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Jun 18 2020
COVID-19Idaho

IDAHO: State to entice workers with return-to-work cash bonuses

Idaho Governor Brad Little has announced a plan to pay between $750.00 and $1,500.00 to Idaho workers who return to work after receiving unemployment benefits. Some workers are making more money from enhanced unemployment benefits (which continue through July 31, 2020), than they did when they were working, so employers are struggling to get them…

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Jun 18 2020
COVID-19Oregon

OREGON: Governor updates reopening orders and mask policy

Governor Kate Brown recently issued a series of orders and decisions affecting Oregon’s phased reopening from restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). This remains a fluid situation. Even as we publish this newsletter, the governor and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) continue to issue new orders and update previously published guidance. Please check…

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Jun 18 2020
COVID-19DisabilityEmployee Benefits

WASHINGTON: Governor extends protections for high-risk workers

On June 9, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee extended the protections 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 original proclamation expired on June 12, 2020, but…

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Jun 18 2020
Labor RelationsQ&A

Q&A: Know how to address inflammatory social media posts

Question: Several employees have reported that a coworker posted offensive content on Facebook about the recent protests. They say that she’s making “racist” comments and it makes them uncomfortable. Can we discipline the employee? If not, what else can we do to address this behavior? Answer: First, gather all of the facts. Find out exactly…

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Jun 18 2020
COVID-19Safety and Health

EEOC updates COVID-19 guidance

EEOC updates COVID-19 guidance The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently updated its technical assistance guidance regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus).These new FAQs clarify and update the agency’s guidance on several COVID-19-related issues. No protection for shielding high-risk family members: The guidance clarifies that there’s no protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for an…

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Jun 18 2020
COVID-19Safety and Health

Podcast available on preventing heat illness

Vigilant’s safety team has released an 18-minute podcast on Heat-Related Illness/Heat Stress. This is the time of year when it can strike workers who are unprepared and don’t have adequate shade, water, rest time, and cooling stations to keep their body temperature within acceptable limits. It’s critical to establish a written heat illness prevention plan…

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Jun 16 2020
CaliforniaHarassment & DiscriminationIdaho

ALERT: Title VII protects sexual orientation and gender identity

In this 6-to-3 opinion written by Justice Gorsuch, the Court decided three different cases. All three employers admitted they had terminated employees solely because they were “homosexual or transgender.” In Bostock v. Clayton County, a county child welfare advocate was terminated for conduct “unbecoming” because he participated in a gay recreational softball league. In the case…

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Jun 04 2020
COVID-19Washington

WASHINGTON: Wage garnishments for consumer debt back in force

The temporary moratorium on garnishment of wages for consumer debts imposed by Washington Governor Jay Inslee's Proclamation 20-49 ended on May 27, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. Employers should again withhold under writs of garnishment for consumer debt beginning with wages earned on May 28, 2020. As we previously reported, the governor issued the temporary moratorium…

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Jun 04 2020
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: COVID-19 safety duties expanded for agriculture

On May 28, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee delivered yet another proclamation (Proclamation 20-57, Concerning the Health of Agricultural Workers), which imposes even more agricultural COVID-19 requirements for worksites, and then on June 2, 2020, issued interpretive guidance on those requirements. Many items are the same as those previously required, but significant new mandates are…

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Jun 04 2020
COVID-19Safety and Health

CDC and OSHA issue COVID-19 guidance for agricultural employers

On June 2, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in conjunction with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), issued guidance for agriculture workers and employers to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 (coronavirus). The guidance isn’t mandatory, but is rather a roadmap that state and local health departments (or other…

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Jun 04 2020
COVID-19CaliforniaIdaho

CDC issues guidance on reopening office workspaces

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published detailed guidance for employers on reopening office buildings. The COVID-19 Employer Information for Office Buildings webpage includes specific steps and tips for employers planning to reopen office buildings. The CDC guidance is organized into the following six categories: Create a COVID-19 (coronavirus) workplace health…

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Jun 04 2020
COVID-19CaliforniaIdaho

OSHA now enforcing COVID-19 recording on Form 300

Effective May 26, 2020, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is requiring employers in covered industries to record work-related incidences of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses). As an employer, you must record work-related illnesses on Form 300 unless you’re in an exempt industry or have 10 or…

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