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July 18, 2025   A judge handed down prison time for a Hillsborough County man who prosecutors say stole thousands of dollars from Hurricane Ian victims in Sarasota County.   An unlicensed contractor from Riverview, Hillsborough County, was sentenced this week to five years in prison after prosecutors say he stole thousands of dollars from Sarasota County residents recovering from Hurricane Ian.   Justin Hoover, 47, of the 11600 block of Monette Road, was also ordered to pay $212,417.80 in restitution to the victims, according to a statement from the State Attorney’s Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit, which includes Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties.   Hoover is listed as the CEO of J & J Screens LLC in Florida’s Division of Corporations website, which shows the company intended to install screen enclosures is currently inactive.   Prosecutors say Hoover did not have the appropriate license to perform work but signed contracts and collected deposits from Sarasota County residents who sustained damage from Hurricane Ian between January and April 2023 to repair or build car ports and screen rooms as well as build new sheds. Hurricane Ian hit in September 2022.   Deposits that Hoover accepted ranged from $1,500 to $15,000, and were mostly in the Venice Isles Estates community, according to prosecutors. In one case noted in the probable cause affidavit, authorities say Hoover took a $6,000 deposit to build a new carport and screen room and install new gutters and a soffit at a customer’s residence in February 2023.   By May of that year, work was not started, materials were not delivered, permits were not pulled and there was no further contact from Hoover after the resident provided the deposit, officials say.   The Sarasota County Building Licensing and Enforcement issued fines for each case in which Hoover entered into contracts without a license before the cases were received by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the affidavit says.   “Because we live in Florida, damage from hurricanes is always on the mind of our citizens, and for these victims it became a reality. Unfortunately, not only did they have to suffer from the impacts of Hurricane Ian but also from the impact of Justin Hoover, who was not a licensed contractor and never completed the work,” Assistant State Attorney Amanda Morris says in a statement. “Justin Hoover stole the hard-earned money of veterans, seniors and those on fixed incomes and now he faces the reality of a prison sentence for his actions.”   Circuit Court Judge Dana Moss sentenced Hoover to five years in prison followed by five years of probation for each felony count, to run consecutively. Hoover was sentenced for 36 counts of unlicensed contracting during the state of emergency, 31 counts of grand theft from those 65 years or older, six counts of grand theft and one misdemeanor count of unlicensed contracting, according to prosecutors.   Citizens can confirm contractors are licensed in Florida by checking the Department of Business and Professional Regulation website, and prosecutors advise people to be cautious when a contractor asks for more than a 10% deposit.

July 18, 2025   Last year was the hottest on record, and the century-long warming trend shows no signs of slowing down.   The impact on employees exposed to heat has been profound. In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 43 workplace deaths due to extreme heat, and OSHA acknowledges that its heat-related work injury figures are likely vast undercounts.   These conditions have led state and federal authorities to consider and, in many cases, enact heat-related workplace safety regulations. However, with federal initiatives stalling, the regulatory response has become increasingly fragmented across many different jurisdictions.   Excessive Heat Exposure Heat-related workplace injuries represent a serious and escalating threat to employee safety across multiple industries. Illness can begin with seemingly minor symptoms such as heat rash and muscle cramps, but then rapidly progress to life-threatening emergency. Heat exhaustion causes dizziness, excessive sweating, and nausea.   The risk extends beyond obvious outdoor occupations.     While construction and agricultural employees often experience direct sun exposure during physically demanding work, indoor environments present their own heat-related dangers.   Manufacturing facilities with heat-generating equipment, warehouses with poor climate control, and buildings with metal roofs can become heat traps, particularly during heat waves.   Indoor employees face the additional challenge of reduced air circulation and higher humidity levels that prevent effective sweat evaporation, the body’s primary cooling mechanism.   Employees with preexisting medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, those taking specific medications, and new employees who haven’t had time to physiologically acclimate to hot working conditions, are especially vulnerable to heat-related injury.   These less experienced employees may also be reluctant to report early symptoms, fearing repercussions or appearing unable to handle the job demands.   Regulatory Uncertainty To address these issues, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had been developing comprehensive heat injury and illness prevention standards under the Biden administration, with proposed rulemaking issued in August 2024.   These federal standards would have established nationwide requirements for heat injury prevention plans, mandatory drinking water and rest breaks, indoor heat controls and specific protections for employees who haven’t acclimated to hot conditions.   However, the regulatory landscape shifted dramatically after the November elections. Shortly after taking office, the Trump administration implemented a regulatory freeze halting all pending federal rules, including OSHA’s Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard.   The administration also terminated heat safety experts from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the research arm that had been instrumental in developing the scientific foundation for the proposed regulations.   Read more:

July 17, 2025   Liberty Mutual’s latest Workplace Safety Index has found that workplace accidents cost U.S. employers $58.7 billion annually, with the top 10 causes of injuries accounting for 86 percent of those costs, $50.87 billion.   The Index marks its 25th year identifying the top ten causes of the most serious workplace injuries – those causing an employee to miss more than five days of work – and ranking them by their medical and lost-wage payments.   Even as the rate of serious workplace accidents fell by about 40 percent over the 25 years represented by the Index, the total cost of workers compensation benefits increased by 30 percent, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Academy of Social Insurance.   Overexertion involving outside sources remains the the top cause, accounting for $13.7 billion in costs, largely due to manual material handling. This has held true for 25 years.   Falls on the same level is the second leading cause, with $10.5 billion in costs, emphasizing the need for slip, trip, and fall prevention strategies, the report noted.   Struck by object or equipment and Falls to a lower level also continue to be major injury drivers, together accounting for nearly $11.6 billion in costs.   Injuries due to other exertions and bodily reactions, roadway incidents, and caught-in or compressed by equipment also feature prominently in the top 10, underlining the diverse risks present in today’s workplaces.   While still making the top ten, costs associated with Repetitive motion injuries from micro tasks has dipped by 44 percent. The report outlines safety efforts are helping to reduce these types of injuries.   Workers being Struck against object or equipment rounded out the top ten causes of workplace injuries, totaling $1.7 billion in costs.   The report found that more than half (56 percent) of workplace injuries involving the back, shoulder, knee or multiple body parts drive nearly $32.6 billion in costs.   Seven of this year’s top 10 injury causes appeared in all 25 indices. “The Index provides employers a trusted roadmap for improving workplace safety,” said Liberty Mutual Senior Vice President and General Manager, Risk Control, Dorothy Doyle. “We’re proud to provide this important report, which offers valuable data and insights to help employers prevent injuries and manage risks more effectively, underscoring our commitment to protecting workers and supporting safer, more resilient businesses.”   Each index is based on data three years prior. Accordingly, the 2025 index reflects 2022 data.

July 16, 2025   In an updated guidance that went into effect July 14, OSHA announced penalty reductions can apply to more employers.   Penalty reductions of 70 percent that previously applied only to employers with 10 or fewer employees, will now expand to employers with 25 or fewer employees.   “All employers should be offered the opportunity to comply with regulations that help maintain a safe working environment,” Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said in a press release. “Small employers who are working in good faith to comply with complex federal laws should not face the same penalties as large employers with abundant resources. By lowering penalties on small employers, we are supporting the entrepreneurs that drive our economy and giving them the tools they need to keep our workers safe and healthy on the job while keeping them accountable.”     Additional revisions to OSHA’s Field Operations Manual include updated guidelines for 15 percent penalty reductions for employers who take immediate steps to address or correct hazards.   That includes penalty reductions for employers who have a “documented and effective safety management system, with only incidental deficiencies.”   As an example, the FOM states: “An acceptable program should include minutes of employee safety and health meetings, documented employee safety and health training sessions, or any other evidence of measures advancing safety and health in the workplace.”   OSHA inspectors can also recommend a 15 percent penalty reduction for employers with 25 or fewer employees “who have implemented an effective safety and health management system but have not documented it in writing.”   Additionally, the guidance expands penalty reductions for employers “without a history of serious, willful, repeat or failure-to-abate OSHA violations.”   Under OSHA’s revised policy, employers who have never been inspected by federal OSHA or an OSHA State Plan, as well as employers who have been inspected in the previous five years and had no serious, willful or failure-to-abate violations, are eligible for a 20 percent penalty reduction, the OSHA press release stated.   OSHA fines issued before July 14 will remain under the previous policy, but will be “open investigations in which penalties have not yet been issued are covered by the new guidance.”

July 11, 2025     It may come as no surprise that heat-related worker injury claims rise on hot days, but the magnitude of the increase is an eye-opener.   As temperatures skyrocketed during early summer heat waves across the United States, the Workers Compensation Research Institute put out a webinar digging into the WCRI’S recent report on heat-related illnesses in the workplace. A recording of the webinar and presentation slide deck can be found on the WCRI website.   According to the report, heat-related illness (HRI) claims increase at least sevenfold on days when temperatures exceed 90 degrees, compared with days with temperatures between 75 degrees and 80 degrees. And the number of claims increases by as much as 18 times when it gets above 100 degrees.   “These are big increases in HRI counts on days when temperatures exceed these thresholds,” said Vennela Thumula, a senior policy analyst at WCRI and one of the study’s coauthors. “Even at 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, we see that HRIs double.”   WCRI estimates that overall work injuries increase by 3% on days when temperatures are 90-95 degrees. Overall injuries are estimated to increase by 4% when temperatures exceed 95.   Excessive heat is reported to be the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates show that 33,890 heat-related work injuries and 479 deaths occurred from 2011 to 2020.   Thumula believes the number of these injuries is likely an underestimate. Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, syncope, cramps, rash, rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury are all considered physiological heat-related illnesses.   Injuries that occur when heat impairs the perceptual, motor or cognitive abilities of workers and leads to accidents, such as falling off a ladder on a hot day, however, are more likely to be classified as falls or cuts as opposed to heat exhaustion.   Read more

July 8, 2025   This article is sponsored by AmTrust Financial.   Employees are opting to retire later – and the workers' compensation landscape is having to pivot to suit these new demographics.   As America’s workforce continues to age, more and more employees are opting to retire later – and the workers' compensation landscape is having to pivot to suit these new demographics. Once-prevailing misconceptions about older workers are being re-examined as new data surfaces, revealing surprising trends in injury frequency, severity, and recovery outcomes.    “Historically, the assumptions have been that older workers work more safely, and they’re injured less frequently but when they are injured, those claims tend to be more expensive,” explained Matt Zender (pictured), senior vice president of workers’ compensation strategy at AmTrust Financial.    But that’s changing - and quickly. Not because the risks have disappeared but because the composition and behavior of the workforce are shifting. Data from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) found a marked difference in how injury frequency is dropping across age bands – showing that in the 20 to 24 age band, injuries have dropped from 2006 to 2017 by 34%, whereas the above-65 demographic has only dropped by 19%.   “While the assumption that older workers claims are more expensive is true, we've always thought it was because they were injured from an impairment perspective, but that's not the case,” added Zender. “NCCI data shows that the impairment rating for workers under 29 years old is around six percent while the impairment rating for over 65 is around seven percent - so that's about the same. What’s more, we're also seeing that tenure matters, the longer someone’s been working in a job the more likely they are to work safely.” Read more

July 8, 2025   Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Ana Romero (43, Honduras) to 21 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States for the purpose of impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The court also ordered Romero to forfeit $461,850, which are proceeds of the wire fraud offense.  In addition, Romero was ordered to pay $1,947,471.18 in restitution to the IRS.  Romero entered a guilty plea on November 15, 2024.   According to court documents, between 2018 and 2019, Romero conspired with others to facilitate the payment of construction workers “off the books” to avoid paying premiums for workers’ compensation insurance and payroll taxes. Construction contractors and subcontractors entered into arrangements with the conspirators, through which Universal Florida Construction LLC – a shell company formed by Romero – facilitated both the distribution of proof of insurance and the payment of workers with cash. In exchange for 6% to 8% of the contractors’ and subcontractors’ payroll, Romero and others caused the distribution of certificates of liability insurance in the name of Universal Florida Construction, which contractors and subcontractors then used as nominal proof that workers were supposedly insured. In reality, Universal Florida Construction’s insurance policy was issued based on a fraudulent application that never disclosed that contractors and subcontractors would be employing workers who were ostensibly insured under the shell company’s barebones insurance policy. As a result of contractors and subcontractors using Universal Florida Construction’s proof of insurance, but never paying any insurance premiums, the insurance company was defrauded more than $1.2 million.   Romero and others also facilitated the deposit of checks into the shell company’s bank accounts, as well as the withdrawal of cash to be paid to workers – all without withholding, or paying over, payroll taxes to the IRS.  Through these arrangements with the conspirators, the construction contractors and subcontractors could disclaim responsibility for withholding and paying payroll taxes to the IRS or ensuring that the workers were legally authorized to work in the United States. By facilitating payments to workers of over $7.6 million without payroll taxes being withheld, Romero and her co-conspirators caused the U.S. Treasury to lose more than $1.9 million in tax receipts.   One of co-conspirators, Oscar Molina-Avila, was previously sentenced to four years and four months’ imprisonment for his role in the scheme. Co-defendant Jose Molina-Herrera was previously sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment.   “Romero and her co-conspirators assisted contractors and work crews in stealing money from the federal government by avoiding paying over employment taxes, which were ultimately used for their personal gain and unfair industry competition,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Richard Nelson, IRS Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office.  “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and refer to the Department of Justice, employers engaging in employment tax fraud. Romero’s sentencing serves as an example of what they can expect when engaging in this illegal activity.”   “Under-the-table cash payroll schemes, especially those designed to pay illegal immigrants not authorized to work in the United States, jeopardizes the integrity of the industry and undermines the legal framework intended to protect workers and ensure fair business practices,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Hemker “HSI, through our strong law enforcement partnerships, is committed to investigating these schemes and bringing to justice those who seek to exploit the system.”   This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Florida Department of Financial Services – Bureau of Insurance Fraud. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

July 8, 2025   As their employees flock to Florida’s famous beaches, water parks, and pools this summer, Florida employers need to look out for a wave of new legislation that became effective on July 1, 2025.   While over one hundred new laws are going into effect, what follows is a brief summary of just a few that are likely to make a splash in Florida’s workplaces.   Quick Hits A handful of new Florida laws went into effect on July 1, 2025.   New legislation changes the number of hours minors may work and their break entitlements and provides increased flexibility for certain minors who are at least 16 years old.   The Florida minimum wage rate is increasing to $14 per hour for nontipped employees and $10.98 per hour for tipped employees.   New legislation makes significant changes to workers’ compensation laws in order to give injured employees improved access to care.   New regulations in the hospitality industry streamline the removal of nonpaying guests and mandate clear disclosure of operational charges in restaurants.   Minors’ Working Hours The legislature enacted legislation which removes some of the previous limitations on minors’ hours and schedules.   Now, employers may schedule minors aged at least 16 years old during the school year without limitation, along with minors aged 14 and 15 who have graduated from high school or are home/virtual-schooled.   This means that such minors may now be scheduled to work overnight shifts both during the school term and summer break. The legislature also removed previous break requirements for minor employees.   As a result, minors who are at least 16 years old may be scheduled for breaks consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act and ordinary wage laws.   Minimum Wage On September 30, 2025, Florida’s minimum wage rate will rise to $14 per hour for non-tipped employees and $10.98 per hour for tipped employees. Employers should monitor the U.S. Department of Labor’s recent updates to the minimum salary requirements for several overtime-exempt positions.   While currently stayed pending litigation at the federal level, the DOL’s rule published on April 26, 2024 would require that, to be exempt from overtime pay requirements, employees falling within the executive, administrative, and professional exemption must be paid a minimum of $58,656 per year, or $1,128 per week.   The minimum annual compensation required for employees within the highly compensated employee exemption would also increase, up to $151,164 per year.   Workers’ Compensation This year has also seen significant developments to the workers’ compensation structure. On January 1, 2025, the reimbursement rates for medical providers who treat patients receiving compensation benefits was markedly increased.   The rationale in so doing was to incentivize healthcare providers to accept these cases, which, in turn, should expand the quality and access to care available to injured Floridians. In turn, recovery time and outcomes may improve.   In addition, Florida law now requires that all employers with workers’ compensation coverage provide their employees who are injured on the job with all medically necessary treatment, care, and assistance throughout their recovery.   This includes such ancillary costs as transportation, diagnostic tests and scans, and prescriptions, and can even extend to complications or related conditions.   Read more

July 3, 2025   An employee cannot file a tort lawsuit against her employer until after it has been determined that she is not eligible for a workers’ compensation claim. And that compensability determination can only be made by an insurer or a compensation judge, a Florida appeals court has ruled.   In Steak ‘n Shake vs. Spears, Florida’s 5th District Court of Appeals overturned a Brevard County Circuit Court’s ruling in a case that involved a robbery of the restaurant and a server who said she was traumatized but not physically injured by the incident.   “We conclude that the structure and language of the workers compensation statutes require that a determination of compensability must first be made before resorting to tort lawsuits,” the appeals court panel wrote.   The circumstances of the claim were unusual and had never been addressed by Florida courts, including the 1st District Court of Appeals, which hears most workers’ compensation appeals, the 5th DCA judges noted. The National Council on Compensation Insurance this week included the case in its court case update. Read more