Question: One of our new hires suffered a serious injury to his hand at work. He was trained in the right procedure, didn’t follow it, and got injured as a result. What can we do differently? We’re really frustrated by the frequency of on-the-job injuries among our new hires. Answer: Safety orientations for new…
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With the widespread easing of COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, our attorneys have been fielding a number of questions about resuming company holiday parties. Here are some recommendations to enjoy a fun celebration with coworkers without getting the company into trouble: Stay healthy: Tell employees to please stay home if they don’t feel well, so…
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Governor Jay Inslee ended the COVID-19 public health emergency for the state of Washington on October 31, 2022, but employers still have some obligations under state law. As we previously reported, the continuing requirements for COVID-19 (coronavirus) stem from Washington’s Health Emergency Labor Standards Act (HELSA) and from an ongoing obligation to…
Read More…The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has issued revisions to its unified fall protection rules, which take effect on November 1, 2022. The unified rules, originally published in 2020 (and reported here), merged all industry fall protection standards and aligned them with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.…
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Governor Jay Inslee has announced that he will end Washington’s declared public health emergency (PHE) due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) on October 31, 2022. As he previously announced, 12 health care related orders will end on October 27. The remaining COVID-19 emergency proclamations, including the state of emergency, will be rescinded at the…
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Question: We have a dress code policy that requires production employees to wear either a plain t-shirt, or a t-shirt with the company logo. One of our employees came to work this morning wearing a t-shirt with the union logo. Can I require them to change? Answer: Probably not. The company…
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Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) made minor changes to the existing agriculture pesticide safety standards found in WAC 296-307, which take effect on September 26, 2022. As a part of this process, L&I collaborated with the Washington State Department of Agriculture to ensure the existing rules met federal Environmental Protection…
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The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently issued new rules confirming existing workplace protections for temporary workers. The rules align with RCW 49.17.490, a Washington statute that already requires staffing agencies and worksite employers to comply with specific health and safety standards for temporary workers in manufacturing and construction…
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On August 4, 2022, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) filed an emergency workplace safety rule to extend and slightly modify COVID-19 (coronavirus) reporting, notification, and personal protective equipment requirements. The new rule took effect immediately and expires on December 2, 2022. (We reported on the prior rule here, which expired on August 4,…
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On July 12, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its technical assistance guidance regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These FAQs scale back the agency’s approval of mandatory COVID-19 screening measures and clarify several other COVID-19 related issues. Viral screening tests and “business necessity”: The EEOC now says…
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