Workers’ Comp  

Kept on Salary vs. Time Loss - Employer saves $67k

Vigilant Helps Save Employer $67K by Crunching the Numbers One of the surprising ways employers can save on a workers’ comp claim is to just go ahead and keep an injured worker on full salary (KOS) instead of depending on L&I to supplement wages. Washington, unlike most states, allows employers to pay wages…

Q&AHarassment & Discrimination  

Q&A: Do we have harassment liability if a workplace relationship is consensual?

Question: An employee in a consensual, romantic relationship with a manager in another department has started complaining about “harassment,” which is really just her coworkers teasing her about the relationship. She’s also complaining that they’re having “problems” in the relationship which is spilling over into hostile treatment at work by the manager. The owner is ready to terminate her for continuing to bring her drama into the workplace. Are there any legal concerns we should consider?

Workers’ Comp  

Claims Management: The Case of the Out-Hustled Pool Hustler

Chalk Up $100K Savings to Vigilant Persistence Most employees who get hurt on the job just want proper medical treatment, fair compensation, and the chance to get back to putting in an honest day’s work. That’s what Vigilant is here for, to assist employers and employees with streamlining the entire return-to-work process. But every…

Q&AWage and Hour  

Q&A: Watch out for pattern of identical time card entries

Question: We have a strict policy requiring hourly employees to receive prior approval for any overtime work. Are there any concerns with this type of policy?
 

Q&A: Do we have to cut ties with a valuable employee who harassed someone?

Question: We have a manager who is great at keeping production on pace and running efficiently, but he has a hard time getting along with other people. He recently said some really inappropriate things to one of his employees. Normally we would terminate for this behavior, but he is our…

Workers’ Comp  

Don’t Fall for Workers’ Comp Scams

Vigilant Can Help Spot Fraudulent Claims That Might Slip by You When it comes to workers’ comp fraud, you’d be surprised at how far some people will go—and how far they get. Here are just a handful of uncovered activities by injured workers that in no way could be considered focusing on “healing up”…

Safety and Health  

OSHA launches new inspection initiative based on 2016 data

Employers who reported high injury and illness rates in 2016, or who failed to report at all, will be targeted for inspections by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Site-Specific Targeting The agency announced the directive, “Site-Specific Targeting 2016,” on October 16, 2018. States with their own safety programs, such as…

Safety and Health  

OSHA cites employer after forklift crushes employee during maintenance

A forklift maintenance procedure at a Kansas drywall contractor turned tragic when a hydraulic cylinder in the process of being swapped out fatally crushed an employee. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued a press release announcing that it had cited the company for seven serious safety…