On Nov. 22, 2021, the Department announced publication of the final rule, “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors.” The Department has finalized regulations to implement Executive Order 14026, “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors,” which was signed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on April 27, 2021. Executive Order 14026 states that the […]
Category Archives: Legislative News
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety
Doug Parker, chief of Cal OSHA, nominated to lead OSHA
14
Apr
Apr
Source: Safety Law Matters By Donna Pryor, Erik Dullea & Tracey O’Brien on April 12, 2021 On April 9, 2021, the White House issued a press release announcing its nomination of Douglas Parker (Parker) for the position of Assistant Secretary for the Occupational and Health Administration (OSHA). Parker is currently the chief of California’s […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
How to respond to OSHA’s COVID enforcement
08
Apr
Apr
Make sure you are adhering to the agency’s and CDC workplace guidances Source: EHS Today David Sparkman Mar 25, 2021 Employers now find themselves in the crosshairs of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) amped-up enforcement of its COVID-19 guidelines and need to take immediate action to avoid the potential flood of citations and […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
How to Respond to OSHA’s COVID Enforcement
31
Mar
Mar
Make sure you are adhering to the agency’s and CDC workplace guidances. Source: EHS Today David Sparkman Employers now find themselves in the crosshairs of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) amped-up enforcement of its COVID-19 guidelines and need to take immediate action to avoid the potential flood of citations and penalties expected to […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
US Department of Labor announces Brookwood-Sago grants’ availability of up to $1M for mine safety education, training
31
Mar
Mar
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today the availability of up to $1 million to fund grants to support education and training to help mine workers identify, avoid and prevent unsafe working conditions. The funding, made available by the department’s Brookwood-Sago grant program, will enable grant recipients […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
US Department of Labor announces availability of $10.5 million for mine safety training grants
30
Mar
Mar
ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced the availability of $10,537,000 in state grant funding to provide training and retraining of miners and mine operators working at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines. The training is federally mandated. Any state in which mining takes […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
OSHA to ramp op Coronavirus-related inspections
17
Mar
Mar
Source: EHS Today The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a national emphasis program (NEP) March 12 in response to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety during COVID-19. The NEP means OSHA will focus enforcement efforts in the coming months on coronavirus-related inspections. In a press release announcing the […]
Industry News, Legislative News, People on the Move, People on the Move
Industry partnership fulfills young Wisconsin man’s Make-A-Wish Day
23
Feb
Feb
PELLA, Iowa — At a recent Make-A-Wish Day celebration held at the Vermeer Wisconsin facility in Madison, Edgar Contreras was presented with the tools of the trade he needs to turn his dream of owning and operating his own landscaping company into a reality. Contreras is a 19-year-old from Milwaukee who is battling thyroid cancer. Orchestrated […]
Features, Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
What you need to know about OSHA’s Jan. 29 COVID guidance
16
Feb
Feb
Source: EHS Today David Sparkman Feb 04, 2021 When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued its comprehensive guidance on what employers are expected to do to protect their workers from the COVID-19 virus, the bulk of the 6,000-word document repeated much of the advice that was contained in previous agency guidances issued […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
Biden orders OSHA to issue new COVID-19 guidance
27
Jan
Jan
The order extends to other cabinet departments and MSHA as well. Source: EHS Today David Sparkman Jan 26, 2021 One day after he was inaugurated, President Joe Biden fulfilled a campaign promise to labor unions by ordering the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to begin the process of developing COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
What you need to know about EHS and COVID-19 changes under the Biden Administration
20
Jan
Jan
Source: EHS Today Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021 Time: 12:00 PM ET Duration: 1 Hour Sponsored by: BSI Register HERE As the Biden-Harris Administration transitions into the White House, business leaders should be preparing for the anticipated impacts of policy changes, investments, and enforcement priorities related to Environmental, Health, Safety, Sustainability, Security and Supply Chain […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
OSHA Penalties Increase Effective Jan. 15
14
Jan
Jan
Source: EHS Today As a reminder, OSHA’s civil penalty amounts for workplace safety and health violations will increase slightly effective tomorrow in accordance with cost-of-living adjustments for 2021. These penalty levels apply to any violations assessed after Jan. 15. OSHA’s maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $134,937 to $136,532 per violation. […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
EEOC issues COVID-19 vaccine guidance, allowing employer mandates
22
Dec
Dec
Source: Safety Law Matters By Brittany Falkowski, Jenna Brofsky, Timothy A. Hilton & Avi Meyerstein on December 18, 2020 Posted in Compliance tips, MSHA, OSHA As vaccines roll out, employers have been asking how to prepare and whether they can mandate vaccination for their employees. This week the EEOC released fresh guidance, confirming that mandates […]
04
Dec
Dec
Source: EHS Today In some cases, employers can require workers be vaccinated David Sparkman Nov 25, 2020 The recent news about the imminent release of a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is like catching a glimpse of blue sky between distant clouds in the midst of a driving thunderstorm. Inevitably, however, practical questions arise, […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
U.S. Department of Labor announces proposed rule adopting standards for electric motor-driven mine equipment and accessories
19
Nov
Nov
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has announced a proposed rule incorporating national and international voluntary consensus standards related to electric motor-driven mine equipment and accessories. Under the proposed rule, during a one-year transition period, mine operators could use equipment and accessories that meet either 14 voluntary […]
Association News and Events, Association News and Events, Association News and Events, Legislative News
AGC tax update: IRS issues guidance on nondeductibility of expenses associated with PPP loan forgiveness
19
Nov
Nov
In the latest setback in the administration of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced this evening, via Revenue Ruling 2020-27 that expenses funded through a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan are not deductible for this tax year if “the taxpayer reasonably expects to receive forgiveness of the covered loan on the basis […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
With almost $3 million in penalties issued, OSHA advises on frequently-cited COVID standards
17
Nov
Nov
Source: Safety Law Matters By Avi Meyerstein on November 16, 2020 Posted in Compliance tips, OSHA OSHA announced last week that it has issued 204 citations so far relating to COVID-19 with total penalties of $2,856,533. As these penalties continue to climb, OSHA also issued new guidance to help employers understand which standards it most […]
Features, Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
Is it the flu or COVID-19? 4 key steps to address new workplace challenges at the start of flu season
03
Nov
Nov
by Travis Vance / Fisher Phillips The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more workplace law challenges over the past six months or so than many employers will see in a lifetime. From changing directives on wearing masks, determining what to do when an employee is ill with COVID-19, and tracking the hours of employees working at home, employers have […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
U.S. DOL proposes rule to clarify employee and independent contractor status under Fair Labor Standards Act
30
Sep
Sep
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced a proposed rule clarifying the definition of employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as it relates to independent contractors. “The Department’s proposal aims to bring clarity and consistency to the determination of who’s an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” said […]
Association News and Events, Association News and Events, Legislative News
NEPA modernization reforms must be upheld, ARTBA tells federal court
03
Sep
Sep
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Trump administration’s recent modernization of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a “long overdue remedy” bringing “much-needed clarity after decades of conflict and confusion” that have needlessly delayed essential transportation projects, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) told a federal court September 2. The ARTBA filing at the U.S. […]
Association News and Events, Association News and Events, Association News and Events, Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News
AEM mobilizes voters with new Equipped to Vote campaign
13
Aug
Aug
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) recently launched Equipped to Vote, a national get-out-the-vote campaign to urge the 2.8 million men and women of the industry to register to vote and support pro-manufacturing candidates during the 2020 election. The goal of the campaign is to engage, educate and mobilize manufacturing voters […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
OSHA releases return-to-work guidance addressing assessments and records
04
Aug
Aug
On the front lines with Fisher Phillips by Kristin White The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a Guidance on Returning to Work document that describes strategies and recommends steps employers should take during all phases of reopening. Most of OSHA’s recommendations involve steps employers have been implementing based on state and local reopening […]
Industry News, Industry News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
OSHA will increase in-person inspections as part of revised COVID-19 enforcement plan
28
Jul
Jul
On the front lines with Fisher Phillips Fisher Phillips Authors: Todd Logsdon and Paul Goatley The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced that OSHA area offices will begin to increase in-person inspections in some parts of the country as the agency released a revised response plan on how it will handle COVID-19-related complaints, referrals […]
Legislative News, Legislative News, Legislative News, Safety, Safety, Safety
Virginia passes first-in-nation OSHA standard for COVID-19
22
Jul
Jul
States begin to enact their own temporary measures to protect workers from exposure to the novel coronavirus Source: EHS Today Courtney Malveaux Jul 16, 2020 Employers wondering whether Virginia is the new California just got their answer: California has some catching up to do. In a split vote, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board […]
Association News and Events, Association News and Events, Association News and Events, Legislative News
Your business may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $5,000 per employee — learn more about the “Employee Retention Tax Credit”
07
Jul
Jul
Employee Retention Credit (ERC) overview The Employee Retention Credit is a CARES Act relief measure for businesses. It is a fully refundable tax credit that eligible employers who are able to keep employees on payroll can claim. An Eligible Employer may not receive the Employee Retention Credit if the Eligible Employer receives a PPP loan […]