The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. launched its blog in April 2009. Moderated by longshore expert Jack Martone, the blog focused on providing valuable information, advice, and commentary on the United States Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act to waterfront employers and marine brokers.
Today, the Longshore Insider aligns with all areas of expertise at AEU – from claims to safety, leadership development to longshore consulting. Here's a look at the most popular articles from 2020 - some of which were written way before this year, but their popularity has stood the test of time.
- The Six Key Safety Responsibilities of Every Employee
Employees expect their employers to provide a safe work environment with protection from job hazards. It’s important that employees realize they have a role in maintaining a safe workplace as well.
- What's the Difference Between the Jones Act and the Longshore Act?
The Jones Act gives seamen a negligence remedy and the Longshore Act is a workers’ compensation law for land-based maritime workers. You’re either one or the other since the two laws are mutually exclusive, but it’s often hard to tell where an injured worker belongs.
- Ideas to Combat COVID-19 in Maritime Work Environments
One of the biggest challenges now employers face is providing a safe and healthy workplace while continuing operations. Here's a list of what some ALMA members are doing to combat the COVID-19 crisis (last updated March 20, 2020).
- Arising Out of and in the Course of Employment
There’s a principle basic to the concept of workers’ compensation laws that must be resolved at the initial stage of a claim. Here’s how it applies to the Longshore Act.
- Four Reasons Why Employees Should Speak Up About Safety Concerns
Employees often refrain from expressing concerns about unsafe conditions or practices, and this silence can be the difference between life and death. - Per Diem, Fair Labor Standards, and the IRS
The IRS does not consider legitimate per diem payments to be taxable income, thus they are not “wages” under the Longshore Act, and are not included in the calculation of the average weekly wage. There are issues and red flags, however, when dealing with “per diem” payments.
- Making Common Sense of Workplace Safety
It’s often assumed that all employees possess an equal amount of common sense for working safely. However, common sense is unique to each individual, so that assumption can be a costly mistake
- 5 Critical Steps to Prepare Your Workplace for Hurricane Season
With storms increasing in both frequency and strength, reviewing your Emergency Action Plan is critical to effectively prepare for next season's storms.
- Five Things Employees Want From a Safety Manager
Employee involvement and support is essential for a high-performing safety program. A safety manager who effectively meets their “wants” will improve the teamwork and collaboration needed for success.
- What's the Difference Between State Act and the Longshore Act?
All U.S. states and territories have workers' compensation laws that coexist alongside the Longshore Act. State laws usually cover different types of workers than the Longshore Act, but there is frequent overlap and uncertainty. Our infographic highlights some differences between these laws.
