Industry News
Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Standards End, Employers Still Required to Document COVID-19 Cases
Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
February 3, 2025 marked the end of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Standards. However, while California employers are no longer required to follow any regulatory requirements, COVID-19 reporting and recordkeeping requirements (Title 8 Subsection 3205(j)) remain effect until February 3, 2026.
2024 Sees COVID-19 Claims Reporting Changes in California
Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As of January 1, 2024, several COVID-19 claims reporting requirements are changing for employers in the State of California.
Cal/OSHA Adopts New Non-Emergency COVID-19 Regulations
Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
On Thursday, December 15, 2022 the California Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA) voted on newly proposed COVID-19 regulations during a public forum meeting. With a 6 to 1 vote, the Non-Emergency COVID-19 Prevention Regulations were passed and adopted.
Cal/OSHA Proposes Permanent COVID-19 Standards
Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
With the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) scheduled to expire at the end of the year, Cal/OSHA has proposed new permanent standards.
Proposal to Include COVID-19 Claims in EMR Calculation is Denied
Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
It appears the COVID-19 pandemic has finally entered an endemic stage and most companies have fully re-opened and/or are offering their employees some type of a hybrid work schedule. With this being the case, the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) proposed to amend the rule that excludes COVID-19 claims from the calculation of experience modifications for only claims with incident dates from December 1, 2019 through August 31, 2022.
Cal/OSHA Releases Final COVID-19 ETS
Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, Cal/OSHA released its third and final version of its COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that was approved by the Standards Board at its April 21, 2022 meeting. The revised standard is expected to remain in effect from May 6, 2022 through December 31, 2022.
California Prepares to Restore COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave
Author, Kevin Howard, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
On January 25, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he had made a deal with legislative leaders on a framework that would provide up to two weeks of supplemental paid sick leave to those who are unable to work due to COVID-19, quarantining or experiencing side effects from the vaccine. As of February 7, 2022, the California legislature passed the bill and we are waiting for the governor to sign it into law.
Revised 2022 COVID-19 Prevention Program Template Now Available
Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Rancho Mesa has revised its written COVID-19 Prevention Program Template based on the Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) adopted by California’s Department of Industrial Relations Occupational Safety & Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) in December 2021 and effective as of January 14, 2022.
2022 Workers' Compensation Expectations for CA Landscape Industry
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group set the stage for insurance expectations in 2022.
The Field Guide to Navigating Your Insurance in 2022
Author, Dave Garcia, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As a business owner preparing for 2022, what areas of insurable risk should cause you the biggest concerns? During the 2021 year, we experienced a hardening insurance market. All lines of insurance were negatively impacted as a result of the catastrophic events we experienced such as wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, and the emergence of COVID-19. Large national and worldwide crises like these caused underwriting losses in the billions of dollars to both front line insurers and reinsurers.
Cal/OSHA Adopts Revised ETS Through April 2022
Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
On Thursday, December 16, 2021, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted in favor, 6 to 1, of adopting the revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). This is the third iteration of the ETS since it originally went into effect in November 2020 and it happens to be the second and final re-adoption that’s allowed.
OSHA Issues ETS Addressing Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination or Testing
Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect more than 84 million workers from the spread of the coronavirus on the job.
How Increased Material Costs Leave Contractors Underinsured
Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Over the last 15 months, COVID-19 has brought numerous challenges to the construction industry. Second to only the labor shortage, the most pressing challenge faced by contractors is the spike in material costs which can leave them underinsured if a proper installation floater is not updated.
Californians Wait for Revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards
Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Over the past few weeks, Californians have eagerly awaited news from the State’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Standards Board) on revisions to Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its latest guidance that ease mask wearing for those who are fully vaccinated.
SB 93 Impacts Janitorial Companies’ Hiring Practices
Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As businesses continue moving towards fully reopening, certain California employers will be faced with reemployment or recall requirements, due to Senate Bill 93 (SB 93). SB 93 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on April 16, 2021. The law requires that covered employers offer their employees who were laid-off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, available employment based on a preference system.
A Hardening Employment Practices Marketplace Likely to Impact Many Businesses
Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) marketplace has faced a number of factors that are contributing to skyrocketing premiums and deductibles. Many insurance companies are facing the choice of whether to remain in the marketplace or exit altogether. Those willing to remain are then faced with having to consider the following changes…
Can Employers Mandate a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy?
Author, Sam Brown, Vice President of the Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As COVID-19 vaccinations become more available and the positive results of our efforts are realized, employers may ask how this impacts the workforce and a full-scale return to the workplace. More specifically, they may ask if an employer can mandate a COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Construction Industry Faces Challenges Heading into 2021
Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As a result of COVID-19’s impact on the overall economy, the construction industry will likely see some strong head winds not only operationally, but also from a risk management and insurance standpoint in 2021.
2021 Insurance Game Plan
Author, Dave Garcia, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As we come to the end of 2020, the most challenging year most of us have ever experienced, where COVID-19, wild fires and other natural disasters took their toll emotionally, physically, mentally and financially on all of us we can only hope for a brighter 2021.
Preparing the Home Care Industry for 2021
Author, Chase Hixson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services
This past year has brought significant changes to many industries as they navigated the effects of COVID- 19. This article gives an overview of the effects to the home care industry and what employers can do to be better positioned in the marketplace.