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In a joint statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have called for an immediate halt on the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet on Wednesday, April 14, to further review these cases…

What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)? Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is an authentication method that requires the user to provide two or more verification factors to log in to an account. These factors could be a password, login code received via SMS text message or email and an authentication app on your phone. MFA is used to…

Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls account for the 30% of fatalities in the construction industry. To raise awareness about falls and to help prevent them, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) created…

On April 2, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published Notice 2021-23 to provide guidance for employers claiming the employee retention credit (ERC) for the first two quarters of 2021. The ERC was originally created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), and has since been modified and extended by other…

On Feb. 12, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) withdrew two proposed rules it previously issued in January 2021 on wellness programs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA). Overview of the Proposed Rules The proposed rules were issued in response to a federal court decision vacating…

Using preliminary data, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently revealed its top 10 most frequently cited standards in the 2020 fiscal year. This information is valuable for businesses of all kinds, as it helps them identify common exposures that affect their workforce and gives them the information they need to plan their compliance…

While workers’ compensation requirements can differ between states, many policies include a routine premium audit process. Different from most other lines of commercial insurance (e.g., property coverage)—in which potential exposures can be identified upfront and premium expenses are final—workers’ compensation premiums paid at the beginning of policy periods are provisional amounts. In other words, these…

OSHA must adjust its civil penalty amounts for inflation each year. As such, the Department of Labor recently released its 2021 inflation-adjusted civil monetary penalties that may be assessed on employers for violations of a wide range of federal laws, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act. OSHA’s increased amounts apply to any civil monetary…

Ergonomic and safety precautions for mobile workers The use of laptops simplifies accessing work remotely—improving our mobility at work and our productivity while on the road. With these benefits come inconveniences, however. According to Cornell University, the fixed design of laptops poses ergonomic dangers to users. If the keyboard is in the optimal position for…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued new guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. This guidance—which pertains to organizations outside of the health care sector—is intended to inform both employees and employers of the risks of occupational COVID-19 exposure, as well as outline top COVID-19 control measures…