Each week, landlords and authorities discover 300 methamphetamine labs in the United States, according to National Public Radio. If you own apartments, rent hotels or run boarding homes, you may run into a tenant who decides your rental properties are a great place to cook meth. Better check your commercial property policy now, because recent changes in commercial property insurance coverage forms may significantly restrict coverage for the resultant clean-up from meth “cooking” operations.

Real estate is one of the most important assets one can have regardless of owning personally or as a business entity. As they say, it’s all about location, location, location – so you better know exactly what risks you are going to be exposed to when looking to purchase new property or simply evaluating your current location(s). In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy the scrutiny of flood insurance policies is at an all-time high, particularly, in the northeast. When assessing the value of any new or current property and the insurance requirements and costs that come with it, understanding where it is in relation to local flood zones is critical.

Many of today’s employers offer robust wellness programs, which, typically, offer employees incentives for certain types of behaviors in an effort to improve health and, ultimately, reduce employer medical costs. These rewards can include premium discounts, membership in gyms and cash.

One of the most commonly found clauses in any construction contract is the requirement of one party to name another party as an additional insured. It is found in The American Institute of Architects (AIA) documents, the Consensus DOCS, and was inserted in almost all manuscript agreements.

While none of us can predict the future, we do not need a crystal ball to tell us that as the Baby Boomers retire in the next decade, there will be a mass exodus of talented and experienced employees leaving the workforce.  What does that mean to you, as one of the leaders of your organization?  Do you see the exodus of the “Boomers” as an opportunity to reduce your labor and health care cost, or, are you concerned that the “War for Talent” will lead to a bidding war with compensation costs spiraling out of control?  One thing is certain, organizations that do not begin developing their talent management systems now will be susceptible to being negatively impacted in the very near future.

As workers’ compensation rates rise across the nation and the National Council of Compensation Insurers (NCCI) institutes new rating strategies that could negatively impact your premiums, the importance of reducing the frequency and severity of workers’ compensation claims becomes even more crucial.

When business owners shop commercial insurance coverage, the solvency rating of the proposed insurance company is one critical factor they consider. However, savvy commercial insurance buyers should consider another vital factor — how will the proposed insurer handle your claims?

Employers should take note that over the past several years the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently upheld arbitration clauses in employment contracts.  The Court’s consistent rulings in favor of arbitration agreements have changed employment law in many states, most notably in California, which has a long history of the courts being hostile to arbitration agreements.

Product contamination and product recall risks are becoming prevalent for many industries.  In 2008 there were 351 FDA Class I recalls. Over the next 24 months, the number of Class I recalls had jumped to 1,499. The FDA defines a Class I recall as a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use or exposure to a product will cause serious adverse health conditions or possibly death.