Vigilant Blog

interpretation letter, OSHA confirmed that the Occupational Safety and Health Acts sanitation standard prohibits employees from consuming food or drinks in areas where they will be exposed to hazardous materials that could cause serious physical harm or death. OSHA cited acetone and paint thinner as examples of materials that employees should not be eating or…

FAQs about the payroll tax exemption for new hires under the The latest FAQs indicate that, to qualify for the payroll tax exemption on a recalled employee, the layoff must have actually constituted a termination of the employment relationship, so that the recall is a new (reestablished) beginning of employment (QE17-18, posted July 23, 2010)….

  1308) or contact your Vigilant staff representative.

Employers with covered federal contracts must report information on first-tier subcontracts and executive compensation, to be posted on a free, public website, under an interim regulation that applies to federal solicitations issued on or after July 8, 2010. The new rule stems from the Government Funding Transparency Act of 2008 (The duty to report newly…

Tips:The court in this case noted that if the employees condition was something physical and observable to a lay person it might be possible to reject the employees certification without the need to obtain a formal second opinion. For example, if the employee had a broken leg, a lay person would be qualified…

As summer approaches, employees who work outdoors in direct sunlight or in hot environments are increasingly susceptible to heat-induced illnesses such as heat stress, heat exhaustion or the more serious heat stroke. Symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke include confusion, irrational behavior, loss of consciousness, abnormally high body temperature and hot, dry skin. California…

1337) for more information.

Employers may be surprised to hear that an employee could take leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to care for their domestic partners child, but thats exactly what the Department of Labor (DOL) said in a This interpretation letter could have broad implications, particularly for employees living with a domestic partner….

P.L. 111-148, Sec. 9006). Currently, employers use Form 1099-MISC to report only certain nonwage payments, such as payments for services to individuals who are independent contractors. Tips: If you dont work in accounting, pass this article along and then back away slowly. The change means that your organization likely will have to get tax…

recently announced that inspectors would begin enforcing that standard by directly asking employees whether they understood the safety training provided to them.

Tips: Welders make up almost half of all employees exposed to hexavalent chromium. Welders can reduce their exposure by adjusting their technique and posture. Portable local exhaust ventilation can also help. Reducing exposure is important, because OSHA estimates that a lifetime of regular exposure to just one microgram of hexavalent chromium per cubic meter…

recent interpretation letter from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Generally, employers are not required to record injuries sustained while an employee was performing a purely personal task that occurred outside normal working hours.