Vigilant Blog

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

Showing posts for: Washington

Photo of Kandis Sells
Mar 16 2023
Harassment & Discrimination  

WASHINGTON: Seattle is first to ban caste discrimination

Seattle has become the first city in the U.S. to include caste as a legally protected class for unlawful workplace discrimination. The Seattle city council voted on February 22, 2023, to amend the city law to ban caste discrimination in workplaces, housing, and public services. The new ban was signed…

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Photo of Leila Duntley
Mar 16 2023
COVID-19Safety and Health  

Healthcare masking to end April 3, 2023, in CA, OR, and WA

Wearing a mask in healthcare settings will no longer be required in California, Oregon, or Washington as of April 3, 2023. The announcements from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and the Washington Department of Health (DOH) all say that masks are still recommended, and…

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Photo of Dan Beaty
Mar 15 2023
Featured Worker’s CompWorkers’ Comp  

Immediacy: Why your workers’ comp provider should be talking about it

What are 5 things you should you be hearing from your Retro or workers' comp provider? The first thing you should be hearing is the importance of immediacy. Why? In this short video, Dan Beaty, VP Workers’ Compensation explains: In claims, immediacy can mean the difference of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Let's…

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Photo of Bryon Bailey
Feb 09 2023
Featured Worker’s CompSafety and HealthWorkers’ Comp  

Are we there yet? Accident prevention journey vs destination

“Accident prevention is a journey, not a destination”. This saying is often heard from Vigilant’s own Safety Manager, Manish Gooneratne. He’s full of profound truisms, and this one has always been memorable. It’s also relevant in light of the good news I received last week. You might recall that in last month’s post on workers’ comp best practices, I…

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Photo of Kandis Sells
Feb 02 2023
COVID-19Safety and Health  

WASHINGTON: COVID-19 temporary worker housing rules evolve

On January 14, 2023, the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I)’s COVID-19 (coronavirus) emergency rules that had been in place for temporary worker housing (TWH) in the agriculture industry expired and were not renewed. While this means that the remaining emergency restrictions have been lifted, agricultural employers providing TWH must continue…

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Photo of Kara Craig
Feb 02 2023
Employee ClassificationsWage and Hour  

Minimum salary for noncompete agreements rises in 2023

Employers in Oregon and Washington who use noncompetition agreements must review enforceability requirements and increased minimum salary thresholds annually in order to ensure that their contracts remain legally enforceable at the time of separation from employment. Oregon: For valid noncompete agreements signed on or after January 1, 2022, the minimum gross…

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Photo of Bryon Bailey
Jan 04 2023
Featured Worker’s CompSafety and HealthWorkers’ Comp  

Workers’ Comp Best Practices: Don’t wait to begin!

After a recent visit to my doctor, I was told in no uncertain terms that I needed to change my eating habits or potentially face some serious health consequences. Wow. Ok. Did I know that my diet was off track? Yes (sigh). So, why did it take the specter of…

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Photo of Kandis Sells
Dec 15 2022
Leave Laws  

WASHINGTON Q&A: Consider requiring WPFML documentation

Question: We have an employee on medical leave who applied for WPFML benefits, but the notice we received from ESD only provides a broad date range for the approved leave with no other information. How are we supposed to keep track of this? Answer: Consider requiring the employee to provide you…

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Photo of Jackie Marks
Dec 15 2022
Employee BenefitsEmployee ClassificationsHiringWage and Hour  

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…

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Photo of Karen Davis
Nov 17 2022
Leave LawsWage and Hour  

WASHINGTON: PFML rates to rise in 2023

As of January 1, 2023, the premiums will increase for Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. The premium rate will be 0.8 percent (up from 0.6 percent) of each employee’s gross wages (not including tips), up to a maximum of $160,200 (the 2023 Social Security cap). The split between employers…

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