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Showing posts for: Jackie Marks

May 18 2023
Drug and AlcoholHiringWashington

WASHINGTON: New bill limits most pre-employment cannabis tests

Governor Jay Inslee has signed ESSB 5123, which will prohibit Washington employers from requiring pre-employment testing for non-psychoactive cannabis (marijuana) metabolites of applicants who lawfully consume cannabis away from work, except under limited circumstances, effective January 1, 2024. It creates a new protected group and makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against these lawful…

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May 18 2023
Safety and HealthWage and HourWashington

WASHINGTON: Employers must notify warehouse employees of quotas

Governor Jay Inslee recently signed legislation requiring employers of warehouse distribution center employees to notify them of any production quotas, effective July 1, 2024 (HB 1762). Here are the requirements: Covered industries: A warehouse distribution center is an establishment engaged in activities as defined by any of the following North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)…

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Dec 15 2022
Employee BenefitsEmployee ClassificationsHiring

WASHINGTON: L&I policy addresses job posting requirements

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently released a new Administrative Policy (ES.E.1) that provides guidance on new job posting requirements. As we previously reported, employers with 15 or more employees must include specific information on wages and benefits in all job postings beginning January 1, 2023. The Administrative Policy provides informal guidance…

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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 documents…

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Apr 07 2022
COVID-19Hiring

Expired Form I-9 List B documents unacceptable as of May 1, 2022

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ending its COVID-19 temporary policy that allowed employers to accept List B identity documents that expired on or after March 1, 2020. Effective May 1, 2022, you must only accept unexpired List B identity documents for completing Form I-9. If an employee provided an expired List B…

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Jan 20 2022
COVID-19Safety and Health

States back off from issuing general vaccine mandates

The states of Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington have all indicated that they don’t currently plan to proceed with their own general workplace vaccine mandates in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to maintain the temporary stay on the federal OSHA COVID-19 (coronavirus) emergency temporary standard (ETS) for employers with 100 or more…

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Jan 06 2022
COVID-19Hiring

Form I-9 remote inspection extended again, until April 30, 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 is the twelfth extension of the relaxed standard, which will now expire on April 30, 2022. As we originally reported, DHS relaxed the requirement for employers operating remotely and…

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Jan 06 2022
Wage and HourWashington

WASHINGTON: Governor says long-term care deductions begin Jan. 1

On December 23, 2021, Governor Jay Inslee clarified that employer deductions from employees’ wages under Washington’s Long Term Care Act are required by law to begin January 1, 2022, except for workers who purchased their own insurance and successfully applied for an exemption. Just a few days earlier, he had announced that he was “pausing”…

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Sep 02 2021
COVID-19

Form I-9 remote inspection extended again, until December 31, 2021

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 eleventh extension of the relaxed standard, which will now expire on December 31, 2021. As we originally reported, Homeland Security relaxed the requirement for…

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Aug 19 2021
COVID-19DisabilitySafety and Health

WASHINGTON: Masks required indoors effective August 23, 2021

Governor Jay Inslee announced yesterday that all individuals, whether vaccinated or not, must wear masks when in an indoor public space beginning August 23, 2021, with limited exceptions. The Washington Department of Health responded by posting Order 20-03.4 (Face Coverings – Statewide). Significant work-related exceptions to this general requirement to wear masks indoors include the…

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Aug 19 2021
COVID-19

IRS again updates FAQs for paid leave tax credits under ARPA

On July 29, 2021, the IRS updated its FAQs that address tax credits available to eligible employers who voluntarily provide paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) between April 1, and September 30, 2021, pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). As we previously reported, ARPA extended the optional FFCRA…

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Jul 01 2021
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: Governor Inslee announces reopening on June 30

Governor Jay Inslee lifted many of the restrictions that applied to individuals and businesses in Washington during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, effective June 30, 2021. The remaining restrictions are posted on the governor’s webpage for COVID-19 Reopening Guidance for Businesses and Workers. With the exception of the changes discussed below, employers must continue to comply…

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