On January 27th, InterWest was recognized as a 2020 Outstanding Community Partner at the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento virtual Hammy awards. This year InterWest was honored to help Habitat keep building through sponsorship of the virtual Gala, their virtual Women’s Build event and a very special Veteran’s Repair project sponsorship for an incredible…
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the nation’s workforce, and one of the biggest changes is in the amount of people that are now working from home. A new survey has found that the majority of working professionals who were forced to start working remotely due to the pandemic would like to…
As more Americans work from home than ever before, many employers are wondering about their obligations under OSHA as well as how to reduce the chances that workers may be injured while telecommuting. Obviously, the chances of an injury when working from home are small. The most common issue that is likely to arise long-term…
Due to confusion among California employers, Cal/OSHA has revised guidance for the emergency COVID-19 regulations that took effect on Nov. 30, 2020. Under the emergency regulations, employers were required to take a number of actions to safeguard their workers against the coronavirus, but the rules have caused much confusion among businesses. Guidance issued in December…
InterWest’s Distinguished Employee: Brenda Gonzalez Brenda is a quiet leader, with an engaging demeanor and dry sense of humor. She’s always looking out for her client’s best interest and what’s for her coworkers and their department as a whole. Her “can do” philosophy is centered around two concepts; 1) When it comes to serving the…
A new law will make it easier for insurers to settle workers’ compensation claims with older workers who are enrolled in Medicare, in an attempt to resolve an issue that can sometimes drive up premiums for affected employers. The law adds transparency by letting workers’ comp insurers inquire about whether Medicare may have been used…
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so does the number of workplace-related lawsuits filed by workers across the country against their employers. The pandemic laid the groundwork for new local, state, and federal laws and regulations governing a number of workplace issues like workplace safety, family and medical leave, and remote work. And it created new…
Employers with 10 or more employees must post their completed Cal/OSHA Form 300A by Feb. 1 and keep it posted in their workplace until April 30. The form must be posted where the company usually posts other employee notices, like minimum wage and workplace safety notices. Form 300A summarizes the total number of fatalities, missed…
With so many people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, logic would dictate that instances of workplace sexual harassment would have plummeted since people are not in the office or any other facility together. Logic would be wrong. Sexual harassment of employees by other employees or superiors has moved online, according to recent reports.…
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has affirmed that employers can mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees, subject to some limitations. The EEOC’s updated guidance offers direction regarding employer-mandated vaccinations, accommodations for employees who cannot be vaccinated due to a disability or sincerely held religious belief, and certain implications of pre-vaccination medical screening questions under the Americans…