Observed annually, National Safety Month focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on roads, and in our homes and communities. By bringing light to important issues that often get pushed aside or overlooked, employers are encouraged to join in the celebration by sharing important information with employees and discussing the importance of workplace safety. This year's theme is Safety: It takes all of us. Here are tips to placing safety in the hands of your employees and making your workplace a safer enviroment for your employees. 

Between important client meetings, delayed flights, and the hassle of travel the last thing your employees should be worried about is if they are covered when away on company business. Employers often want to provide protection for their employees on work-related trips; however, when determining which business travel policy to purchase, it’s important to look at specifics that identify what is and what is not covered. There are two very different and broad types of group business travel plans and it’s crucial to be able to distinguish between the two. 

The recent cyberattack on the Milwaukee Bucks has garnered quite a bit of media attention. Players and staff of the team had their 2015 W-2 records compromised after a team employee sent the records to an email address that appeared to come from the team President, Peter Feigin. This is yet another example that no company is immune to the threat of hackers, but certain plays can be practiced to guarantee you don't lose the cyber liability game. 

For years, small businesses who did not offer health insurance would often reimburse employees for individual plan premiums, which were often known as non-taxable benefits. Any small business under 50 employees may no longer reimburse employees for medical costs or individual insurance plan premiums. For those who continue to do so, a hefty fine awaits you.

On May 18, 2016 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced its final rule on the minimum salary threshold that white-collar employees must be paid to qualify as "exempt" from the overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The new salary level has now increased to $47,476 ($913 per week) from $23,660 ($455 per week) annually and takes effect December 1, 2016. According to the DOL, these new rules will extend new overtime protections to 4.2 million workers in the U.S.

On May 11, 2016, OSHA issued its final ruling to expand electronic recordkeeping requirements for workplace injuries and illnesses and make such records publicly available. More than three million workers suffer a workplace injury or illness each year causing OSHA to implement this new ruling and encourage employers to improve their safety practices. 

Did you know that fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be the leading cause of death for construction workers? In 2014, over 337 of the 874 construction deaths were attributed to falls, all of which were preventable. Employers, I invite you to join in Safety Stand-Down by discussing with your employees how proper safety standards can help eliminate preventable work injuries and fatalities.