According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading contributor to sick days is back pain, which costs businesses in both workers and productivity. In fact, a recent CDC study revealed back injuries cost employers $1,685 per employee every year. On a national level, this equates losses north of $225 billion annually.

Repetitive motion injuries are temporary or permanent injuries to muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons caused by performing the same motion over and over again. Also known as repetitive stress injuries, they occur most commonly in the hands, fingers, thumbs, and wrists, but can also happen in the back, neck, knees and feet.

You may have noticed that product liability litigation has become more and more common in recent years. Even when a business does everything possible to ensure that its products are safe for the public, mishaps can still occur without warning – leading to costly legal battles and settlements that can easily reach six figures.

If you run a small business, you may be surprised to learn that the average cost of an employment-related lawsuit exceeds $270,000. More surprising is a recent study that revealed over half of all claims filed for employment-related liabilities are against employers with fewer than 50 employees. The same study also indicated that not even 2 percent of small businesses have employment practices liability (EPL) coverage.

In today’s business environment, safety-related costs can be the difference between reporting a profit or a loss. In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workplaces that establish safety and health management systems can reduce their injury and illness costs by 20 to 40 percent. An effective safety program can also improve productivity and increase employee morale on the road.

Detecting workplace hazards and preventing accidents is a responsibility that falls on every employee of an organization. This is especially true as businesses across the country resume operations in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

A recent survey indicated 53% of businesses in the United States reported being the victim of a cyber attack in 2019. And the forecast doesn’t look good for 2020. Cyber security experts predict an increase in cyber attacks in terms of both frequency and severity while warning that businesses of all sizes can be targeted.