The first triple digit temperatures of the year have already hit California. With summer just around the corner, Cal/OSHA is urging employers to review their heat illness prevention plans and emergency response procedures to make sure their workers are prepared and protected from increasing outdoor temperatures and the risk of heat-related illness. Outdoor Places of Read more
National Safety Month is observed every year in June. The focus of the campaign is to reduce leading causes of injury and death at home, at work, on the roadways and in our communities. In the workplace, the goal is to raise awareness of current state and federal health and safety standards, enrich training programs and Read more
Preparing weekly work schedules is often like solving a puzzle. It means forecasting demand, controlling payroll, and taking into account employee availability. This makes scheduling in industries that have frequent call outs, high turnover rates, or seasonal livelihoods, such as the retail or restaurant industries, particularly tricky. Employee scheduling is also affected by limitations and restrictions Read more
With so much attention being paid to the competing demands of work and family care responsibilities, workers could soon have the option of taking time off in lieu of being paid overtime. Congress is considering a proposed bill (HR 1180), called the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2017, which would allow hourly workers to earn Read more
Focus on Workplace Violence Attention to the issue of workplace violence has grown in recent years. What we know today is that no employer is immune from workplace violence and no employer can totally prevent it. However, as employers and workers become more aware of situations and signals that precipitate workplace violence, they are better Read more
All employees need time off from work from time to time for personal or family health reasons, but nearly half of Illinois private sector workers are without any paid sick leave. Two communities in Illinois, Chicago and Cook County, will soon require employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees. Beginning July 1, 2017, Read more
The District of Columbia routinely enacts emergency, temporary and clarification laws to tie up loose ends in existing laws. The most recent example is the Wage Theft Prevention Clarification and Overtime Fairness Amendment Act of 2016 (WTPCOFAA) which went into effect this month. The legislation details wage theft administrative and judicial procedures, increases penalties for Read more
Requiring employers to provide employees with firm work schedules is a trend making headlines. This summer, Seattle, WA will join other cities such as Emeryville, CA, San Francisco, CA, and San Jose, CA, in ushering a new law that will require big employers to provide employees with stable work schedules and the option to work Read more
What is an EAP? “EAP” stands for Emergency Action Plan. Federal OSHA and State Plan standards require almost every workplace to have an EAP. For example, if fire extinguishers are required or provided in your workplace, and if anyone will be evacuating during a fire or other emergency, then OSHA requires you to have an Read more
Most federal contractors and subcontractors are responsible employers that are vetted by the government prior to winning federal contracts. As an added measure, in 2016 President Obama signed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673 (EO), which would have required government contractors and subcontractors to report labor law violations against them to federal Read more
