The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) announced increases to the minimum salary thresholds for noncompete agreements, which will take effect on January 1, 2025. Washington law prohibits noncompete agreements with individuals who earn less than the applicable annual salary threshold. L&I publishes separate thresholds for employees […] The post WASHINGTON: Noncompete salary thresholds rise for 2025 appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

                The state of Washington has announced increases to the minimum wage rate and the exempt salary thresholds for employees, effective January 1, 2025. These increases impact several state wage requirements that you’ll want to be aware of if you have employees in Washington. The cities of Bellingham and Burien […] The post WASHINGTON: Minimum wage and exempt salary increases in 2025 appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

                Question: We have a couple of areas where our equipment or practices are out of compliance, but our employees prefer the efficiency and ease of our current practices. While we know we run the risk of getting cited by OSHA, we also feel that safety citations are […] The post Q&A: Failing to address safety issues can shut down your business appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

                Question: We have several reasons to terminate a long-term employee whose performance and attitude have declined to the point of no return, but we don’t have good documentation. He says he cannot wait to retire but has not given us a date. We’d like to keep his […] The post Q&A: Words matter when communicating a termination decision appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

                On August 26, 2024, a federal district court blocked the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s far-reaching H-2A worker protection rule (also known as the Farmworker Protection Rule) from going into effect in 17 states, including Idaho and Montana, and the DOL has delayed implementation across the nation. […] The post H-2A worker protections blocked appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

Are you making costly mistakes with Kept-on-Salary (KOS)? Many Washington employers are surprised to learn that common assumptions about KOS can lead to unexpected costs and missed opportunities. In this article, we’ll reveal lesser-known truths about KOS for managing workers’ comp claims, and clarify its strategic use.     Myth: KOS is best used for […] The post Kept-on-Salary Misconceptions Exposed: What You Need to Know appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

                The Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has adopted three new permanent rules allowing employees who aren’t required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to voluntarily use PPE to protect themselves from noise, dust, or possible infectious or contagious diseases. PPE includes items such as “face […] The post Washington L&I issues new rules for voluntary use of PPE appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

                Taking the time to review safety procedures and address any concerns before using new equipment or changing a process is an important tactic to prevent injuries. A common cause of injuries is lack of awareness of a change to a process or piece of equipment. Processes involve […] The post Review safety procedures before using new equipment or processes appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

            On September 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced it was moving forward with its far-reaching H-2A worker protection rule (also known as the Farmworker Protection Rule) in every state where it isn’t blocked, including Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. As we previously reported, a federal court blocked […] The post H-2A worker protections back for some appeared first on Vigilant ..read more

                    One of the most fundamental and impactful workers’ compensation cost mitigation strategies is to establish and maintain a safety culture that prioritizes all workers going home each day in the same condition as they arrived. A culture that values people as an organization’s most valuable […] The post Webinar 10/24: Safety Leadership – Building Safety Culture appeared first on Vigilant ..read more