Construction subcontractors in California applaud announcement by insurance commissioner Jones

California insurance commissioner Dave Jones has made an announcement regarding the 57 felony charges that were laid against a business owner in Millbrae, including workers’ compensation insurance fraud and payroll theft. The California Professional Association of Specialty Contractors (CALPASC) has worked along with the Painting and Decorating Contractors of California (PDCC) and other allied associations, as an element of the LEVEL Program, in order to assist state agencies in the targeting and identification of deceitful construction industry employers who are scamming the state and costing Californians millions of dollars, as…

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Tennessee Legislature to investigate workers’ compensation system

Tennessee’s workers’ compensation insurance system is to be the subject of review this year. State officials, businesses and insurance experts are to examine how the system is working and how it can be improved. Tennessee has seen its fair share of criticism in recent years as several companies claim the state is too unfriendly to business. Governor Bill Haslam has decided to make the workers’ compensation system a primary focus of the state’s Legislature and hopes to solve some of the complaints it has generated in the past. One of…

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New task force launched in California to fight against insurance fraud and an underground economy

The California Department of Insurance has announced that it will be joining the Department of Industrial Relations to fight against the state’s emerging underground economy. The two agencies have formed the Labor Enforcement Task Force in order to crack down on the violations against the state’s insurance and labor regulations that are rampant in this offshoot economy. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones notes that this economy is mostly comprised of businesses who hire employees that are not fit for certain types of work. These businesses often fabricate documents concerning their employees…

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A.M. Best report highlights the problems facing the nation’s workers’ compensation insurance market

The U.S. workers’ compensation insurance market is in dire straits according to a new report from A.M. Best, an international rating agency. Agency analysts have been examining the effects of competition, rate decreases, economic turmoil and other factors throughout 2010 and have concluded that the market faces challenges times in the coming years. The report highlights the continuation of these trends for some time, but analysts note that the market may see modest growth for the first time since 2005 this year. The problems facing the workers’ compensation sector mirror…

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Internet privacy may be costing people their jobs, according to National Labor Relations Board

Facebook’s shifting privacy policies are making it increasingly difficult to keep track of Internet privacy. With social media beginning to play a much larger role in the business world, companies have been struggling to maintain a balance on how much freedom their employees are given when it comes to sharing information via Facebook and Twitter. Most companies have social media policies in place, but the majority of these policies are ambiguous at best. Confusion regarding these policies has led some companies into trouble with the law and could have dramatic…

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