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Oct 27 2017
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

PPD Claim Vigilance Saves Retro Group Members More Than $700,000

Attention to Detail Pays Off with PPD Claim Savings Vigilant’s Due Diligence Saves More Than $700,000 in Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Claim Costs   One of the many ways Vigilant helps save money for our Workers’ Compensation Retro Group members is by reviewing each PPD case thoroughly and making sure all the information is correct…

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Oct 24 2017
Harassment & DiscriminationTermination & Resignation

Q&A: Employer may require employee to disclose romance with subordinate

Answer: Yes to both of your questions. You can ask both employees about the existence of a romantic relationship and require them to disclose any romantic relationship with any of your other employees. If either of them refuse to answer your questions and their refusal impedes your ability to determine whether company policy has been…

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Oct 23 2017
Affirmative ActionHarassment & Discrimination

OFCCP secures significant settlements from federal contractors

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) hustled to wrap up major financial settlements from federal contractors as the federal government’s fiscal year drew to a close on September 30, 2017. The settlements were the result of the OFCCP’s focus on hiring, placement (“steering”), and compensation practices during random affirmative action audits. Below are…

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Oct 19 2017
CaliforniaHarassment & DiscriminationHiring

California Governor signs a slew of new legislation in 2017

The 2017 California legislative session has drawn to a close, and Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a slew of new bills affecting private employers. Below are the major employment-related bills that affect most California employers. All of them take effect on January 1, 2018. AB 168: Bans employers from asking job applicants about salary history…

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Oct 18 2017
DisabilityLeave LawsWashington

What accommodations do pregnant employees get in Washington?

Answer: Yes, if you have 15 or more employees. Washington’s new Healthy Starts Act, effective July 23, 2017, requires employers to provide pregnant employees with certain workplace accommodations, regardless of whether the employee is actually “disabled” and without regard to whether it would cause the employer an “undue hardship.” If requested, the employer must provide:…

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Oct 16 2017
Leave LawsWashington

Washington Paid Sick Leave: Frequently Asked Questions

LOCAL ORDINANCES 1. Question: We have locations throughout Washington, including Seattle and Tacoma. Does the Washington Paid Sick Leave law trump the Seattle Sick and Safe Time and Tacoma City ordinances? Answer: No. You must still meet all of the minimum requirements of each city ordinance as well as the Washington’s Paid Sick Leave law’s…

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Oct 16 2017
DisabilityEmployee BenefitsLeave Laws

Q&A: Offer equal amounts of paid parental leave to men and women

Answer: The short answer is no. If you provide paid parental leave for female employees, you must provide male employees the same benefit. Paid Parental Leave vs. Disability When contemplating providing paid leave for new parents, there are two sides you should consider: medical disability, and bonding with/caring for the child. Payments while a female…

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Oct 13 2017
DisabilityHarassment & DiscriminationTermination & Resignation

Ninth Circuit okays termination of employee with sleep apnea

Finding no evidence of discrimination under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a railroad terminated a train engineer because of his poor attendance, not his diagnosed sleep disorder. Although this case was brought under FEHA, the analysis was the same as it would be under…

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Oct 11 2017
Q&ASafety and HealthTermination & Resignation

Q&A: Termination after workplace injury may trigger workers’ comp retaliation claim

Answer: If you do, you’d better be absolutely certain of the safety violation and able to point to instances of other employees who were fired for similar violations even though they escaped injury. Otherwise, you risk a claim that you retaliated against the employee because of his on-the-job injury. You should also evaluate how an…

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Oct 09 2017
OregonQ&AVigilant News

OREGON: Common questions answered on recent legislation

Vigilant recently held a webinar covering 2017 legislation impacting Oregon employers with new overtime and maximum hour rules for manufacturers, predictive scheduling, amendments to Oregon’s sick leave law, and pay equity. We’ve received some great follow-up questions regarding the overtime and maximum hour rules for manufacturers, as well as questions about Oregon’s new pay equity…

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Oct 05 2017
OregonWage and Hour

New law in Oregon imposes stiff penalty for requiring false time records

Oregon recently passed a new law that takes effect on January 1, 2018, prohibiting employers from compelling, coercing, or otherwise requiring an employee to create, file or sign a time record that the employer knows to be false (HB 3008). Pursuant to the new law, courts may award up to $1,000 in penalties for each…

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Oct 03 2017
Harassment & Discrimination

Pregnancy Discrimination Act covers breastfeeding

A recent court of appeals decision serves as a good reminder that women are protected by the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) from discrimination or retaliation for requesting workplace accommodations for expressing breast milk. The PDA prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against a woman because she is pregnant, might become pregnant,…

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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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