State Laws

Sacramento, CA — California has enacted two standards designed to help protect nighttime agriculture workers from on-the-job hazards.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA’s Consultation Education and Training Division has published guidance intended to prevent and control manufacturing worker exposure to COVID-19.

Richmond, VA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has directed the state’s Department of Labor and Industry to develop emergency temporary standards to “control, prevent and mitigate” the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

Albany, NY — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has included a measure in his Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget that would impose tougher criminal penalties for violent acts against highway workers.

Tumwater, WA — The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has published guidance on a new state law intended to protect workers in the hospitality industry from sexual harassment and assault.

Frankfort, KY — Newly elected Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Jan. 10 issued an Executive Order reestablishing the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.

Sacramento, CA — The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency has launched a website intended to help employers and workers navigate the state’s recently enacted employment status law, A.B. 5.

Washington — OSHA has issued corrections for its Walking-Working Surfaces, Personal Protective Equipment and Special Industries standards to remove “typographical, formatting and clerical errors,” publishing a final rule in the Dec. 17 Federal Register.

Washington — A total of 73 U.S. hotel companies have committed to the “5-Star Promise” – a pledge to improve employee safety in the industry, including measures designed to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and assault – since its launch in September 2018, the American Hotel and Lodging Association has announced.

Berkeley, CA — Nearly 2 out of 3 California workers whose primary job is as an independent contractor will have their employment status restored under state law A.B. 5, according to a data brief released Nov. 12 by the Center for Labor Research and Education at the University of California, Berkeley.