Home » Blog » COVID-19 » Page 24

Vigilant Blog

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

Showing posts for: COVID-19

Apr 16 2020
COVID-19Leave LawsWashington

WASHINGTON: Seattle prohibits requiring doctors’ notes for PSST

Beginning April 8, 2020, employers in Seattle aren’t allowed to require documentation from a health care provider to verify an employee’s use of Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST), even if the employee is absent more than three days. You must identify another way for the employee to meet your verification requirements, such as by…

Read More
Apr 14 2020
COVID-19Employee BenefitsLeave Laws

ALERT: High-risk employees in Washington may take protected leave

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has amended his Stay Home – Stay Healthy order to permit protected leave 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 amended order, which was issued…

Read More
Apr 09 2020
COVID-19Safety and Health

CDC guidance on face coverings raises questions for employers

On April 3, 2020, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued guidance advising all individuals to wear face coverings in public settings where social distancing is difficult to maintain, to slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). While the guidance is directed at individuals, it would also apply while employees are working. We’ve…

Read More
Apr 09 2020
COVID-19Safety and Health

OSHA temporarily relaxes respirator fit-testing protocols

In response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it’s temporarily relaxing the usual requirements for annual fit-testing of respirators in workplaces where respiratory protection is required under existing OSHA regulations. OSHA had already done so for the health care industry on March 14, 2020. On April…

Read More
Apr 09 2020
COVID-19Safety and Health

CDC guidance on risk assessment continues to evolve

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidance on when it’s okay for critical infrastructure workers to return to work after potential exposure to someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 (coronavirus). “Exposure” means the employee shares a household with an infected person, or was in close contact with them in the…

Read More
Apr 09 2020
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: DOSH implements COVID-19 workplace enforcement

Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has issued a directive to its safety compliance officers outlining the standards for evaluating workplace safety measures to protect workers from COVID-19 (coronavirus). DOSH compliance officers who inspect the workplace will generally expect you to have the following basic measures in place: Educate workers (and customers, if…

Read More
Apr 09 2020
COVID-19

Stay in touch with your tax and financial advisers

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government and many state governments are taking steps to provide companies with much-needed financial assistance through tax relief and loans. For example, as we previously reported, the IRS may provide tax credits to covered employers (those with 500 or fewer employees) granting their workers qualifying leave under…

Read More
Apr 09 2020
COVID-19Harassment & DiscriminationLeave Laws

Q&A: Be careful about treating “high risk” employees differently

Question: Can we exclude employees from the workplace if they’re at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19, such as older workers or workers with underlying medical conditions? Answer: In general, no. If your reason for keeping employees away from work is based solely on their membership in a high-risk group based on their age…

Read More
Apr 09 2020
COVID-19CaliforniaIdaho

Extended school closures mean more leave requests

As school closures due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) are being extended, employers will likely see more leave requests from workers. Officials in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington have closed in-person instruction through the end of the school year. In Idaho, schools are closed through the end of the school year but local school districts have the…

Read More
Apr 09 2020
COVID-19CaliforniaLeave Laws

CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles requires paid sick leave and face coverings

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has signed a paid sick leave ordinance affecting businesses with more than 500 employees and has issued a directive for certain retail businesses to provide cloth face coverings to their workers. Ordinance 186590 requires employers with over 500 employees nationally to provide 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave in…

Read More
Apr 03 2020
COVID-19CaliforniaWage and Hour

CALIFORNIA: Call-in scheduling triggers reporting time pay

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that California’s reporting time pay requirements extend to employees scheduled for “call-in” shifts even if they aren’t required to physically report to work. Workers at a retail store were required to call their manager 30 to 60 minutes before a scheduled shift to see if the…

Read More
Apr 03 2020
COVID-19Employee BenefitsLeave Laws

WASHINGTON: ESD proposes new rules for PFML

The Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) is asking for feedback by May 6, 2020, on proposed rules affecting the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. These proposals have nothing to do with the current pandemic or federal emergency leave benefits and are mostly minor technical changes. However, they do include a long-awaited requirement…

Read More

Is My Company Eligible?

If you are a manufacturing or agriculture employer in Washington and committed to keeping your employees safe and working, you may be eligible for Vigilant's workers' compensation Retro or claims management programs. To see if you qualify fill out our release form now, or contact us.

Release Form
Contact Us
Browse By Category
Browse By Topic
Filter By State
Get Our Newsletter
Sign Up Today
Connect With Us
Linkedin

Don’t Navigate Employment Issues On Your Own

Learn how Vigilant membership can help with your complex employment situations.
Get in Touch Today
Scroll to Top