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News Brief header The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it will be updating the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) pricing methodology through a new risk rating system.

According to FEMA, this system—which is being referred to as “Risk Rating 2.0”—will leverage additional information and variables to help communicate policyholders’ flood risks more clearly, as well as deliver more accurate and equitable premium rates. The NFIP currently provides nearly $1.3 trillion in coverage for over 5 million policyholders throughout the country.

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Construction Site Safety Considerations for Spring

As the winter season—and the frigid conditions that accompany it—officially concludes, construction employers like you can start preparing for spring projects. Nevertheless, spring weather comes with its own set of risks. After all, this season is often the most difficult to navigate in the scope of working outdoors. Between fluctuating temperatures, frequent rain showers, fog, heavy winds and lightning concerns, it’s important to be aware of spring-related hazards and how to best protect your workforce from these seasonal issues. As such, consider these worksite safety considerations for spring:

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Legal Update Header The portal for private-sector employers to submit equal employment opportunity (EEO-1) workforce data from 2019 and 2020 will open on April 26, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced March 29, 2021.

The agency also announced that the deadline for submitting 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 data is July 19, 2021. This data collection was previously delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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HR Insights Blog Header By leveraging technology in learning and development efforts, employers can help engage employees, improve the employee experience and create efficiencies in learning and development.

As organizational needs accelerate and evolve, it’s important that employees also have the necessary skills to succeed. A tech-enabled learning and development strategy can also address today’s talent shortages and skills gaps. This article explores technology trends and how technology can shape and streamline learning and development initiatives.

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HR Compliance Bulletin header image In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, states have passed new laws and issued new regulations and guidance about employee leave taken for COVID-19 reasons.

These provisions are in addition to the federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, passed on March 18 as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). In general, employee leave permitted under new state COVID-19 rules and guidance varies with respect to factors like which employers and employees are covered by the leave, the length and purpose of the leave, whether the leave is compensated and at what rate, and whether the leave is provided under a new law or rule, or covered under an existing provision.

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HR Compliance Bulletin header image Under a new law, California employers with more than 25 employees must provide up to 80 new hours of supplemental paid sick leave for specific COVID-19-related reasons.

The leave requirement takes effect March 29, 2021, but is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2021.

Reasons for Leave

Employees may take leave if they cannot work or telework because of:

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Legal Update Header On March 29, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2021-21, which extends tax deadlines for filing Form 1040 series returns and other deadlines to May 17, 2021.

The Notice, issued as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, follows a prior IRS extension (also to May 17, 2021) of the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year. The Form 1040 series includes Form 1040, Form 1040-SR, Form 1040-NR, Form 1040-PR, and Form 1040-SS. Businesses and other types of taxpayers that file federal income tax returns on forms outside of the Form 1040 series are not eligible for the extension. In addition, the Notice does not alter the April 15, 2021 deadline for estimated tax payments.

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News Brief header The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in real-world conditions.

The study found the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 twodose vaccines to be 90% effective at preventing infections two weeks after the second vaccine dose. Additionally, the study found the vaccines to be 80% effective at preventing infections two weeks after one dose. The study was conducted on 3,950 health care personnel, first responders and other essential and frontline workers who completed weekly COVID-19 testing for 13 consecutive weeks.

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Pet insurance has been a trendy benefit offering in recent years, with around a third (34%) of employers providing some version of this benefit, according to a Willis Towers Watson survey.

Since benefits packages are aimed to help employees lower important costs, it makes sense that pet insurance is trending upward—individuals spend thousands on their pets every year, after all. Pet insurance helps lower those expenses in a number of ways. Depending on the plan, it may cover vet exams, vaccinations, chronic conditions, injuries and flea treatments. And when a pet needs emergency care, the safety net of pet insurance can save an individual from needing to choose between their wallet and their furry friend.

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News Brief header Congress has passed the PPP Extension Act of 2021, a 60-day extension of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Payment Protection Program (PPP), which was set to expire on March 31.

The bill will be sent to President Joe Biden shortly, who is expected to sign the extension before the expiration of the program. The bill pushes back the application deadline for borrowers until May 31. The bill also allows 30 additional days for the SBA to finish processing applications received by the May 31 deadline. The extension passed by Congress does not provide any additional funding for the current round of the program.