As summer approaches, now is the time to review your safety plans for protecting workers from heat illness hazards. California and Washington have state-specific heat stress regulations and directives that you must follow, while Arizona, Idaho, and Montana follow federal law. Meanwhile, Oregon is in the process of developing permanent…
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The most impactful way to lower workers’ compensation costs, the secret ingredient if you will, is to prevent injuries in the first place. The Vigilant safety team spends all day everyday doing just that with hundreds of companies. We’ve learned 4 key things about preventing injuries: Establish and maintain a culture of care. At…
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On April 6, 2022, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) filed its emergency workplace safety rule to address COVID-19 (coronavirus), which is now effective through August 4, 2022. The prior rule expired on April 6, 2022. The updated rule (Public Health Emergency Reporting and Notification Requirements for Infectious and…
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On March 30, 2022, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed Substitute Senate Bill 5761, which requires employers with 15 or more employees to include the wage scale or salary range in each job posting, along with a general description of all benefits and other compensation for the job, effective January 1,…
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There are two laws—one passed this year and one last—that protect employees in Washington from not getting paid or for fees related to bounced checks. The first, RCW Chapter 60.90, became effective January 1, 2022. It allows most employees to place a lien on their employer’s property to secure unpaid wages, as well as…
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On March 24, 2022, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law ESHB 1795, which prohibits employers from requiring a prospective, current, or former employee (or an independent contractor) to sign any agreement that prevents the disclosure of alleged discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual assault, wage and hour violations, or conduct that is…
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The Washington legislature passed a handful of changes to the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, which were signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee on March 30, 2022 (SSSB 5649). These key changes are effective June 9, 2022: Family leave may now be used for bereavement for seven calendar…
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Receiving consistently large Retro refunds requires being in good company. When evaluating your current Retro program or investigating a Retro for the first time, a critical component to consider is the company you will keep. For any Retro program to deliver consistently strong premium refunds, it must surround you with…
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On March 3, 2022, President Biden signed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (H.R. 4445) into law. Vigilant recently reported on the significant changes and impact of H.R. 4445 on mandatory arbitration agreements. Tips: We encourage you to ensure that your anti-harassment policies are up to…
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California, Oregon, and Washington are ending indoor mask requirements this month for most situations. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that starting March 1, 2022, masks are no longer required for unvaccinated individuals in public indoor spaces and starting March 12, 2022, masks will no longer be required in schools. Oregon…
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