labor lawAdivision of labor law center

With temperatures soaring in Washington and throughout the nation in the past few weeks, the Washington Department of Labor & Industry has issued a worker safety warning for employers.

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries in Tumwater wants employers to be aware of precautions that workers must take to avoid heat stress, heat stroke and heat-related illness.

Tragically, heat-related illnesses in the workplace can result in disability and even death.

Employees should take these precautions when working outdoors, especially in hot, sunny conditions: 

• Drink as much as one cup of water every 15 minutes
•  Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness
•  Pace your work and take breaks.
•  Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing
•  Avoid alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals  

The same precautions apply when employees work indoors without air conditioning, especially in industries involving heat such as factories and restaurant kitchens.

Heat-related illness can cause serious medical conditions, including disability and death.

The L&I emphasizes that Washington employers are required to provide safe working conditions for employees, including protection from heat-related illness.

Supervisors and workers should be trained to recognize the symptoms of heat stress and to respond. During especially hot weather, employees may need to take rest breaks as frequently as every hour. If possible, breaks should be taken in an air-conditioned location such as a building or vehicle.

Workers suffering from heat stress may be disoriented and unable to summon help. For that reason, employees should never work alone in hot weather. Employers should use the buddy system, with employees charged with the responsibility of watching out for each other. Employees should also be trained in responding to heat stress and heat stroke, including giving the worker extra liquids, cooling them off in an air-conditioned location, and summoning professional help. 

More information and resources regarding  outdoor heat exposure are available.

Washington employers have long complained about the high cost of doing business in the state, including workers’ compensation claims and insurance premiums. Now, they can take control of this annoying problem.

Employers in the state of Washington can sign up for free seminars on managing workers’ comp costs, claims and premiums sponsored by the state government.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries or L&I is offering the free seminar, entitled “Introduction to Rates and Claims Management.”

The seminar is free, but registration is required. Participants can register online  or by calling 1-800-574-2829.

The half-day seminar will be presented on 17 different dates in locations across the state including Bremerton, Tukwila, Vancouver, Port Angeles, Kennewick and Mount Vernon.

The complete schedule of dates and locations is here.  The next workshop is in Kennewick on June 10, 2009. The final workshop this year is in Tacoma on December 9, 2009.

According to L&I, the workshop is an overview of basic workers’ comp claims management principles. Participants will learn:  (more…)

The Washington minimum wage increased as of January 1, 2009, and the new rate is the highest in the nation. The new minimum wage rate is also the highest that the state of Washington has experienced since it linked the minimum to the cost of living.

According to the Washington L&I, or Department of Labor and Industries, the Washington minimum wage went up to $8.55 an hour for 2009. Each September, the L&I recalculates the minimum wage based on the Consumer Price Index, or CPI.

Any employers who have not updated their Washington minimum wage poster should do so ASAP. Employers are subject to sanctions, fines and penalties for not displaying updated posters.

Adjusting the minimum wage to the CPI is a result of an initiative approved by voters 10 years ago, in 1998, called Initiative 688. The state uses the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W.

As most readers know, the CPI is a national gauge, marking the cost (more…)

Employers have already been warned that the state minimum wage will increase with the new year in Oregon, Washington, Florida, New Mexico, Vermont, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and Connecticut.

However, employers in other states also have to contend with minimum wage increases this year.

Even if an employer has no minimum wage employees, each increase means the employer must update his or her minimum wage posters. By law, employers are required to display a variety of labor law posters prominently in the workplace. Failure to do so can result in fines, penalties and citations.

On July 1, 2009 the Illinois minimum wage will increase by 50 cents, from $7.50 to $8.00 per hour. This is the final step in a 3-tiered increase introduced by the now-infamous (more…)

Minimum wage changes in 2009 will require every employer in the nation to update his or her labor law posters.

On January 1, 2009 eleven states will increase the minimum wage. The majority of these states implement annual cost-of-living increases in the state minimum wage.

The biggest minimum wage increase in the nation this January is $1.00 per hour, in New Mexico. This changes the New Mexico minimum wage from $6.50 to $7.50 per hour. This is a statutory change, not a cost of living change.

The Washington state minimum wage remains the highest in 2009, increasing by 48 cents from $8.07 to $8.55 per hour. The Oregon minimum wage is second, increasing by 45 cents from $7.95 to $8.40 per hour. Third place goes to Vermont, where the minimum wage increases by 38 cents from $7.68 to $8.06 per hour.

There is a 3-way tie for fourth place, between Massachusetts, Connecticut and California. That’s due to a 35 cent increase raising the Connecticut minimum wage from $7.65 to $8.00 per hour.

Massachusetts and California have minimum wages of $8.00 per hour that do not increase in 2009. It’s worth noting that when the Massachusetts and California (more…)