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Mar 17 2020
COVID-19Safety and Health

Alert: Know where to find coronavirus guidance

Know where to find COVID-19 guidance With new developments rapidly unfolding on the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, employers need to know where to find the latest guidance. In this Alert, we’re sharing links to the resources we’re finding to be most helpful. We’re also tracking pending federal legislation which is expected to temporarily expand the federal…

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Mar 16 2020
COVID-19DisabilityLeave Laws

Alert: Coronavirus pandemic raises numerous workplace questions

The United States has been hard hit by coronavirus in the past week and Vigilant has received a variety of questions from members about this evolving situation. We previously reported on how to handle situations with employees who seek to return to the workplace after traveling to areas affected by the virus. Here are a…

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Mar 12 2020
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Part 4: Deconstructing a 30% retro refund – claims management

Dear Washington Manufacturer, The most recent letter in our series on deconstructing a 30% Retro refund highlighted the positive impact of customized and dedicated loss prevention services. This letter shares why sophisticated claims management strategies have a similar effect: lowering upfront premiums and increasing Retro refunds. We acknowledge and sympathize with the complexity of workers’…

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Mar 10 2020
Labor Relations

Board issues final rule on joint employer status under NLRA

The National Labor Relations Board recently issued a final rule on how to determine whether an employer jointly employs another employer’s workers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Historically, companies, workers, unions, and attorneys had to rely on old Board decisions to analyze whether organizations were joint employers under the NLRA, but the Board…

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Mar 10 2020
Drug and Alcohol

DOT confirms CBD use doesn’t excuse positive marijuana test

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a bulletin confirming that using a product containing cannabidiol (CBD) isn’t a valid excuse for testing positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) under DOT rules. Both products are derived from marijuana; THC has psychoactive effects, while CBD doesn’t. The cannabis industry is poorly regulated and as we previously reported,…

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Mar 10 2020
Wage and Hour

Prior salary still doesn’t justify pay differences under EPA

Employers can’t use prior salary history to justify paying employees less than their opposite-sex colleagues, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has confirmed. The federal Equal Pay Act (EPA) allows employers to explain pay differences between men and women performing equal work by pointing to seniority, merit, production, or any “factor other than sex.” As…

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Mar 04 2020
COVID-19Leave LawsSafety and Health

Alert: Coronavirus questions increase along with potential impact on workplace

As the United States has seen a few outbreaks of coronavirus (COVID-19) along the West Coast in the past week, Vigilant has received a variety of questions from members about this evolving situation. We previously reported on how to handle situations with employees who seek to return to the workplace after traveling to areas affected…

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Mar 04 2020
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Part 3: You’re invited to receive a 30% retro refund

Dear Washington Manufacturer, You’re invited to apply for participation in Vigilant’s best-in-class Manufacturing Retrospective Rating Program—members are projected to receive a 30% refund for the most recent Retro plan year. Because of the elite composition of the manufacturers in our program, our use of proprietary data analytics, and our staff’s dedication, we expect that number…

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Feb 28 2020
DisabilitySafety and Health

Q&A: ADA accommodations for epilepsy aren’t one-size-fits-all

Question: We have an employee who had a seizure at work, causing him to space out and forget things for a few minutes. He took a few days of leave to recover and seek medical treatment. When he came back, he told us he has epilepsy, but he brought in a doctor’s note saying he’s…

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Feb 28 2020
Safety and Health

OSHA zeroes in on respirable crystalline silica

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently launched a new National Emphasis Program to reduce worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Workers who inhale silica dust can develop serious lung diseases, which may be fatal or require lung transplants. The dust is generated when materials such as stone, rock, concrete, brick, and mortar are…

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Feb 28 2020
Q&ASafety and Health

Q&A: Follow CDC guidance on coronavirus concerns

Question: One of our employees went on vacation to Thailand and is scheduled to return to work in a couple of days. We don’t know whether her itinerary included any connections through China, but we’re concerned she could have been exposed to the coronavirus. Can we tell her not to come to work for a…

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Feb 25 2020
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Part 2: Strong refunds are achieved by lowering workers’ comp premiums

This is the second in a series of letters deconstructing Vigilant’s projected 30% refund for the most recent Retro plan year. In the first letter we focused on demystifying the black box of the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) workers’ compensation system. This letter shares why a 30% refund starts with a focus…

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Is My Company Eligible?

If you are a manufacturing or agriculture employer in Washington and committed to keeping your employees safe and working, you may be eligible for Vigilant's workers' compensation Retro or claims management programs. To see if you qualify fill out our release form now, or contact us.

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