The California Labor Code requires that all “employees” be covered under a workers’ compensation insurance policy. Not only does the Labor Code define “employee,” it also provides guidance about who is not an employee and, therefore, not covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
Specifically,...Read More
We understand that circumstances often require employees to use their privately owned vehicles (POV) for business purposes. It is important for employees, managers, supervisors at all levels to understand an employee’s personal automobile policy is the primary coverage for liability and/or damages...Read More
Did you know that April has been designated as National Distracted Driving Month?
Distracted driving is driving while conducting any activity that deters the drivers’ attention from the task of driving the vehicle. This includes tasks such as talking on a cell phone, sending a text message,...Read More
Every year, GSRMA produces an annual report with detailed information about our entity, statistics and financials. Please click below to view the 2017 Annual Report.
If you would like a printed copy of the Annual Report, please contact our Member Services Department at memberservices@gsrma.org.
By Mark R. Velasquez, Esq.
Senate Bill 96 was signed into law on June 27, 2017 and became effective immediately. The bill makes some changes to prevailing wage including the following:
• The subcontractor list form submitted by bidders for public works contracts must now include the DIR...Read More
Fulfill your mandated Ethics and Harassment Training in one day! These trainings will be held at Granzella's Banquet Facility in Williams, CA. Choose from the following two available dates:
Thursday April 19, 2018 - click to register
Wednesday May 16, 2018 - click to register
Please register by...Read More
At the January 10, 2018 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors approved the candidate district list for the 2018 GSRMA Board election. The election will be conducted from February 1, through April 20, 2018. There are three open positions on the Board, one for the Cemetery Districts, one for the...Read More
Unfortunately, it would appear there is a rise in theft and burglary statewide. Businesses suffer disproportionately from theft, burglary and robbery when you consider the number of homes vs. businesses in our communities. The most important thing you can do is call the police to report a crime or...Read More
Hello and Happy New Year GSRMA Members:
The following link will take you to our January calendar of training events:
http://gsrma.org/resources/events-training/
The first training event is just one week from today (and only available in person in the Dixon/Davis area). Have you resolved to do...Read More
It’s that time of year again -- February 1st marks the deadline to tabulate your annual OSHA Log Summary (OSHA Form 300A) and post it in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. This is the summary only (300A), not the OSHA 300 Form.
The OSHA Form 300A summary must list the...Read More
Employers take note - there are several new laws on the horizon for 2018 that potentially impact your operations. Below is a summary of the new laws. Please review each of these laws in greater detail to determine the impact for your organization.
Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sexual...Read More
By Mark R. Velasquez, Esq.
Hunt Jeppson & Griffin, LLP
On August 31, 2015, while James and Nancy Cartia were visiting the gravesite of James Cartia’s deceased wife and daughter at the Winton Cemetery, James Cartia tripped on some grass and fell into his wife and daughter’s headstone knocking it...Read More
With wet weather upon us, we here at GSRMA would like to urge you to take extra precautions while walking on floors that could potentially be wet or slippery. The best way to prevent falls is with engineering controls such as rough surfaces, minimizing transitions in flooring and designing walkways...Read More
The 13th Annual Conference of GSRMA was a success. The theme “Breakthrough to excellence…your safety program!” was the backdrop for networking and mingling as members were made aware of the importance of safety to our risk pool.
For the second year, the two day format was the best attended...Read More
Below you will find a link to the Bylaws, as amended and passed on September 27, 2017, in Resolution No. 2017-08. Also linked below is the Resolution and Governing Board Member Election Timeline as referenced in Article III.B, Election of Board Members. This Timeline has been updated and is...Read More
Safety programs and training should never be (permanently) crossed off your to-do list. Yet, evaluating the effectiveness and determining where to go next can be a challenge. Unfortunately, safety does not end with simply establishing a program suited to your operation. Managers and department...Read More
GSRMA’s 13th annual training conference promises the perfect blend of education and entertainment! The conference will be held on Thursday, October 19th and Friday, October 20th at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning. We are pleased to present several great speakers who will deliver relevant subject...Read More
The number one cause of employee death is motor vehicle collisions. How does your district protect employees from this risk? As our modern world becomes more and more complex, the simple task of driving and skill of driving defensively might be lost in the shuffle. Is this the case at your entity?...Read More
The 2017-2018 coverage year has begun! Please be on the lookout for the Summaries of Coverage that have been mailed to each district. Electronic copies of the Summaries of Coverage, MOCs and COCs are available via the GSRMA Member Portal. If you require assistance logging into the Portal, please...Read More
Risk management is the means by which we evaluate financial risks together with the identification of procedures to minimize their impact. In the past, the intent of the Loss Prevention Incentive Program has been to assist our members in the reduction of losses, enhance existing safety or loss...Read More
At our May Board Meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors approved the 2016/2017 Loss Prevention Incentive Program (LPIP) Awards. The LPIP was created to provide GSRMA members an incentive to develop, implement and maintain safety and loss prevention programs. Attention to these operation details (and...Read More
Summer begins June 21st, but the season and all the opportunities for fun—and heat related hazards—are officially upon us. We hope you are all in the safety mindset and heat and water safety have been topics both in your homes and workplaces.
If not, it’s not too late! June is National Safety...Read More
Happy retirement to Cynthia Connelly, long time claims professional. Cynthia started with GSRMA in October of 1989 – 28 years of service! She has seen tremendous change in the organization that has grown from 3 employees to 15 and 40 members to over 266. Always witty and artistic, she has been a...Read More
What was the high temperature in your city yesterday? If you were anywhere in California, there is a good chance midday temperatures reached well in excess of 80 degrees, which is the temperature at which Cal OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention measures are required to be in place by California...Read More
GSRMA’s annual offerings of Ethics Training for Local Government & Harassment Prevention are now behind us. For the second year in a row we are pleased to offer not one but two sessions of this important compliance training to our membership. We sincerely appreciate all of you who attended and...Read More
At the May 10, 2017 meeting, the Golden State Risk Management Authority (GSRMA) Board of Directors ratified the election results for the Fire and Special District Representative seats on the Board. The following are the results of the election:
Nominated Fire...Read More
The GSRMA Annual Report for 2016 is now available!
Every year, GSRMA produces an annual report with detailed information about our entity, statistics and financials. Please click to view the 2016 Annual Report.
If you would like a printed copy of the Annual Report, please contact our Member...Read More
At the January 11, 2017 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors approved the candidate district list for the 2017 GSRMA Board election. The election will be conducted from February 1 through April 21, 2017. There are two open positions on the Board, one for fire districts and one for special...Read More
Fulfill your mandated Ethics and Harassment Training in one day! These trainings will be held at Granzella's Banquet Facility in Williams, CA. Choose from the following two available dates:
Wednesday April 5, 2017 - click to register
Wednesday May 17, 2017 - click to register
Please register by...Read More
The 2017 labor law posters have been shipped! Depending on the address of your district, they will arrive either via FedEx or USPS. If you do not receive your poster in the next week, please contact our Member Services Department at memberservices@gsrma.org or call us at 530-934-5633.
To assist...Read More
It’s that time of year: February 1st marks the deadline for you to tabulate your annual OSHA Log Summary (OSHA Form 300A) and post it in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. This is the summary only (300A), not the OSHA 300 Form.
The OSHA Form 300A summary must list the...Read More
Federal OSHA has revised requirements for recording and submitting records of workplace injury and illness, and the rule is effective January 1, 2017. Under the new rule, some of the recorded information will be submitted to OSHA electronically for posting to the OSHA website.
All public entities...Read More
At the September 20, 2016 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors reviewed and approved a trial run of an election process to fill the upcoming vacancies to the board. These vacancies will be for the board representative for the fire and special districts.
Please note: Nominations must be received...Read More
On November 18, 2016 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2016-70. This notice extends the due date for furnishing 2016 Form 1095-C statements to employees by 30 days, from January 31, 2017 to March 2, 2017. It also extends the deadline for health insurance issuers and other providers...Read More
Another wonderful Golden State Risk Management Authority Annual Conference is in the books! Although we might be a little biased, we think the 12th Annual GSRMA Training Conference was our best event yet. This year we introduced a new format for the conference. A second day of training, in the...Read More
Golden State Risk Management Authority is a member of CSAC-EIA’s property program. Every five (5) years, members of this program are required to participate in a property appraisal process. This process ensures the scheduling of accurate replacement costs for your locations. CSAC-EIA contracts...Read More
Thank you for your participation in the EIAHealth Program through GSRMA. We are proud to be able to provide employee health plans with stable and predictable rates to our members. Because of its stability and its competitive rates, the Program continues to attract new members, which only...Read More
At the September 20, 2016 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors reviewed and approved a trial run of an election process to fill the upcoming vacancies to the board. These vacancies will be for the board representative for the fire and special districts. Additional details and outreach will be sent...Read More
Allocating staff time and valuable, limited resources to safety programs and training can be difficult for small districts to justify. That is, until the inevitable day when OSHA comes knocking. When OSHA sits down to discuss safety with staff at your district, the value of your efforts is readily...Read More
Have you noticed a sharp increase of people in your district walking around strangely staring in their phones? Then you may be the victim of Niantic, Inc.’s latest game, Pokémon Go. Pokémon Go is similar to the original Pokémon game. You look for the critters called Pokémon, catch them by hitting...Read More
The GSRMA Loss Prevention Team and the City of Orland Safety Committee are pleased to offer Traffic Control and Flagging training at the Lely Park Recreation Center on September 27, 2016. The training will go from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. and lunch will be provided.
This training is appropriate for public...Read More
GSRMA’s 12th Annual Training Conference
We are holding our 12th annual training conference on October 20th - 21st at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning. Like our previous conferences, great speakers will present relevant subject matter in an entertaining manner. And this year we are expanding the...Read More
During the 2015-2016 year, GSRMA was no stranger to change--including adding staff to Member Services and Loss Prevention to continue to provide the best possible service to our ever-growing membership. As the newest member to the GSRMA Loss Prevention team, I am pleased to announce that the...Read More
As a July 1, 2016 compliance date comes closer, many public agencies are starting to discuss what this Senate Bill means and how it will affect them. SB 272 requires each local agency, except a local educational agency, to create a catalog of enterprise systems.
An enterprise system is defined as...Read More
By Mark Velasquez, Hunt Jeppson & Griffin, LLP
Before becoming a lawyer I was a flight instructor, and a commercial pilot. There are some interesting similarities between flight instructing and being a manager or board member of a district. One of them is in decision making. One thing flight...Read More
Three representatives begin new 2 year terms on the GSRMA Board of Directors in July 2016. The Willows Unified School District and the City of Williams were selected by random drawing at the GSRMA board meeting in March to provide representatives for our school and city member districts. Willows...Read More
Here we are again, it’s hot. We have officially moved from ‘use caution’ to ‘use extreme caution’ with regard to the steadily rising, here comes summer temperatures. Prolonged sun exposure and/or physical activity can cause a number of problems for those who are not yet acclimated to the heat...Read More
As a public agency, contracts are a part of doing business. However, contract language can be confusing and complex. Due to this complexity, Golden State Risk Management Authority is pleased to share the Insurance Requirements in Contracts (IRIC) Manual with our members.
IRIC is a great...Read More
On May 11, 2016 the Golden State Risk Management Authority Board of Directors approved a $250,000 dividend for its members.
The availability of funds for a dividend can be directly attributed to lower than anticipated claims costs and the overall positive performance of the pool over the last 10...Read More
Amendments to California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) regulations take effect today Friday, April 1, 2016, The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has released new final regulations that address (among other things) pregnancy and sexual harassment under the...Read More
Many California public entities that provide their employees health insurance coverage through CalPERS suffered large increases – some as high as 21% - in their medical insurance rates last year. This was not the case for those in the GSRMA Small Group Health Program. The GSRMA Small Group Health...Read More
Each year GSRMA provides our member agencies with an all-in-one state and federal labor law poster. This year’s posters shipped in January. If you have not received your poster, please contact our office.
Please note, there have been revisions to the Pregnancy Disability Leave Notice that was...Read More
This is a reminder that April 30th, 2016, is the deadline for cemetery members to notify us that their governing board has interest in having a board member serve on the GSRMA Board of Directors for the 2016 – 2018 term.
Last year, at the suggestion of PCA board representatives, the GSRMA Board...Read More
One of the most challenging aspects of being an employer in California, and one that we are constantly asked about through Golden State Risk Management Authority’s HR Hotline program, is navigating the interactive process to determine whether an injured/ill/disabled employee can be reasonably...Read More
The Affordable Care Act requires most individuals to obtain minimum health coverage or pay a penalty, with some exceptions. The penalty for not having coverage will be assessed for the 2015 tax year.
The IRS has clarified that individuals do not have to delay filing their 2015 income tax returns...Read More
Fulfill your mandated Harassment and Ethics Training in one day! These trainings will be held at Granzella's Banquet Facility in Williams, CA. Choose from the following two available dates:
Wednesday April 6, 2016 - click to register
Thursday May 12, 2016 - click to register
Please register by...Read More
Overview
The ACA created two new reporting requirements for calendar year 2015 to be reported in 2016. The reports are the Minimum Essential Coverage report (also known as MEC, the 6055 report or the 1094B and 1095B “B series” reports) and the Applicable Large Employer report (also known as ALE,...Read More
Overview
The ACA created two new reporting requirements for calendar year 2015 to be reported in 2016.This will be an annual requirement with data from the prior year being reported to the IRS and individuals in the first quarter of each year. The reports are the Minimum Essential Coverage report...Read More
UPDATE: The 2016 labor law posters have been shipped! Depending on the address of your district, they will arrive either via FedEx or USPS. If you do not receive your poster in the next week, please contact our Member Services Department at memberservices@gsrma.org or call us at 530-934-5633. Thank...Read More
It’s that time of year: February 1st marks the deadline for you to tabulate your annual OSHA Log Summary (OSHA Form 300A) and post it in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. This is the summary only (300A), not the OSHA 300 Form.
The OSHA Form 300A summary must list the...Read More
According to flu.gov, nearly 111 million workdays are lost due to the flu each year, costing employers approximately $7 billion per year in sick days and lost productivity. The flu season can begin as early as October and last until May. Influenza costs businesses an additional $10.4 billion in...Read More
Wishing you the happiest of holidays from all of us at Golden State Risk Management Authority!
The GSRMA office will be closed December 24th and 25th, and December 31st through January 1st, 2016.
Golden State Risk Management Authority participated in the Public Cemetery Alliance’s Annual Conference held on October 23rd, at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning, CA.
Twelve GSRMA staff attended the pre-conference dinner the evening of October 22nd. GSRMA co-sponsored the event with the PCA and...Read More
By all accounts, the 11th Annual Golden State Risk Management Authority Training Conference was another great success. We held the event on October 22nd, at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning, CA. The 123 people that attended the conference represented 51 of our member agency districts. Based on...Read More
Golden State Risk Management Authority (GSRMA) is unique in California risk pools. Currently serving 121 cemetery districts across the State of California, we are proud to provide them, and all of our members, not just competitive insurance rates, but a solid, respected risk sharing pool, a variety...Read More
In the past few weeks Covered California sent out a letter notifying their members that they must give their consent to Covered California to verify their income and family size to determine their subsidy eligibility for their health plan in 2016. If you have employees that you know are members of...Read More
Golden State Risk Management Authority is testing a new process for filling future vacancies of the cemetery district representative position on the GSRMA Board of Directors.
But, first, a little history:
In 2001, GSRMA expanded the geographical area we serve to include all of California. Within...Read More
Blue Shield of California is going to do a system upgrade effective 11/1/2015. This upgrade will trigger new membership ID cards displaying a new subscriber and group number which will be sent out the first week of November. Click here to view the Blue Shield Member Letter & FAQ sheet. Please...Read More
NEW CALIFORNIA FAMILY RIGHTS ACT (CFRA) REGULATIONS BECOME EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST
We are notifying our members of some recent changes made to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). The changes are meant to clarify some of the uncertainties regarding CFRA and to bring CFRA into closer alignment with...Read More
At the May 13, 2015 Board Meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors approved the 2014/15 Loss Prevention Incentive Program (LPIP) Awards. The LPIP was created to provide GSRMA members with an incentive to develop, implement and maintain safety and loss prevention programs. The development of safety and...Read More
New GSRMA Ergonomic Evaluation Request Process- GSRMA has designed a new ergonomic evaluation request form please download it here (word) (pdf) . If you have any questions please contact us at lossprevention@gsrma.org.
Cal OHSA recently approved changes to Heat Illness Prevention. These changes are effective May 1, 2015; in time for this year’s summer season. These regulations make substantial changes to the existing regulations and require your immediate review of and likely revisions to your policies,...Read More
Employers in California are required to have an effective written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). The benefits of an effective IIPP include improved workplace safety and health, better morale, increased productivity, and reduced costs of doing business. Whether you need to develop a...Read More
On September 29, 2014, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 1432 - Mandated Child Abuse Reporting: School Employees Training. This law became effective January 1, 2015, and requires school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, state special schools and diagnostic centers operated...Read More
In October 2014, Golden State Risk Management held our 10th Annual Conference. Due to popular demand we welcomed back speaker Fred Shafer. Fred’s enthusiasm and motivation encouraged many attendees to focus on a healthier version of who they are. During his presentation, Fred mentioned his...Read More
As users of TargetSolutions, our online training program, we wanted to notify you of some upcoming changes to the training platform. The majority of the changes will occur on the back end of the program, and should have very little impact on your usage. The main change you may experience is in...Read More
January Newsletter (pdf)
Golden State Risk Management has rolled out a new monthly member newsletter series, and I would like to take a moment to introduce you to it. Our Loss Prevention and Member Services personnel have been working hard at composing information and resources regarding health and wellness for this...Read More
For those of you that plan on applying for GSRMA’s Loss Prevention Incentive Program this year, this is just a quick reminder that the first deadline to apply is quickly approaching. Those who plan on applying are required to submit a Letter of Intent to Apply for the LPIP by the first Monday in...Read More
Weekly Food Journal (pdf)
WebMD Food & Fitness Planner http://www.webmd.com/diet/food-fitness-planner/default.htm
Fred Schafer http://www.fredstrikes.com/
Loss Prevention Email Address lossprevention@gsrma.org
The property values utilized in GSRMA’s coverage program are automatically “trended” each year. Trending increases or decreases the property values to reflect inflation or deflation of construction, building materials and other costs associated with replacement or repair of damaged property. In...Read More
GSRMA is a member of the CSAC-EIA property program, one of the largest property insurance programs in the country. The program is not only one of the largest, but provides some of the most comprehensive coverage as well. The program consists of 82 member agencies and over $53 billion in total...Read More
Gov. Brown signed AB 1522 enacting the “Health Workplaces, Healthy Families” law. This law makes paid sick leave mandatory for all public and private employers in California, regardless of the number of employees.
All of your employees—full-time, part-time and temporary—will be eligible for paid...Read More
The California labor code defines who is considered an “employee”, and who must be covered by a Workers’ Compensation policy. Under most circumstances, volunteers to public agencies are not considered employees, and are therefore excluded from Workers’ Compensation coverage. An exception to this is...Read More
What you will find in this guide:
1. What is Healthcare Reform?
2. What is individual mandate?
3. What is the tax penalty for an individual not obtaining Minimum Essential Coverage?
4. What does healthcare reform mean for my employer?
5. What is considered affordable coverage?
What you will find in this guide.
1. Plan Benefits
2. Plan Administration
3. Plan Finances and Taxes
4. Pay or Play
5. Communications
6. Participant Issues
Download here
Q. Does CSAC allow for domestic partners? If yes what are the requirements.
A. The plan permits either the “Standard AB25 law” domestic partner rules, or “extended version of the law that will cover all domestic partners including opposite-sex partners”. The group may choose either version...Read More
There have been changes to the California Labor Code that affect heat illness prevention and cool down recovery periods. Below please find some important information from Robert Hunt regarding this subject.
All GSRMA members with outside workers already have developed and implemented, with the...Read More
The playground is a fun-filled place. However, with the dramatic increase in playground-related injuries over the past two decades, it is also a place that requires adult supervision. United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) statistics estimate that more than 200,000...Read More
“There has been an accident!” These are words every supervisor dreads to hear. However, it is important topic that should be given some thought. It is critical to have an Accident Investigation Policy and process in place. In the event that an accident occurs, there is a known process to...Read More
One of the most critical elements of a successful employer-employee relationship is the job description. Unfortunately, a large majority of employers treat job descriptions as just another paper to help plump up the files instead of making them effective management tools. Almost daily we are...Read More
Social networking sites allow you to express yourself and keep in touch with coworkers, associates, friends by exchanging messages or comments and posting personal profiles describing you and your interests.
If practiced safely, there can be many positive aspects of social networking. You can...Read More
One only has to take a quick look at recent news stories to see the economy’s powerful effect on municipalities nationwide. Earlier this year, Kansas City closed nearly 50 percent of the district’s public schools, eliminating more than 700 jobs, in an attempt to...Read More
Compliance with the procedural requirements of the Tort Claims Act found in the California Government Code is a condition precedent to most lawsuits against California public entities. They are designed to give the public entity an opportunity to conduct a timely...Read More
Heat Illness Prevention Resources
Despite the temperature indicated by your thermometer, it is time to get started on preparing your staff for the coming scorching summer temperatures. Heat illness is a potentially life threatening, progressive illness that is preventable if the proper...Read More
A
Absolute Liability: Liability arising from extremely dangerous operations. For example, builders would be liable for damages caused by vibrations after detonating an explosive. Claimants usually do not need to establish that the operation is dangerous. (See Strict Liability)
Accident: An...Read More
Summary of AB 1025 - Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate (pdf)
AB 1025 Text (pdf)
Q. We have an employee on our insurance and Medicare; however, he informed me that Medicare does not pay on any of their claims. Medicare told this employee that they will not because he is employed. Is that true? If yes, why is it mandatory that he purchase insurance that does not pay on claims?...Read More