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New year, new laws! Legislation is often changing. SmartHR can assist you with your handbook and ongoing compliance monitoring for a flat fee.

The Department of Labor recently announced the maximum penalty for federal posting violations is going up...
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): $178
• Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law (OSHA): $13,653
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA): $21,663

SmartHR provides complimentary state and federal posters to clients that subscribe to annual compliance services. No need to worry about risk of posting violations!

OSHA recently issued its new COVID-19 workplace safety guidance, entitled “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace,” (the “OSHA Guidance”). The recommendations in the OSHA Guidance may be incorporated into mandatory standards in the future, including the emergency temporary standards OSHA must consider issuing by March 15, 2021, pursuant to the January 21, 2021 Executive Order.

The OSHA Guidance applies to non-healthcare workplaces and is supplemented by industry-specific OSHA guidelines for certain industries. The OSHA Guidance does not create any new legal obligations for employers but contains a summary of existing mandatory safety and health standards, along with advisory recommendations to assist employers in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

The OSHA Guidance calls for all employers to implement COVID-19 Prevention Programs in the workplace. These programs should:

assign a workplace coordinator;

identify where and how workers might be exposed to COVID-19 at work;

identify a combination of measures that will limit the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, in line with principles of the hierarchy of controls;

consider protections for workers at higher risk for severe illness through supportive policies and practices;

establish a system for communicating effectively with workers and in a language they understand;

educate and train workers on COVID-19 policies and procedures using accessible formats in a language they understand;

instruct workers who are infected or potentially infected to stay home and isolate or quarantine;

minimize the negative impact of quarantine and isolation on workers (e.g., through telework);

isolate workers who show symptoms at work;

perform enhanced cleaning and disinfection after people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 have been in the facility;

provide guidance on screening and testing;

record and report COVID-19 infections and deaths;

implement protections from retaliation and set up an anonymous process for workers to voice concerns about COVID-19-related hazards;

make a COVID-19 vaccination available at no cost to all eligible employees;

not distinguish between workers who are vaccinated and those who are not; and

comply with all other applicable OSHA standards relating to infection control.

SmartHR can help you avoid COVID liability and costly OSHA fines with the creation of a COVID-19 Prevention Program. Needing enhanced disinfecting services.... SmartHR would highly recommend True Blue Cleaning Solutions for all your disinfecting needs.

A new administration means changes to complex federal and state employment regulations. Keeping up with the changes is nearly impossible, and even small mistakes can be disruptive and costly. SmartHR can help you with the creation of polices, policy updates, and annual compliance monitoring for a flat fee.