Vigilant Blog
News, trends and analysis in employment law, HR, safety & workers' comp
Jun
04
2020
CDC and OSHA issue COVID-19 guidance for agricultural employers
On June 2, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in conjunction with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), issued guidance for agriculture workers and employers to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 (coronavirus). The guidance isn’t mandatory, but is rather a roadmap that state and local…
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Jun
04
2020
WASHINGTON: COVID-19 safety duties expanded for agriculture
On May 28, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee delivered yet another proclamation (Proclamation 20-57, Concerning the Health of Agricultural Workers), which imposes even more agricultural COVID-19 requirements for worksites, and then on June 2, 2020, issued interpretive guidance on those requirements. Many items are the same as those previously required,…
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Jun
04
2020
States are in various stages of reopening
Vigilant member states are reopening at different rates, some on a statewide basis and some on a county-by-county basis as efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) appear to be having an impact. Here’s a summary of the reopening status of each state: Arizona: Businesses are open, with restrictions, as of May…
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Jun
04
2020
CALIFORNIA: CCPA notice should include medical information
If you’re conducting pre-shift health screenings as part of your COVID-19 (coronavirus) prevention efforts, be sure you understand how gathering medical information could implicate the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). As we previously reported, the CCPA took effect on January 1, 2020, and requires certain employers to provide disclosures to applicants,…
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Jun
04
2020
CALIFORNIA: Oakland and Long Beach expand paid sick leave
Following the trend in cities across California, Oakland and Long Beach are the latest to adopt supplemental emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) ordinances related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), with both laws effective immediately. We previously reported that San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Los Angeles County recently passed ordinances providing…
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Jun
04
2020
WASHINGTON: Rules change on reopening and face coverings
On May 31, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued Proclamation 20-25.4, Safe Start – Stay Healthy, which moves the state forward in reopening recreational, social, and business activities. The proclamation transitions the state from the original Stay Home – Stay Healthy order to a county-by-county phased reopening plan. The plan isn’t entirely…
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Jun
04
2020
WASHINGTON: Wage garnishments for consumer debt back in force
The temporary moratorium on garnishment of wages for consumer debts imposed by Washington Governor Jay Inslee's Proclamation 20-49 ended on May 27, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. Employers should again withhold under writs of garnishment for consumer debt beginning with wages earned on May 28, 2020. As we previously reported, the governor issued…
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May
21
2020
New Form I-9 Handbook for Employers released
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a new version of its Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9 (publication M-274, revised 4/27/2020). The new Handbook for Employers highlights several updates based on the recently revised Form I-9. It also contains revised guidance, new content, clarifications, and…
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May
21
2020
Q&A: Address worker concerns about cloth face coverings
Question: We’ll be requiring employees to wear cloth face coverings at work, but we’re worried about pushback. What do we need to know? Answer: With the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for people to wear cloth face coverings in public and at work, it seems that these fancy…
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May
21
2020
Remote inspection of Form I-9 extended through June 19, 2020
The federal Department of Homeland Security announced it has extended until June 19, 2020, its temporarily relaxed standard regarding physical inspection of a new worker’s employment eligibility documents when completing the Form I-9. As we previously reported, Homeland Security relaxed the requirement for employers that are operating remotely and therefore unable to…
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