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HR Insights Blog Header Working remotely doesn’t always come naturally to employees, especially among those who are used to the accountability of in-person workplaces.

Remote work requires focus and restraint amid the countless distractions present in the home, and it lacks the socialization capabilities that come with physically going into the workplace. What’s more, remote employees often need to collaborate on different tasks. Without guidance, these conversations can become distracting and inefficient. With this in mind, employers may need to step in to help facilitate productivity and attentiveness—particularly when working in person isn’t an option, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article provides four tips for supporting remote employee productivity while still enabling collaboration.

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The COVID-19 pandemic continues to bring forth a variety of questions for businesses. Employers can take a number of preventive steps to help keep employees safe, but they should also prepare to respond to various situations that can occur in the workplace.

This article provides COVID-19 general business FAQs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These FAQs build on the CDC’s interim guidance for businesses and employers and its guidance for critical infrastructure workers. The CDC’s guidance is intended to supplement—not replace—federal, state and local mandates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Legal Update Header On Feb. 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) delayed the effective date of its 2020 employee tip rule to April 30, 2021.

This rule was originally scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2021. The DOL is adopting this delay to allow sufficient time for the agency to review the final rule as required by a memorandum President Joe Biden issued on Jan. 20, 2021. The memorandum ordered a freeze on regulatory changes that had been adopted near the end of the previous administration.

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News Brief header The National Safety Council (NSC) has released preliminary data showing vehicle fatalities in 2020 increased by 24% compared to 2007 and 8% compared to 2019.

It’s estimated that more than 42,060 people died in vehicle crashes in 2020 across the country. This increase is the highest year-overyear jump the NSC has calculated since 1924. The NSC attributes the fatality increases to drivers speeding and driving more recklessly due to roads being less congested as a result of the pandemic. Drivers also continue to engage in riskier behaviors, such as driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and failing to wear a seat belt.

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Ransomware attacks—which entail a cybercriminal deploying malicious software to compromise a device (or multiple devices) and demand a large payment be made before restoring the technology for the victim—have become a significant concern for organizations across industry lines.

In fact, the latest research provides that these attacks have increased by nearly 140% in the past year alone, with the median ransom payment demand totaling $178,000 and the average overall loss from such an attack exceeding $1 million.

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Remote desk protocol (RDP)—which is a network communications protocol developed by Microsoft—consists of a digital interface that allows users to connect remotely to other servers or devices.

Through RDP ports, users can easily access and operate these servers or devices from any location. RDP has become an increasingly useful business tool—permitting employees to retrieve files and applications stored on their organization’s network while working from home, as well as giving IT departments the ability to identify and fix employees’ technical problems remotely.

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Cyber insurers passed a tipping point in 2020, with loss frequency and severity outpacing pricing increases and tougher underwriting, according to a new report from Aon.

Claim severity rose significantly in 2020, according to Aon’s analysis, with many clients seeing eight-figure ransomware losses. In terms of frequency, Aon typically saw three new errors and omissions (E&O)/cyber claims each day. This is up nearly 100% from 2019, with ransomware up 486% between the first quarter of 2018 and the fourth quarter of 2020, and 150% between 2019 and 2020.

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On March 12, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a national emphasis program (NEP) for COVID-19.

OSHA establishes NEPs when it identifies a need to focus its resources to address particular hazards and high-hazard industries. This NEP will remain in effect for one year or until OSHA amends or cancels the program.

COVID-19 NEP

Prior OSHA guidance primarily addressed mitigating and limiting the spread of COVID-19. This NEP prioritizes the use of OSHA resources to eliminate and control workplace exposure to COVID-19.

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Office building employers, owners and managers can take proactive measures to create a safe and healthy workplace for employees, clients and other guests.

This article shares COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Protect Employees

Employers should consider the following steps to protect their employees and other building visitors, while slowing the spread of COVID-19:

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Coverage insights header image Contrary to the reimbursement method of standard commercial policies, parametric insurance is a form of coverage that offers protection based on a predetermined, measurable characteristic tied to a covered event.

Under such coverage, the amount in which a policyholder is compensated isn’t decided by the exact cost of damages sustained, but rather by the calculated intensity of the covered event itself. For instance, if a hurricane caused damage to a commercial property, a parametric policy might reimburse a set dollar amount linked to the storm’s wind speeds. Parametric insurance can be a particularly beneficial form of coverage to have in the scope of large-scale natural disasters, especially when not all associated losses entail physical damages. Yet, there are some additional aspects of this coverage offering to consider. Review the following guidance to gain a better understanding of parametric insurance.