Question: Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, many of our workers are working remotely, and some are working out of state. Do we have to comply with laws in the states where they’re located? Answer: It depends on the state where the remote worker is performing work. Generally, workers are governed by at…
Read More…
Question: Some of our employees have expressed concern about the possibility of a mandatory vaccine policy. What could we do to incentivize our employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19? What legal issues should we worry about? Answer: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a Vaccination Toolkit for…
Read More…
Question: Should we consider any special driving precautions for employees in winter during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic compared to a “normal” winter season? Answer: Yes, this is an entirely new frontier of change, challenges, and struggle for many of us, and preparing for winter driving conditions may require a little more creativity. First and…
Read More…
Question: One of our employees wore a t-shirt in support of a political cause yesterday. Today another employee arrived at work wearing a mask with messaging in favor of her political party. I sense a slippery slope here. Do we have to allow this? Answer: No. Employees don’t have First Amendment rights in…
Read More…
Question: One of our employees posted an abusive and profane message about their supervisor on social media, complaining to coworkers about pay and working conditions. Can we discipline this employee? Answer: Maybe, if you would discipline other employees for using such language at work. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects…
Read More…
Question: We know that all employees in Washington must wear a cloth face covering except when working alone in an office, vehicle, or at a job site. What does it mean to be “working alone”? As long as employees stay at least six feet apart from each other, does that mean they’re…
Read More…
Question: Several employees have reported that a coworker posted offensive content on Facebook about the recent protests. They say that she’s making “racist” comments and it makes them uncomfortable. Can we discipline the employee? If not, what else can we do to address this behavior? Answer: First, gather all of the facts. Find out exactly…
Read More…
Question: We’ll be requiring employees to wear cloth face coverings at work, but we’re worried about pushback. What do we need to know? Answer: With the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for people to wear cloth face coverings in public and at work, it seems that these fancy…
Read More…
Question: Our business has received a number of unemployment claims that seem odd, including some from employees who are still working. We know that unemployment claims are way up due to business slowdowns related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), but is there something that we should be doing about these unusual or…
Read More…
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…
Read More…