Fire hazards exist in workplaces across industry lines, carrying severe safety risks. Even with proper prevention measures in place, fires may still occur. With this in mind, it’s vital for employees like you to be prepared for a fire on the job and know how to respond effectively. Here’s an overview of fire preparation and response best practices.

On March 9, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall for 1.9 million Yeti coolers and gear cases after reports of magnets coming detached, which can pose a risk of serious injury or death. The specific products recalled are the Sidekick dry gear case, Hopper M20 soft backpack cooler and Hopper M30 soft cooler (versions 1.0 and 2.0)—all available in various colors.

The number of recalled product units rose to record levels in 2022 (23.4% higher than the previous record set in 2018), and all signs point to “more aggressive and public” regulatory enforcement on product safety in 2023, according to Sedgwick’s latest “State of the Nation” recall index report.

Falls are an ever-present risk in the construction industry. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 353 deaths attributed to fatal falls to a lower level in 2020. The DOL has also stated that an average of 40 workers die each year due to falls from residential roofs.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its January Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary. This month’s report showed the number of job openings decreased from an upwardly revised 11.2 million in December to 10.8 million in January, representing a 410,000 decline from last month. The job openings rate also dropped from 6.7% in December to 6.5% in January.

An employee value proposition (EVP) is the unique set of benefits employees receive in return for the skills, capabilities and experiences they bring to an organization. While an EVP includes common factors such as compensation, benefits and career opportunities, it also expands to all the value an employee can receive in exchange for their work.

Many employees do not use their allotted paid time off (PTO) despite their employers’ vacation and other leave policies. As a result, some employers are implementing minimum PTO policies to address this challenge. This emerging trend takes standard PTO policies one step further by mandating that employees take off a minimum number of days each year.

The Biden administration highlighted the potential of a federal cyber insurance backstop as a key objective of its long-awaited national cybersecurity strategy and a push to hold software manufacturers accountable for vulnerabilities in their products.

Alongside compensation, health care coverage is often seen as one of the most important benefits a job can offer. And the larger the variety of options available to employees, the more likely they are to find an option that best suits their needs. This is good for employers because employees are more likely to stay at their organizations when they feel their needs are being met.

The latest Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health Tracking Poll revealed there is widespread public confusion about the legality of medication abortion drugs and emergency contraceptive pills. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade—eliminating the constitutional right to abortion— happened more than six months ago, but Americans are still confused about what is legal in their state and how emergency contraceptive pills work.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It’s commonly called “the stomach bug.” Norovirus causes 19-21 million infections throughout the United States annually.

Nearly two decades ago, more employers started requiring college degrees for positions that previously did not require one, even though the duties and responsibilities for those jobs did not change. Advancements in technology changed the nature of many positions. While the competencies required to perform those jobs also changed, many job titles did not.

Working a remote or in-person office job that requires you to sit for most of the day can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Luckily, walking is a feasible way to add in exercise for most and can provide several benefits.

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened underlying mental health issues for many Americans. However, mental health care and treatment barriers have existed for some time. One of the most significant barriers is the lack of mental health professionals. Experts predict that within the next year, the United States will be short between 14,280 and 31,109 mental health professionals.

Employers of all sizes are currently searching for ways to reduce expenses and save money in response to the current economic downturn and ongoing labor challenges. Instead of cutting costs randomly or conducting unnecessary layoffs, successful organizations tend to optimize their resources.

You may have noticed that you sneeze and cough more often during certain times of the year. In this case, you may have seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies are allergy symptoms that occur during specific times of the year, typically when allergens are released into the air.

Since organizations rely heavily on email to communicate and conduct business operations, cybercriminals commonly target email as an entry point to access networks and breach valuable business data. In fact, 94% of malware is delivered by email, according to Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report.

March is Nutrition Month. Every year, this national campaign focuses on educating Americans on making informed food choices and developing healthy eating habits.

The significance of AI technology for employers cannot be understated, as it could change almost every aspect of how organizations operate and conduct business. Many employers, especially larger ones, have been using this technology for years; however, ChatGPT is not only making this technology readily available to employers of all sizes but also more accepted than in the past.

Over the last few years, employers have been expanding their voluntary benefits offerings as a way to address their employees’ needs and improve overall attraction and retention efforts. While voluntary benefits have become increasingly important to employees as they deal with challenges and increased financial pressures due to record-high inflation and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, knowing what benefits to offer can be difficult.