Diane Buisman, Author at Vigilant

Vigilant Blog

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

Showing posts for: Diane Buisman

Oct 19 2023
Safety and Health

Generalized lockout/tagout procedures are not enough

If your workplace has machines that are powered by or store hazardous energy, federal and state safety regulations require you to have machine-specific written procedures to address those hazards. Your lockout/tagout program is an essential element to keep employees safe when working around hazardous energy, but its procedures are only effective if the instructions are…

Read More…
Jan 19 2023
Safety and Health

Machine guard violations lead to criminal charges

An Alabama manufacturer has pled guilty to willfully violating OSHA regulations stemming from the company’s practice of removing safety guards on a moving piece of equipment, which caused the tragic death of an employee. The company manufactured flat rectangular plastic sheets by feeding raw materials through large rollers, which often got tangled with plastic as…

Read More…
Feb 04 2021
CaliforniaCOVID-19Leave Laws

CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles County extends COVID-19 paid sick leave

Los Angeles County has passed an ordinance extending its COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave after its previous ordinance expired on December 31, 2020 (read our original article on the county’s ordinance here). The new ordinance is set to expire two weeks after the local emergency order expires. In addition to extending the duration of supplemental…

Read More…
Jan 21 2021
CaliforniaCOVID-19Leave Laws

CALIFORNIA: Localities extend COVID-19 paid sick leave ordinances

A number of California cities and counties have extended their COVID-19 (coronavirus) emergency paid sick ordinances, or are preparing to do so in the coming weeks. Below is a list of ordinances that have already been extended, or may be extended soon. Oakland (city): The City of Oakland has extended its emergency paid sick leave…

Read More…
Sep 08 2020
COVID-19Hiring

Form I-9 remote inspection extended again, through September 19, 2020

The federal Department of Homeland Security 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 is the fourth 30-day extension of the relaxed standard, with the new expiration now September 19, 2020. As we originally reported, Homeland Security relaxed the requirement for employers that…

Read More…
Jul 09 2020
COVID-19Hiring

Form I-9 remote inspection extended again, through July 19, 2020

The federal Department of Homeland Security has announced another extension of its temporarily relaxed standard regarding physical inspection of a new worker's employment eligibility documents when completing the Form I-9. This is the second 30-day extension of the relaxed standard, with the new expiration now July 19, 2020. As we previously reported, Homeland Security relaxed the requirement for employers…

Read More…
Jun 04 2020
CaliforniaCOVID-19Safety and Health

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, employees, and contractors who…

Read More…
May 21 2020
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: Use Vigilant policy for COVID-19 manufacturer safety

Vigilant has developed a model policy to help comply with Washington’s Phase 2 requirements for manufacturing employers to continue or reopen operations, which we reported on in our last newsletter. Under Washington’s Phase 2 manufacturing requirements, each manufacturing facility is required to create a written exposure control plan for COVID-19 (coronavirus) that addresses those requirements….

Read More…
May 07 2020
CaliforniaCOVID-19Workers’ Comp

CALIFORNIA: Workers’ comp presumed if positive for COVID-19

Employees who test positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus) will have an easier time getting workers’ compensation benefits under an order signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on May 6, 2020 (Executive Order N-62-20). Under the order, employees who tested positive for, or were diagnosed with, COVID-19 on or after March 19, 2020, will be presumed to…

Read More…
May 07 2020
COVID-19OregonSafety and Health

OREGON: Governor issues guidance for reopening state

Today, Governor Kate Brown released a phased plan for reopening Oregon, which allows individual counties to begin reopening if they can meet certain prerequisites (e.g., declining cases of COVID-19, established testing regimen, contact tracing system, etc.). Some rural counties that have no or very few cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) can enter Phase 1 of the…

Read More…
May 07 2020
CaliforniaCOVID-19Safety and Health

CALIFORNIA: Governor issues four-part plan for reopening state      

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a framework for gradually reopening the state of California, with certain low-risk businesses being able to open as early as May 8, 2020 (Executive Order N-60-20). As we previously reported, the governor issued an order on March 19, 2020, which closed all non-essential businesses and instructed residents to stay home…

Read More…
Apr 23 2020
CaliforniaCOVID-19Safety and Health

CALIFORNIA: San Francisco requires face coverings for some workers

The City of San Francisco has issued a public health order requiring individuals to wear face coverings in public, including employees performing work at essential businesses (as defined by the Shelter in Place Order issued on March 16, 2020). Essential businesses must require their employees, contractors, owners, and volunteers to wear face coverings when: (1)…

Read More…

Don’t Navigate Employment Issues On Your Own

Learn how Vigilant membership can help with your complex employment situations.
Scroll to Top