On March 11, at the same time the world tilted due to a global pandemic, my husband had emergency brain surgery and was diagnosed with Glioblastoma. On May 25, George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis energized a movement to change our minds and hearts to once and for all deal with…
This is an excerpt from our recent eBook – From the HR Hotline: Five Questions on COVID-19 Exposure in the Workplace. The eBook answers common questions we’ve received now that employees are returning to work. Question Employees are concerned they were exposed to a recently diagnosed co-worker.Do I tell them…
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace safety is more critical than ever. June is National Safety Month. Although the annual event may look different from previous years, employers are encouraged to evaluate workplace safety programs, identify any training that employees are behind on, and establish a plan to bring workers…
The post-pandemic workplace is going to look, feel, behave, and operate differently than before, and many of these changes may be permanent. It is more important than ever for leadership teams around the world to invest real time, energy, and commitment to their work environments, and in particular, their employees,…
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, layoffs and furloughs have hit workers across all industry sectors in all parts of the country. In April 2020, the U.S. unemployment rate skyrocketed to 14.7%, representing a 10.3 percentage point increase from the month prior. The result is that 23.1 million Americans…
It is no secret that Washington state has very complex workers’ compensation laws—even a seemingly straightforward claim can become complicated under closer examination. This is frustrating for employers, especially when they have information that could assist in the claims process but aren’t sure if they should provide it or what…
As the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) stay-at-home orders start to lift, and business restrictions begin to relax, you may be considering how to ramp up operations and bring employees back to work safely and within compliance. Employers have a responsibility to protect their employees from potential COVID-19 exposure in…
As employers have been dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and the new laws associated with the virus, other new laws or changes to existing legislation have transpired. The following is an overview of recent laws affecting employers in the Pacific Northwest. Washington Protected Class Updates: Effective June 11, 2020,…
As businesses previously forced to close move toward reopening or bringing furloughed employees back to work, employers must heed a disturbing trend of increased employee lawsuits arising from doing business during a pandemic. Federal Court employee lawsuits rose more than 215% from March 2020 to May 2, 2020. Employee claims…
Over the past several days, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho have announced a gradual lifting of ”stay home” orders and reopening of non-essential businesses. In order to ensure the safety of employees and compliance with new requirements, employers must be mindful of federal and state guidelines before and during the reopening…
HR Hotline | 206.329.1120 ext. 2 or 509.381.1635 ext. 2
Safety Hotline | 206.329.1120 ext. 4 or 509.381.1635 ext. 4