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,…
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!
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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),…
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…
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…
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…
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…