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Safety/Health

Parker gets Biden’s nod to run OSHA

04/20/2021
Douglas L. Parker has been tapped to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Currently the chief of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Parker was nominated April 13.

NY law offers definition of marijuana impairment

04/20/2021
Medical or recreational use of marijuana is now legal in 44 states. But no state law requires employers to tolerate employees who come to work high. The trouble is, marijuana impairment is difficult to determine—or define.

Your vaccination decisions: 5 key issues to consider

04/15/2021
You should absolutely formalize your decisions in a written vaccination policy that you provide to each employee, so that everyone is on the same page as to your requirements and expectations. Here are the five key considerations that should be front of mind.

As pandemic eases, which employees should you bring back into the workplace?

04/15/2021
Many employees who were sent home at the start of the pandemic are in no rush to return to the workplace full time. The “when” and “who” and “where” of returning your workers requires looking at these key questions, according to attorney Jon Hyman.

Can you ask workers if they’ve been vaccinated?

04/15/2021
The EEOC says employers can legally ask workers about their COVID vaccination status—and require proof—without sparking liability under federal employment laws like the ADA or Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act GINA. But you need to be careful with any follow-up questions.

Beat the feds: Run your own covid-19 audit

04/15/2021
OSHA is playing a lead role in the Biden administration’s bid to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Take the initiative on workplace safety by auditing your own covid-19 risks and documenting your efforts to mitigate them.

OSHA fielding more than 50 whistleblower complaints per week

04/13/2021
OSHA has been on a tear enforcing provisions of the law that forbid retaliation against employees who blow the whistle on unsafe working conditions.

59% of workers concerned about their mental health

04/13/2021
A year into the coronavirus pandemic, six in 10 American workers surveyed by the Conference Board business advisory group in March said mental and psychological health was their top wellbeing concern.

48% of employers won’t track vaccination status

04/06/2021
Nearly half of HR leaders surveyed in March by Gartner Research say they don’t plan to track the vaccination status of their employees.

Employers facilitating vaccines for employees

04/06/2021
Six in 10 employers have communicated to employees the value of vaccines, researchers found. Another 35% plan to do so.