Blog

Keeping informed of changing employment laws is a never-ending task, and this year is no exception! The first few months of 2022 have brought many new and changing laws in Washington state. Here's a round-up of the most notable legal updates Washington employers should have on their radar:

With summer temperatures consistently rising across the country year after year, new safety regulation development is underway at the state and federal levels to prevent work-related heat stress illnesses and injuries. Last year, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) began initiating enhanced...

Instilling a culture of civility is integral in shaping how internal and external individuals perceive the organization. When there is bad behavior in the workplace, it puts employee morale, safety, quality, productivity, and compliance at risk. Employees are the most significant investment for any organization, and...

In 2012, Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries initiated a formal Stay at Work program to incentivize employers to utilize light-duty positions to bring back injured workers. With the program now in its 10th year, we want to highlight and celebrate the program.

It’s almost the second quarter of 2022. Many employers, large and small, are currently facing a tight labor market, unprecedented turnover, and workforce disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help combat these challenges, employers may find that focusing on better pay equity practices will not only ensure...

After decades of territorial disputes and military conflict between Russia and its neighboring countries, Russia decided to launch a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. News articles describing militant attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and disturbing images of the country’s war-torn people...

On March 12, 2022, Washington, Oregon, and California joined other states across the country by lifting mandates that required the use of masks in most indoor and some outdoor settings. Two weeks prior, the governors of these states cited declining COVID-19 cases and announced a unilateral move to ending mask...

According to the CDC, when COVID-19 entered our lives in 2020, employee wellness was already a strong corporate focus, with almost half of all US worksites offering some form of a workplace wellness program. From smoking cessation to weight loss, employers targeted health and wellness to increase productivity and...

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers allowed their workforce to perform their jobs remotely to mitigate the risk of exposure. Now that COVID-19 cases have decreased, some employers have begun to resume in-person operations and called employees back to the office. Some employees may not be ready...

For the first time in history, employers have had to navigate workers’ compensation insurance during a global pandemic. It seems that just as quickly as new information comes out to address one situation, a new concern emerges, often leaving businesses scrambling for answers. In this post, you will find answers to...