July 27, 2020
by Kevin Anderson

Trial Attorneys and Unions Pushing for COVID-19 Presumption Legislation

On June 23, 2020, Governor Brown directed the Management-Labor Advisory Committee (MLAC) to explore any gaps in our current workers’ compensation system related to COVID-19,…

July 23, 2020
by Laurel Hensley

SBH Attorney Randi Ensley 2020 Oregon Rising Star

SBH is pleased to announce Randi Ensley has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a 2020 Oregon Rising Star. Congrats, Randi!

July 22, 2020
by Rebecca Watkins

Oregon employers: are you ready for the Workplace Fairness Act?

The Workplace Fairness Act goes into full effect on October 1, 2020. This Act adds to Oregon’s existing discrimination and harassment laws, extending statutes of…

July 15, 2020
by Stephen Verotsky

Oregon OSHA will Adopt Rules Addressing the COVID-19 Emergency

Recently, Oregon OSHA announced it has begun work on temporary rules addressing the COVID-19 emergency. The target date for the rules is September 1st and…

July 8, 2020
by Hannah Teig

The Oregon Court of Appeals doubles down on the two-prong Roseburg Forest test making it easier for a presumptively responsible employer to shift responsibility

In April 2020, the Court of Appeals issued a significant decision regarding responsibility cases. In NAES Corporation v. SCI 3.2, Inc., 303 Or. App. 684…

July 2, 2020
by Laurel Hensley

SBH Video Series: PPP Loans and Return to Work

SBH is excited to announce it will be producing a series of short videos addressing various issues employers are facing during the COVID-19 Crisis and…

July 1, 2020
by David White

Washington State Announces 2020 COLA Increase; Affects Temporary Disability Payments Starting July 1st

Under RCW 51.32.075 temporary disability benefits are recalculated July 1st of each year to reflect changes in the states average wage. According to the Washington…

June 29, 2020
by Rebecca Watkins

Oregon minimum wage increase on July 1st

With everything else going on right now, the yearly increase in minimum wage may not be the first thing on any employer’s mind. Don’t forget…

June 24, 2020
by Lauren Oda

Annual Adjustment of Attorney Fees in Workers’ Compensation Claims in Oregon

The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Board recently issued a revised Bulletin No. 1 addressing the maximum attorney fee under several statutes. The attorney fees affected by…

June 17, 2020
by Evan Novotny

Claims Examiner Certification Renewal in Oregon and COVID-19

Three months into the pandemic, we have all seen changes in both our daily lives and in our professional lives. One of these changes has…

June 10, 2020
by Christine Olson

Back to Basics: While easy to overlook during the COVID-19 pandemic, double checking details in Washington Claims is still as important as ever

As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to occur and affect people and businesses, it is easy to get swept up in the breadth of complexities…

June 3, 2020
by Elyse Waters

In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon Court of Appeals issues troubling ruling for processing new/omitted condition claims

The Oregon Court of Appeals issued its decision in Coleman v. SAIF, 304 Or App 122 (2020) on May 13, 2020. Claimant filed a claim…

May 27, 2020
by Michael Godfrey

Course of Employment in Washington: What Factors are Considered When an Employee is Injured While Working from Home?

As the State of Washington slowly implements its four-phase recovery plan, many employees continue to work remotely from home in various capacities due to the…

May 20, 2020
by Andrew Evenson

Oregon Employee Injured While Working from Home? Best Practices to Determine Compensability

With the onset of COVID-19 and statewide stay-at-home orders, a high percentage of today’s workforce is operating from home, or in some variation of remote…

May 13, 2020
by Randi Ensley

Oregon Health Authority Releases Reopening Guidance for Oregon Employers

On May 7, 2020, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) released a series of sector-specific guidance as well as general guidance to assist employers in making…

May 6, 2020
by Sarah Cohen

Adjusting to the New Normal – Washington Claims Processing and COVID-19

As the impact of COVID-19 continues to reverberate through Washington, it has created numerous challenges for employers and claims managers who are working hard to…

April 21, 2020
by Kara Cogswell Kidder

L&I Offers Some Guidance on Active Retraining Plans through Office Careers as Moratorium On New Plans Remains in Place

In early March, the Washington Department of Labor of Industries announced a moratorium on approval of new vocational plans that include retraining by Office Careers….

April 15, 2020
by Megan Vaniman

Reductions in Hours, Furloughs, and Layoffs During COVID-19

A lot of employers are having hard conversations right now. A part of those conversations inevitably includes employment decisions. Many companies are trying to decide…

April 8, 2020
by Kevin Anderson

Oregon Workers’ Compensation Rule Updates During COVID-19 Crisis

Needless to say, there have been a lot of changes recently, not just in our daily lives, but also in claim processing issues. The WCD…

April 6, 2020
by Laurel Hensley

You still have time to register for SBH’s 2020 Washington Workshop!

It’s not too late to register for SBH’s 10th Annual Washington Workshop–Welcome to the Jungle! This year’s workshop is a live webinar hosted by SBH’s…

April 1, 2020
by Elizabeth Aaberg

Washington: COVID 19 and Voluntary Termination/Unemployment Benefits

Workers’ Compensation Is time loss due if a worker performing modified duty takes a voluntary layoff in the context of COVID-19? According to RCW 51.32.090(4),…

March 20, 2020
by Randi Ensley

Effective April 2nd: Employers Must Provide Paid Sick Leave and Paid FMLA Leave Related to COVID-19

On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR 6201) into enactment. These provisions are to take effect no later…

March 13, 2020
by Krishna Balasubramani

Washington – COVID-19 Incident Reports, Workers’ Comp, Wage and Leave Issues

With the recent news of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Washington, we want to ensure everyone understands the guidelines for incident reports, workers’ compensation claims, and other…

March 13, 2020
by Randi Ensley

Oregon – COVID-19 Incident Reports, Workers’ Comp, Wage and Leave Issues

As Oregon employers continue to face unique issues in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus, SBH has assembled this list of commonly asked questions addressing…

February 25, 2020
by Laurel Hensley

SBH Attorney Aaron Bass Testifies in Front of Washington State Senate

Attorney Aaron Bass testified on behalf of Washington Self-Insurers Association in opposition to SHB 2409. The bill not only increases the penalty amounts, it imposes…

Recent Posts

Subscribe To Our Blog

Complete the form below and select the categories of interest to you and we will make sure you don't miss any of our attorney's timely posts regarding employment law and other matters of interest.

Lists*

Loading