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Jul 06 2026
DisabilityHarassment & DiscriminationSafety and Health

Q&A: Shoddy misconduct investigation invites discrimination claim

Question: We recently confirmed that an employee violated our workplace violence policy by making threatening gestures to her manager. The employee is deaf and has accommodations in place to help her communicate at work. She admitted that she got frustrated while trying to get through to her manager, and formed a gun shape with her…

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Jul 02 2026
Harassment & DiscriminationTermination & Resignation

Jury to decide if employees were fired for harassment or religion

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that a jury should decide whether an airline’s firing of two Christian flight attendants for objecting to the company’s support of proposed federal legislation, the Equality Act, was truly for violating its policy against harassment and discrimination or whether the real reason was religious discrimination. The…

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Jul 02 2026
Wage and HourWashington

In Seattle Washington, pay for business use of personal phones

A federal district court in Washington recently ruled that employees who work in Seattle can sue under the Seattle Wage Theft Ordinance if their employer fails to reimburse them for reasonably necessary business use of their personal cell phones. An employee in Seattle filed a lawsuit alleging that he and other employees used their personal…

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Jun 29 2026
Employee ClassificationsWage and Hour

DOL releases guidance for exempt status, bonuses, and meals

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently published opinion letters addressing: (1) whether salaried exempt employees could lose their overtime exemption by performing some nonexempt work at an hourly rate; (2) how to calculate overtime when using a quarterly bonus pool; and (3) whether time spent voluntarily traveling from a work station to leave the…

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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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