INSURICA Employee Benefits Insights

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is devoting more attention to scrutinizing employers’ in-house medical programs for general duty clause violations related to alleged medical mismanagement of injured workers. With medical mismanagement claims on the rise, now is the time for employers to thoroughly evaluate their onsite treatment programs and make changes to reduce the risk of citations.

A series of controversial bills recently cleared a key Senate committee which could substantially impact employers’ obligations regarding unions, pay equity, and paid leave. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee on June 21 advanced three bills — the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Healthy Families Act. All three have companion legislation in the House.

The June 27 deadline has passed, and employers should now have updated workplace posters reflecting the expanded rights of employees under certain federal Acts. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), enacted at the end of June, and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act), enacted last December, grant additional protections that must appear on mandatory postings.

The passage of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP) represents a major step forward for breastfeeding moms in the workplace. However, simply complying with the new requirements with dedicated lactation spaces and break times is just the starting point. To truly support working mothers, organizations must go further to bridge the gap between pumping and performing job duties.

Paid time off policies have come a long way from their inception, transitioning from set vacation days to paid personal days and floating holidays. Unlimited PTO takes this evolution a step further by removing a set number of days entirely. Still a relatively new concept, only 8 percent of employers currently offer unlimited vacation, according to a 2023 SHRM survey.

As a full-service insurance agency, we are committed to delivering tailored solutions with thoughtful strategic planning, valuable professional services, and technology-based solutions that result in sustained client satisfaction.

We provide solutions for:

Commercial Business | Small Business | Personal Insurance 

Our customers have unparalleled access to unique coverage and risk management programs — all delivered through a local agent relationship.