% trusting them only “somewhat” and 10% not trusting them at all. Slightly more (57%) believe that profits are prioritized over safety.   The leading cause of feeling unsafe at work was threats of violence from customers, clients or the public (37%). That was followed by co-workers (33%) and concerns over a lack of physical building security (33%).   Other findings: 61% of the workers agree that their organization is unprepared for an active shooter. 18% cited mental health strain and burnout as a reason for skipping work. That was followed by threats of physical violence (10%) and unsafe equipment (9%). 25% said their employer doesn’t provide adequate mental health support. “The data paints a picture of American workplaces struggling to balance productivity demands with worker safety, while failing to adapt safety protocols to address modern challenges, including mental health, interpersonal conflicts and evolving security threats,” a Brady press release states.

November 3, 2025 New study finds help from immediate colleagues may not be the best source of support Support from immediate colleagues during a setback or mistake at work may not always be the best help, a new study has found, which warned about its potential impact on overall engagement. Researchers from the University of Maryland ran a seven-week survey among working professionals to determine their reactions during setbacks where they felt they had lost the respect and admiration in the eyes of their colleagues.  These setbacks include instances of being passed over for a promotion, making a significant mistake, or losing an important client. The researchers found that when employees experienced these instances in more supportive work groups, the result was lower engagement due to anxiety, self-threat, and hurt feelings.  "While you might think it would be better for people to experience these types of failures in more supportive work groups, it actually turns out to be worse," said Jennifer Carson Marr, Associate Professor of Management and Organization at the Robert H. Smith School of Business,  in a statement .  "When we set out to study this question, we thought it would be helpful—at least in some ways."   Impact of ambivalence at work  Researchers  attributed the reaction to ambivalence , where employees feel both support and at the same time disrespected in the eyes of co-workers.  This heightened ambivalence triggers anxiety, self-threat, and hurt feelings among employees who experienced the setback. "Our findings suggest that despite the objective benefits that a supportive context can provide to those who experience status loss, the conflicting attitudes individuals hold about coworkers who offer support but not respect may undermine the effectiveness of that support," the study stated.    What this means for organizations  Co-workers and managers need to be receptive to the problem, according to Marr, who said any employee may experience it. "Managers need to care about all of their employees and also make sure the people who are producing the most on their team aren't reducing their engagement," she said. "That could be pretty significant to the team's overall productivity." The study did not look into the actual reaction of colleagues when their teammate experiences a setback, but it urged them to reinforce that a  setback is only "temporary"  that can be overcome.  "Supportive group members could also emphasise the domain-specific nature of the status loss and affirm other aspects (outside the domain of the loss) of the individual's performance or behaviour that contribute value to the group,"  the study read . "This may reduce the self-threat employees experience from relational ambivalence (after losing status in a more supportive group), allowing them to reengage with their work."  Seeking help from an employee who is not in the same work group may also be helpful, according to the study. "You may be able to get some objective support that's helpful, and they may also be able to help you with perspective," Marr said. "They could reassure you that you're still well-respected in the broader industry to help you move past this one event."

October 31, 2025 Air pollution can make workplaces more dangerous, according to scientists from Yonsei University.   Analyzing 5,873 safety liability accidents in China over 20 years, the researchers found that doubling PM2.5 concentrations led to a 2.6-fold increase in accident probability, 37 percent more deaths, and 51 percent more casualties.   The findings highlight a critical but overlooked dimension of air pollution’s social and economic burden, the researchers said. Widely recognized as a public health hazard, air pollution’s role in workplace safety is often underestimated, but new data proves polluted air can make industrial accidents more likely and more severe, adding a hidden layer to their human and economic costs.   The research—led by Dr. Ning Zhang of Yonsei University in South Korea, in collaboration with Dr. Zaikun Hou of Shandong University and Dr. Huan Chen of the University of Cambridge—was published in Energy Economics on September 18, 2025.   Using two decades of accident records from 2000 to 2020, the team matched each incident with local air pollution and weather data.   By exploiting thermal inversions, meteorological events that trap pollutants, as an instrumental variable, they established a causal link between fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) and safety liability accidents.   The strongest effects were seen in coal mining and construction. These pollution-related accidents were estimated to cost society between USD $4.9 billion and $10.1 billion. “Our study shows that air pollution can significantly increase the occurrence and severity of safety liability accidents across industries,” said Dr. Zhang. “This finding extends the social cost estimation of air pollution beyond traditional health and productivity losses, revealing a new dimension of its economic burden.”   He added that the results echo a broader trend in research, noting that “the growing importance of this topic is reflected in recent work—for example, a 2025 Journal of Public Economics article by Victor Lavy and colleagues also finds that air pollution raises workplace accident risks. Together, these studies show that the safety impacts of air pollution are gaining increasing policy attention.”   The study also highlights practical steps that companies and governments can take during pollution spikes, such as providing masks and air purifiers, improving ventilation, issuing early safety warnings, rescheduling high-risk work, or temporarily adjusting shifts.   The researchers emphasize that greater defensive measures should be implemented during periods of severe air pollution or haze to minimize workplace risks and protect employee health.   Looking ahead, the researchers believe their findings could guide integrated environmental and occupational safety policies.   “Over the next five to ten years, our findings could inform policies linking environmental regulation with workplace safety standards, encouraging industries to include air-quality indicators in their risk management and insurance systems,” Dr. Zhang noted. “For ordinary people, such changes would mean safer workplaces, cleaner air, and more resilient communities.” While acknowledging potential limitations, such as underreported accidents and the focus on short-term exposure, the authors emphasized that their causal evidence, drawn from two decades of data, underscores an urgent need to address air pollution as a workplace safety issue, not just a health problem.

October 30, 2025 Many workplace injuries remain preventable, and Pie Insurance’s 2025 State of Workplace Safety report highlights the most bizarre injuries reported by the 1,018 U.S. small businesses surveyed earlier this year.   The data showed that 75 percent of small businesses reported workplace injuries within the past year, and nearly half (49 percent) admitted to improvising safety measures due to a lack of proper equipment.   The most common injuries reported were mental health-related injuries (22 percent); slips, trips, and falls (20 percent); cuts, lacerations, and punctures (22 percent); and overexertion and repetitive strain injuries (13 percent).   But the more bizarre injuries from 2025 stand out.   Here are 12 freak workplace accidents that resulted in employee injuries last year:   An employee refused to stop hitting golf balls, causing another worker to be knocked out after being hit in the head. A jackhammer spike punctured an employee’s shoulder after bouncing 20 feet in the air. An employee reached into a fryer, forgetting that the oil was over 500°F, resulting in serious burns. A bizarre injury occurred when an employee broke his hip while sitting in a chair positioned too low. An employee choked on a bone at a Christmas party, resulting in a trip to the emergency room. An employee suffered third-degree burns after sitting on a freshly cleaned, hot office chair. A worker forgot to turn off the lights, leading to a blown fuse that caused burns to another employee the following day. A housekeeping worker accidentally sprayed chemicals in her eyes because the bottle was facing her. Someone slipped on a pickle in the lunchroom and cracked their spine. An employee was knocked unconscious by a frozen fish propelled by a malfunctioning conveyor belt. A worker stapled their hand instead of the document they were working on. Flower pots falling from a height injured some employees.   While some businesses dealt with bizarre workplace injuries, others established unusual safety policies to address injury concerns.   These included a tech company that instituted a “no high heels” rule to reduce foot and ankle injuries from long hours of walking on hard floors, a pupil check put in place before employees were allowed to use ladders to ensure they were not under the influence of substances, a “no hitting golf balls” policy to prevent accidental injuries in the workplace (see #1 above), and a restriction on employees, except managers, operating the coffee machines to prevent burns.