Bullying and cyberbullying remain prevalent issues in schools, posing significant challenges to student safety and well-being. As educators and administrators, it’s essential to address these issues proactively and create a safe and supportive environment for all students. Let’s explore some key strategies for addressing bullying and cyberbullying effectively: Understanding Bullying Bullying refers to aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. It can take various forms, including physical, verbal, social, and cyberbullying. Recognizing the signs of bullying is cru ..read more

The National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) will take place April 15-19, 2024, in conjunction with National Occupational Research Agenda’s (NORA) Construction Stand-down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents event. In 2021, 956 people died in work zones, according to the NHTSA FARS data. Also in 2021, 108 highway worker occupational fatalities occurred in road construction sites, based on BLS data. Further data is available on WorkZoneSafety.org. What many fail to recognize is the vast majority of people killed in work zone crashes are motorists and their passengers. In 2021, 778 drivers and their ..read more

Six decades after the Equal Pay Act aimed to eliminate gender-based wage discrimination, women in America still earn just 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. For Black and Hispanic women, the gap is even wider at 70 cents and 65 cents, respectively. New pay transparency laws emerging across the U.S. aim to finally remedy these persistent inequities by requiring employers to disclose salary information for open positions. With eight states now mandating public disclosure of pay ranges for job postings, experts say a new era of compensation transparency is dawning. As more locales enact re ..read more

Generation Z is primed to take over as the largest generational group in the workforce. This seismic shift means employers must get creative in how they attract and keep top talent across diverse ages and life stages. One area ripe for a refresh is employee benefits communication and personalization. Workers Want Better Benefits Guidance It’s clear that companies are dropping the ball when it comes to properly educating employees on available benefits and customizing offerings to their needs. MetLife’s latest Employee Benefit Trends study lays it out: Over half of workers wish for personalize ..read more

Cyber incidents—including data breaches, ransomware attacks and social engineering scams—have become increasingly prevalent over the past decade, impacting organizations of all sizes and industries. These incidents are only expected to become more damaging and devastating in the years ahead, making it difficult for organizations to recover. In fact, global cyber economy researcher and publisher Cybersecurity Ventures projected that the cost of cybercrime could surge to $10.5trillion by the end of 2025—more than tripling from $3 trillion in 2015. Considering these findings, it’s vital for empl ..read more

Employee mental health has become a workplace topic of increased focus and awareness in recent years. An employee’s mental health includes how they think, feel and act, and their emotional and social well-being. While mental health includes mental illness, these two concepts aren’t interchangeable. For example, an employee can go through a period of poor mental health but not necessarily have a diagnosable mental illness. Additionally, an employee’s mental health can change over time, depending on factors such as their workload, stress and work-life balance. Established in 1949, Mental Health ..read more

A recent report reveals that early cancer detection through screenings can improve survival rates and reduce healthcare costs for employers. However, many organizations struggle to get employees screened due to a lack of awareness, time constraints, and reliance on third parties for care. Proactive efforts by employers to promote screening compliance can lead to better outcomes. Costs Are Rising, But Focus Remains on Treatment Over Prevention Cancer claims over 1,500 American lives daily and has become the number one driver of employer healthcare expenses. Approximately 96% of benefits leader ..read more

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, a large container ship traveling through the Port of Baltimore in Maryland collided with a concrete column supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge, ultimately causing the nearly 50-year-old structure to completely collapse and shutting down one of the largest and busiest harbors in the United States. The incident has contributed to significant property damage, major shipping disruptions, widespread supply chain complications and several fatalities, with many insurance experts projecting it to become the biggest marine loss the industry has ever seen. Incident Detai ..read more

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. During this time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) runs an enforcement campaign to call attention to the consequences of distracted driving. As part of this campaign, law enforcement will be increasingly looking for drivers who are violating state regulations. What You Need To Know Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic with fatal consequences. Consider the following facts: Distracted driving is involved in nearly 10% of all U.S. traffic fatalities on average each year. Nearly 16,000 U.S. drivers died in dist ..read more

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics nearly 500,000 workers are currently employed in the oil and gas extraction industry in the United States, and that number is on the rise as the world’s demand for energy continues to grow. This increase means more risks for well operators as they struggle to keep up with demand. Fortunately, there are many types of coverages available to those in the oil and gas industry to help mitigate these risks. What Kinds of Risks Does the Extraction Industry Face? Risks in the oil and gas industry can be split into three categories: Environmental Equipment ..read more