The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a recent press release that an auto-parts manufacturer pled guilty to criminal charges stemming from an employee’s death after the government determined the company had lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures in place but supervisors continually failed to enforce them. The worker, only 20 years old, entered an…
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The 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 sixth extension of the relaxed standard, which will now expire on December 31, 2020. As we originally reported, Homeland Security relaxed the requirement for employers operating…
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The 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 fifth extension of the relaxed standard, which will now expire on November 19, 2020. As we originally reported, Homeland Security relaxed the requirement for employers operating…
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Washington Governor Jay Inslee has further extended employment protections for medically vulnerable workers for as long as the current state of emergency lasts due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). In addition, the new proclamation (20-46.2) and accompanying guidance memo clarify who is protected and change the circumstances under which employers may request…
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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its frequently asked questions on paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL added questions #94 to 97. As we initially reported in March, the FFCRA applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees within the United States.…
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Governor Doug Ducey recently issued two executive orders, Executive Order 2020-40 (June 17, 2020) and Executive Order 2020-43 (June 29, 2020), to help limit and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Some of the key elements of these orders that are important to most employers include: Directing businesses to assist in containing the…
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On June 9, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee extended the protections for employees who are at a higher risk to contract COVID-19 (coronavirus), specifically those aged 65 and over and those with certain chronic underlying health conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The original proclamation expired…
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Question: Due to the recent economic downturn related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), we temporarily laid off a number of employees. Do we count them for purposes of determining if we’re a covered employer (with at least 50 employees) under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? If we drop below 50…
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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its frequently asked questions on paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL added questions #89 to 93. As we previously reported, the FFCRA applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees. These new FAQs address COVID-19 leave questions related to domestic…
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On May 4, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee extended the Stay Home — Stay Healthy order through May 31, 2020, and issued the state’s Safe Start plan that sets out the criteria for reopening Washington in phases so as to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 (coronavirus). Phase 1 of reopening began May…
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