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News, trends and analysis in employment law, HR, safety & workers' comp

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Jun 23 2026
DisabilityHarassment & DiscriminationSafety and Health

Q&A: Avoid armchair diagnosis when addressing workplace violence

Question: One of our new hires always seems agitated for no apparent reason, but she is reliable and works hard. She is known to angrily mutter to herself while she works, so coworkers generally steer clear of her. Yesterday the employee became aggressive, irrational, and made several explicit threats to harm coworkers whom she says…

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Jun 16 2026
CultureDisabilityPrivacy & Confidentiality

Mental health support starts with knowing what you already have

In this final installment of our three-part series on employee mental health, we focus on something concrete: the resources likely already available to your employees, why so few are being used, and how HR professionals and managers can help bridge that gap. (You can find our previous articles here and here.) For most employees, the…

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Jun 15 2026
Harassment & DiscriminationQ&A

Q&A: Accidental touches may be harassment if unaddressed

Question: We have a production assistant who has complained twice to his supervisor about unwanted physical contact by another coworker. He described it as sexual but was unsure if it could have been an accident as the coworker was squeezing past in a tight space. There were no witnesses, so other than documenting his statement,…

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Jun 09 2026
CultureSafety and Health

Leaders’ actions on mental health matter more than you think

Workplace culture is one of the most significant influences on employee wellbeing. In our last article, we shared data on workplace mental health that reflects what many Vigilant members are already navigating firsthand. We made the case that acknowledgement and open dialogue is the most practical place to start. This is our second article in…

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Jun 08 2026
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Penalties for Washington workers’ comp violations increasing

Effective July 1, 2026, all penalties for workers’ compensation violations will go up by an inflation-adjusted amount of 12.11 percent, resulting in base fine amounts rising from $580 to $650 and from $1,161 to $1,301 depending on the violation. In 2020, Washington’s legislature passed SHB 2409, which raised penalty amounts and created automatic increases every…

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Jun 02 2026
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

3 Costly Claims Red Flags (And How to Fix Them)

It’s the time of year when many Washington manufacturing and agribusiness employers are evaluating their workers’ compensation strategies, specifically their selection of a Retro partner. One area of critical importance is claims management. We often hear about common workers’ comp claims management pitfalls that can hinder strong outcomes and negatively impact bottom lines. Fortunately, most…

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May 29 2026
CultureSafety and Health

Join our conversation on mental health and employee wellness

This is the first of three articles about mental health in the workplace, and we’re asking for your input. While Mental Health Awareness Month may have just come to a close, we are committed to keeping this vital conversation going forward. We continue to hear about this topic with increasing frequency from our members—and it…

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May 28 2026
CaliforniaOregonSafety and Health

Be prepared to address wildfire smoke exposure

With wildfire season upon us yet again, employers must take steps to protect workers from harmful smoke exposure. California, Oregon, and Washington all have specific regulations addressing how to protect employees from wildfire smoke. Employers in Arizona, Idaho, and Montana are subject to federal OSHA’s General Duty Clause, which requires employers to provide a workplace…

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May 26 2026
Privacy & ConfidentialityWage and Hour

Q&A: Keep legal advice separate and confidential

Question: When dealing with sticky employment issues I like to keep a running log of conversations and steps taken. This log includes calls to our attorney and a summary of the advice they gave, as well as conversations with managers, witnesses, employees, etc. The purpose of this ongoing log is to make sure that I…

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May 14 2026
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

L&I warns employers and injured workers of possible scam

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently emailed a warning about a scam targeting injured workers. L&I has reported that some injured workers have received phone calls, emails, text messages, or social media messages from scammers claiming to work for the state and demanding the workers pay money to receive workers’ comp benefits…

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May 08 2026
Harassment & DiscriminationHiring

Q&A: Use caution when creating a new position for a specific employee

Question: We want to create a new senior accounting position for an employee who has demonstrated skills and abilities beyond their current role. Normally, we post open positions internally before taking applications from external candidates. Can we skip the application process altogether if we already know who we want for the job? Answer: Yes, but…

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May 08 2026
Wage and HourWashington

Washington L&I updates wage disclosure and driver’s license rules

The Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) updated the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA) rules on employer wage disclosures and driver’s license requirements, effective May 22, 2026. For the most part, the new rules mirror the 2025 statutory changes (reported on here and here), but there are some notable clarifications. For wage or…

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