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As million-dollar health insurance claims continue to surge, stop-loss insurers that provide excess coverage for self-insured employers are increasingly using a controversial underwriting tactic to limit coverage for high-cost claimants.

The tactic, called "lasering," entails applying a higher deductible or exclusion to a specific individual or condition, like heart failure or cancer. Instead of the normal attachment point applying uniformly across the group, the insurer carves out higher-risk individuals and shifts more financial responsibility back to the employer.

The IRS has raised the maximum amounts employees can funnel into their health savings accounts in 2027, as well as the minimum deductible and maximum out-of-pocket expenses for high-deductible health plans.

Understanding these amounts now can help you get an early start on human resources planning for next year. Here's how to prepare now.

Severe convective storms — commonly known as thunderstorms — are becoming one of the biggest weather threats facing homeowners across much of the U.S.

These storms can develop quickly and bring destructive winds, hail, lightning, flash flooding and tornadoes. Strong winds and lashing rain can damage siding, windows and roofs, while falling branches can cause significant property damage.

How can you protect your home and family?

Some insurers have begun introducing exclusions for artificial intelligence-related claims from standard business insurance policies, creating potential coverage gaps for businesses that rely on AI tools for marketing, customer service, product development or daily operations.

The changes come after the Insurance Services Office, the industry's clearinghouse for policy language, introduced three new artificial intelligence exclusions for commercial general liability policies that insurers are beginning to add to coverage forms. If your organization relies on AI, even lightly, you'll want to review your policy.

The California FAIR Plan is seeking approval to increase residential insurance premiums by an average of 30% this fall.

The market of last resort for homeowners cited mounting financial strain from years of rapid growth in FAIR Plan enrollment and large payouts from the 2025 Southern California fires.

As wildfires become increasingly common across the U.S., companies whose employees are exposed to wildfire smoke must be mindful of the dangers and take steps to protect them.

While a handful of states have laws or regulations requiring employers to protect workers from wildfire smoke hazards, Fed-OSHA has no such rules. However, companies not in those states are still subject to the Occupational Safety and Health Act's general duty clause, which requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that can cause death or serious physical harm.

California employers are fast approaching another important compliance deadline under the state's workplace violence prevention law.

By July 1, employers with 10 or more employees must provide annual workplace violence prevention training to staff and review their workplace violence prevention plan. Here's what's required to avoid possible expensive penalties for non-compliance.

Federal regulators have stepped up their regulatory focus on corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and "reverse discrimination," announcing settlements and lawsuits against notable employers such as Nike as well as smaller companies.

The new push is being conducted under President Trump's executive order and EEOC guidance declaring DEI programs and reverse discrimination illegal. Since 2025, the Department of Justice and the EEOC have been targeting employers for these violations, alongside typical workplace discrimination claims involving gender, race and religion.

The new focus has added to employers' potential liability, and the financial consequences can be significant for those sued.

A growing number of California businesses are finding themselves accused of "wiretapping" website visitors because of common online tracking tools many companies never realized were operating on their websites.

The lawsuits stem from the California Invasion of Privacy Act, or CIPA, a 1967 law originally written to combat telephone wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping. According to legal analyses and law firms tracking the litigation trend, demand letters often seek settlements ranging from roughly $15,000 to $40,000. Here's what's happening and why your firm could be targeted next.

California construction firms must now account for a major shift in how retention payments are handled on private projects. Senate Bill 61, which took effect Jan. 1, 2026, capped retention at 5% on most private commercial construction projects in the state, halving what had long been the standard 10% withholding.

For companies that operate vehicle fleets, one serious traffic accident can trigger consequences far beyond repair bills and insurance claims. A single incident involving a company driver can disrupt operations, damage customer relationships, attract regulatory scrutiny and, in severe cases, threaten a company's financial stability if a lawsuit exceeds policy limits.

Artificial intelligence has rapidly become a standard tool in recruiting, résumé screening and workforce management. But as employers expand their use of AI-driven hiring systems, states are moving quickly to regulate how those tools are used, especially when they may discriminate against protected classes. 

The result is an increasingly complex patchwork of laws that creates significant compliance risks for employers.