Vigilant Blog

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

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Photo of Leila Duntley
May 19 2022
Safety and Health  

OREGON: Permanent heat illness rules take effect June 15, 2022

Oregon OSHA recently adopted permanent heat illness prevention rules, which apply to all workplaces (general industry and agriculture), as well as employer-provided housing, effective on June 15, 2022. In 2021, Oregon OSHA created temporary heat illness rules (as we reported in an Alert last year), but they expired. When the…

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Photo of Chris Edison
May 19 2022
Safety and Health  

OREGON: Permanent wildfire smoke rules effective July 1, 2022

On May 10, 2022, Oregon OSHA adopted permanent regulations to address workers’ exposure to wildfire smoke. The rules go into effect July 1, 2022, and apply to all outdoor workers who are exposed to wildfire smoke where the ambient air concentration for fine particulate matter equals or exceeds an Air Quality…

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Photo of Sean Brown
May 05 2022
Safety and Health  

Prepare for heat illness prevention

As summer approaches, now is the time to review your safety plans for protecting workers from heat illness hazards. California and Washington have state-specific heat stress regulations and directives that you must follow, while Arizona, Idaho, and Montana follow federal law. Meanwhile, Oregon is in the process of developing permanent…

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Photo of Jackie Marks
May 05 2022
COVID-19Hiring  

Form I-9 remote inspection extended again, until October 31, 2022

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has again extended its temporary relaxation of the standards for physically inspecting a new worker’s employment eligibility documents when completing the Form I-9. This extension of the relaxed standard now expires on October 31, 2022. As we originally reported, DHS relaxed the requirement for employers operating remotely and unable to physically inspect…

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Photo of Lorraine Amrine
May 05 2022
HiringLeave LawsTermination & Resignation  

Q&A: Temporary protected status may extend work authorization

Question: Last year during the I-9 process, a new hire showed me a Form I-766 (Employment Authorization Document) as proof of eligibility to work. The card is expiring soon and I’ve asked for updated documentation to reverify their authorization to work, but they say they don’t have any new documents. Will I have to…

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Photo of Karen Davis
May 05 2022
Affirmative ActionHiringWage and Hour  

Federal contractors settle group hiring and pay claims with OFCCP

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently secured three significant settlements from employers with federal contracts. The companies didn’t admit liability, but signed conciliation agreements after routine affirmative action audits uncovered disparities in hiring and compensation. IQVIA Inc. agreed to pay $550,000 in back wages and interest to resolve allegations that…

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Photo of Manish Gooneratne
Apr 25 2022
Featured Worker’s CompSafety and HealthWorkers’ Comp  

Pssst! The secret to lowering workers’ comp premiums

The most impactful way to lower workers’ compensation costs, the secret ingredient if you will, is to prevent injuries in the first place. The Vigilant safety team spends all day everyday doing just that with hundreds of companies. We’ve learned 4 key things about preventing injuries: Establish and maintain a culture of care. At…

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Photo of Lorraine Amrine
Apr 21 2022
Leave Laws  

OREGON: Paid sick time expanded in advance of summer heat

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has made a permanent rule that expands the reasons for Oregon paid sick leave to include time off related to emergency evacuation orders as well as unhealthy air quality or high outdoor temperatures. The permanent rule is identical to the temporary rule…

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Photo of Karen Davis
Apr 21 2022
Affirmative Action  

OFCCP contractor portal is now open; certifications due June 30, 2022

The OFCCP Contractor Portal is now open for federal supply and service contractors to certify their affirmative action plan (AAP) compliance no later than June 30, 2022. (Construction contractors aren’t required to participate at this time.) You don’t have to upload your written AAP, but you do need to certify that you have…

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Photo of Karen Davis
Apr 07 2022
COVID-19Safety and Health  

WASHINGTON: COVID-19 temporary rule renewed through August 4, 2022

On April 6, 2022, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) filed its emergency workplace safety rule to address COVID-19 (coronavirus), which is now effective through August 4, 2022. The prior rule expired on April 6, 2022. The updated rule (Public Health Emergency Reporting and Notification Requirements for Infectious and…

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