Beginning April 8, 2020, employers in Seattle aren’t allowed to require documentation from a health care provider to verify an employee’s use of Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST), even if the employee is absent more than three days. You must identify another way for the employee to meet your verification…
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Washington Governor Jay Inslee has amended his Stay Home – Stay Healthy order to permit protected leave for employees who are at a higher risk to contract COVID-19 (coronavirus), specifically those aged 65 and over and those with certain chronic underlying health conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The amended order, which was…
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Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has issued a directive to its safety compliance officers outlining the standards for evaluating workplace safety measures to protect workers from COVID-19 (coronavirus). DOSH compliance officers who inspect the workplace will generally expect you to have the following basic measures in place: Educate workers (and…
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As school closures due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) are being extended, employers will likely see more leave requests from workers. Officials in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington have closed in-person instruction through the end of the school year. In Idaho, schools are closed through the end of the school year but…
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Last night Governor Jay Inslee extended his Stay Home – Stay Healthy order through May 4, 2020. The order, which was issued to slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), was originally in effect through April 6, 2020. The order prevents individuals from leaving home unless they engage in essential activities or…
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The Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) is asking for feedback by May 6, 2020, on proposed rules affecting the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. These proposals have nothing to do with the current pandemic or federal emergency leave benefits and are mostly minor technical changes. However, they do…
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The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I)’s Employer Assistance Program is designed to work with financially distressed businesses during hard times, and arrange for payment plans for workers’ compensation premiums. This may be helpful if your business is struggling due to issues related to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The program allows a business to…
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On March 25, 2020, Governor Inslee signed an amendment to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WPFML) program (SHB 2614). This bill doesn’t have anything to do with the current pandemic. Instead, it makes technical corrections to the WPFML program, to ensure the intent of the original bill is intact. The…
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Governor Inslee signed a proclamation that waives the work search requirements for receiving unemployment insurance. The governor previously waived the one-week waiting period, so the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) can provide immediate benefits to those who have been financially impacted by COVID-19 (coronavirus). “We need to do whatever we can to…
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For Washington businesses still unclear about whether they’re essential and thus allowed to continue operating during Governor Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy Order, the state has created a simple online form to request clarification or ask to be added to the list of essential businesses. The order, which closed non-essential businesses in…
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