April 23, 2020 INDEPENDENT ROOFING CONTRACTORS OF CALIFORNIA, INC. WWW.IRCC.ORG
PLEASE NOTE:We take our contractor's concerns regarding this nationwide 'health control' crisis seriously. For any concerns regarding current requirements, please contact John Upshaw at 209-232-7633. The office continues to be open as defined in 'essential' services list , data management related to 'certifications' connected to 'construction' services; however, Julie(Temp work Phone Direct:: 209-319-6006) and TJ (Temp work Phone Direct:: 209-552-1296)have chosen the option of working at home during the current 'shelter in place' protocols. We will be forwarding calls to them. And, we will follow-up onemails and other requests per usual. Phone availability: 8:30 a.m to 3:00 p.m.. (JU and Lorelei: between 8:00 and 5:00 pm).
IRCC ASSOCIATE MEMBER ‘EPIC-BROKERS” DEVELOPS ROBUST ADVISORY RESOURCE TO ADDRESS COVID-19 RISK-MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES FOR CONTRACTORS
[Editor’s Note] The Coronavirus epoch that roofing contractors and their employees are living through has spawned a steady flow of web-originated and often dubious solution gurus, hoping to climb on the “viral bandwagon.” - John Upshaw
The IRCC is pleased to help narrow the field by focusing on a known quantity in the arena of successful risk-management and insurance solutions and IRCC Associate member who has been a go to in the risk assessment area for workers-comp, general liability, worker and contractor training safety solutions, including linkage to practical human resource benefit solutions.
I was recently invited by EPIC's Northern California pointman -Senior VP and principal, Mark Niebuhr , to be walked through his company's recently developed online information feed directly related to the COVID-19 crisis, which takes a thorough look at the evolving challenges that roofing contractors and other business are facing in working through the immediate implications and exposures from this crisis, as well as considering the longstanding issues that will arise in adjusting to it's aftermath as things get back to normal. EPIC Covid 19 Resource Notices. (Related Video)
GOVERNOR NEWSOM CONTINUES TO STRETCH THE LEFT'S ENVELOPE WITH PLANNED INCLUSION OF CORONAVIRUS AS WORK RELATED W/COMP ELIGIBLESubmitted by Richard Markuson,
IRCC Goverment Affairs Liaison
Labor advocates are pressing the Governor to issue an executive order to establish a presumption that emergency responders, health care workers and all other employees with COVID-19 contracted the illness on the job.
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California, in response to a cost-estimate request this month from the Assembly Insurance Committee, estimated such a change could cost somewhere from $2.2 billion to $33.6 billion on an annualized basis. The bureau’s mid-range estimate of $11.2 billion amounts to 61 percent of the annual cost of the total workers’ compensation system before the pandemic.
Alaska's legislature recently passed a relief package containing such an amendment, and labor groups like the California Labor Federation, have been pushing for California to follow suit.
On March 12, Newsom issued an executive order stating that employees may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if they were exposed to or they contracted COVID-19 at work. Earlier this month, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara alerted insurance companies and employers that all workers, regardless of their immigration status, are eligible for such benefits.
Employers and WC carriers have argued, so-far unsuccessfully, that the cost of COVID-19 care - should be borne by the general fund - not just the employer community that has WC insurance. They cite concern that rates could possibly double - depending on the extent of claims - and that some carriers could exit the market - leaving only State-Fund as the carrier of last resort.
The EO language itself has not been widely circulated - but most believe it could be issued this week.
Two mitigating factors are that WCIRB has issued an emergency regulation to establish that COVID-19 claims will not be used in experience modification calculations and that payments pursuant to a Federal loan or grant will not be included in total compensation for WC premiums. My educated guess is that Newsom will issue the order as it will shift the health-care costs from healthcare plans and public support to employers.
This was emphasized recently by a multi-employer health plan trustee who expressed concern that COVID-19 care could bankrupt many smaller self-funded trusts. (More: next week)
