Safety/Health

As summer swelters, keep staff safe from heat

07/22/2021

This summer has set heat records even in states that typically do not see many extremely hot days. Because excessive heat can severely sicken workers—and sometimes kill them—more states are issuing emergency heat requirements employers must follow. In the last month, both Oregon and Washington have established heat-safety standards you should consider applying to your worksites.

Delta dawn: Remasking is coming (and if you’re in L.A., it’s already here)

07/21/2021

Remasking seems inevitable now, even if it’s just for a brief period of time. Which again brings up these two questions—how does this affect your workplace and what do you do about employees who won’t get a shot and won’t mask?

Beware choosing wrong vaccine incentive

07/20/2021

Forcing all employees to be vaccinated presents significant legal risks, and most employment law attorneys recommend against it. A popular work-around has been to encourage vaccinations by offering incentives to employees. That can help. But the incentive offered matters. Here’s what works and what can get you in trouble.

Requiring COVID shots? Beware fake vax cards

07/15/2021

Fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine cards are so readily available online that the FBI is now warning people that making or buying such cards is a federal crime.

Employees get vaccinated if employers encourage them to

07/14/2021

About three-quarters of workers whose employers encouraged getting a vaccine or offered paid time off to do so say they have gotten at least one shot, significantly more than the shares whose employers didn’t encourage vaccination or offer paid time off.

Class-action seeks pay for covid-19 screening time

07/01/2021

Courts routinely rule that employees must be paid for time spent putting on protective gear that keeps them safe at work. Now employees have begun filing lawsuits making the same argument about time spent on coronavirus safety measures.

Snapshot: Vaccine status: Transparency vs. privacy

06/29/2021

Most employees want to know if co-workers have had covid shots … but don’t want to share if they themselves have been vaccinated.

Prepare to accommodate covid after-effects

06/24/2021

Most people recover from covid-19 within a few weeks. However, reasonably large numbers of people who had the disease experience after-effects that may interfere with their ability to work. As a result, employers can expect to see more requests for ADA reasonable accommodations and FMLA intermittent leave.

Snapshot: How are employers encouraging covid-19 vaccinations?

06/22/2021

Only 28% of employers plan to make workers get vaccinated, but most plan to encourage it.

Survey: Pandemic took toll on employees’ health