Category: Workplace Safety & Health

January 17, 2023

With the onset of the COVID-19 XBB.1.5 variant, more employees are in need of time off from work this winter to recover from unfortunate illness. Below is a quick update for employers on the current state of COVID-19 paid leave […]

January 12, 2023

On December 15, 2022, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulation, which would replace the current emergency temporary standards (ETS) that were set to expire on December 31, 2022. The new COVID-19 prevention […]

January 4, 2023

New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed a law that expands breastfeeding accommodations, bringing the standards for private employers in line with those for public employers in the state. The law, signed on December 9, 2022, requires private employers to […]

December 28, 2022

On December 15, 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) voted to adopt the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations (the Non-Emergency Regulation). Once the Non-Emergency Regulation takes effect, the regulations will remain in effect for two years, except for […]

December 22, 2022

On December 12, 2022, the New York State Legislature passed a workplace safety bill known as “Carlos’ Law.” This bill, originally introduced in 2017 and named for an individual who died on a construction worksite in 2015, would amend the […]

December 19, 2022

New COVID-19 prevention regulations for California workplaces will become effective no later than January 14, 2023. The new COVID-19 Non-Emergency Prevention Standards contain significant changes as compared to the current Emergency Temporary Standards, some of which will ease the burden […]

December 14, 2022

On December 9, 2022, Governor Hochul signed legislation expanding New York’s required accommodations for breastfeeding in the workplace. New York employers were already required to provide employees with reasonable break times and to make reasonable efforts to provide a space […]

November 22, 2022

In addition to AB 152 extending COVID-19 leave through December 31, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom has also signed into law two other COVID-related bills—AB 1751 and AB2693—affecting employers’ policies regarding employees who contract COVID-19. AB 1751 has extended current law […]

November 18, 2022

Congress just passed a law Wednesday that will prevent employers from forcing victims of sexual harassment and assault to remain quiet in response to alleged abuse, requiring some businesses to alter their business practices – and serving as yet another […]

November 8, 2022

OSHA, citing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention July 2018 publication on Mental Health in the Workplace, has released a Safety and Health Topics bulletin addressing workplace stress and mental health hazards. According to OSHA, these workplace hazards have […]

October 31, 2022

California’s Court of Appeals recently clarified that a defendant in a petition for restraining order under California’s Workplace Violence Safety Act (WVSA) is entitled to cross-examine witnesses at the evidentiary hearing for the restraining order. Many California trial courts had […]

October 31, 2022

The Minister of Labour for Canada has announced Proposed Regulations under the Canada Labour Code. If adopted, employers will have to, among other things: Provide menstrual products, including clean and hygienic tampons and menstrual pads, in each toilet room or, […]

October 25, 2022

I live with multiple mental disorders. I’ve also held numerous leadership roles throughout my career and have been ridiculed for holding them since I went public about my mental health. Every day I am impacted by my mental health implications. […]

October 21, 2022

Many people lost a loved one in the past two years due to Covid-19. Employees, communities, companies, organizations and institutions faced severe losses in the workforce and will never be the same as we were before 2020. Despite this, many […]

October 13, 2022

As part of the recent legislative session, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1775, which implements new workplace safety training and certification requirements for entertainment events vendors who produce live events at public events venues. Specifically, any business that contracts […]

October 7, 2022

In an expected move given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, on September 29, 2022, Governor Newsom signed into law two workers’ compensation bills, AB 1751 and SB 1127, but vetoed another bill, SB 284. The signing of AB 1751 extends the […]

October 6, 2022

California employers will soon be prohibited from taking adverse action against employees who refuse to report to a workplace during an emergency condition, according to a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Sept. 29. While some of the […]

September 22, 2022

On Sept. 14, the New York State Department of Health updated its COVID-19 quarantine and isolation webpage to remove earlier written COVID-19 guidance and tables dated May 31. The webpage now states that New York is following the Aug. 24 […]

September 21, 2022

On Sept. 15, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) published guidance on protecting workers from monkeypox. The guidance applies to workplaces covered by the Aerosol Transmissible Disease (ATD) standard, which includes healthcare facilities, medical transport, police, and public […]

September 9, 2022

Colorado’s rulemaking process regarding its new paid family and medical leave insurance program (FAMLI) continues. On Aug. 26, the state published final regulations, which provide the most concrete guidance to date regarding the benefits to which employees will be entitled […]