Preparing for Employee Leave Compliance this Election Year
October 19, 2016
Reinsurance Fee Contribution Form Due November 15
October 27, 2016
On May 12, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule requiring certain employers to electronically submit data from their work-related injury records to OSHA. OSHA also indicated its intention to publish this employer information on a public website. Fearing that the publicity of workplace injury and illnesses would motivate employers to discourage their employees from reporting injuries and illnesses, OSHA included three major anti-retaliation provisions in the final rule.
The anti-retaliation provisions were initially set to become effective on Aug. 10, 2016. After considerable pushback from employers across multiple industries, OSHA delayed enforcement of the anti-retaliation provisions to Nov. 1, 2016. However, on Oct. 12, 2016, OSHA announced it would delay enforcement of the anti-retaliation provisions a second time. The second delay was granted to allow a federal judge sufficient time to review a lawsuit that was filed to challenge the new anti-retaliation provisions.
The new enforcement deadline is now set for Dec. 1, 2016.
Though the new anti-retaliation provisions are being challenged in court, they remain scheduled to come into force by Dec. 1, 2016. For this reason, employers should review their safety incentive programs and drug-testing policies to comply with the new rule.