Employer Solutions Law offers trainings for employers in the areas of workers’ compensation, workplace safety issues, and employment law.
To find out more about hosting a training for your company, please contact Anne Allan.
Presentation & Training Descriptions
Business/Cultural
- Building a Workplace Culture of Respect and Kindness: Employers are striving for a safe, healthy, and productive/profitable work environment, but what does it take to get there? Learn how to cultivate a workplace culture focusing on respect and kindness. This training will give guidance and tools on how to build and promote a healthy work environment that improves management and profitability while also learning to be better human beings!
- Mental Health and Suicide Awareness and Prevention: Mental health of employees, especially in the COVID-19 era, is a concern for most employers. Furthermore, suicide is and has been a serious and growing problem. A suicide on or off the job impacts the workplace. Mental Health and Suicide can be tough to talk about – this training teaches you how. Learn how to spot warning signs and what to do in a crisis situation. Creating a culture of physical and mental health has substantial benefits and is in the best interest of your company and workers.
- Generational Differences in the Workplace: Challenges & Best Practices for Employers: There can be five generations working in any workplace. From Baby-Boomers to Generation Z, the cultural influences, values, expectations and communication styles of each generation are distinct. Misunderstanding or conflict can occur between generations if these differences are not recognized and valued. What are emerging workplace trends and generational similarities? How do generational values and characteristics affect the way employees interact? Learn answers to these questions and best practices for generations to better communicate and work together.
SAFETY
- The Financial and Moral Case for Safety: A Lawyer’s Perspective: An inadequate safety program can have a huge impact on your workers’ compensation costs and on your costs associated with workplace safety citations. Workers’ compensation claims’ costs impact employers in many ways and penalties for safety violations have increased exponentially over the past few years. Employers also often forget to factor in the emotional cost of serious injuries and fatalities. Learn “best practices” and the benefits of implementing a comprehensive safety program.
- Crisis Management: Worksites can go from peaceful to catastrophic in a matter of seconds. All employers on a worksite, whether directly responsible for the incident/injury/fatality or not, will face immediate scrutiny and need to make decisions in real time. Learn about best practices to deal with the injured, families, co-workers, media, and the Department of Labor and Industries. Know whom key parts of your support team should be from company personnel, insurance agents, insurance companies, media consultants, Labor and Industries attorneys and liability counsel.
- Before, During and After a Government Safety Inspection: Best Practices for Employers: The best practice for any employer is to have a plan and protocol in place for a government safety inspection. What should this plan include and how should your company respond if a citation is issued? Learn how the appeals process works and about employer defenses to a citation.
- General Contractor Liability: Increased Exposure for Upper Tier and General Contractors: The “Stute” court decision resulted in a Department policy where general contractors could be found liable for safety violations of subcontractors. Subsequent court decisions have resulted in a new 2018 Department policy where building owners, general contractors and upper tier contractors are “per se” liable for serious or greater violations of lower tier contractors. The Department may now also cite general and upper tier contractors for each specific code violation of subcontractors. A 2019 Supreme Court decision creates even greater liability for general and upper tier contractors. Learn about the new policy, increased risks and best practices to protect your business.
- When and How to Appeal WISHA/DOSH Citations Through the Department Reassumption Process: Why is it important to consider appealing a citation and how damaging is it if you don’t? Learn the process of challenging citations, your options for mediation and next steps if you do not reach a settlement.
EMPLOYMENT LAW
- Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Prevention: Today’s workplace is a melting pot of people, cultures, religions and abilities. It is important to know what forms harassment and discrimination can take. What’s the definition of harassment? What laws protect employees from discrimination in the workplace? When and how should accommodation discussions occur? Learn the policies and procedures you should implement in order to keep a harassment or discrimination claim at bay.
- Opioid, Drug and Alcohol Addiction in the Workplace: Rules, Case Law and Best Practices for Employers: How pervasive is the problem of opioid, drug and alcohol addiction in the workplace? What issues should employers be aware of? How does the legalization of marijuana impact your company’s drug policy or program? Workers’ compensation guidelines address opioid use on claims. Learn the most current rules and best practices for your company.
- Hiring, Managing and Firing: Best Practices for Employers: Hiring the wrong person and not handling terminations correctly create huge problems and costs for employers. Learn about laws applicable to hiring and firing employees and, just as important, best practices to make good hires, manage employees and having employment end while minimizing the risks of drama or litigation.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
- Red Flags on Workers’ Compensation Claims: How to Identify Them Early to Avoid Lengthy and Expensive Claims: There are numerous red flags to look for on workers’ compensation claims. With red flags, there is a high risk that the claim is fabricated and should be rejected or that a very aggressive and proactive approach is needed to get claim impact limited and the claim closed. Certain cost savings options have a short window of opportunity. Learn what these “red flags” are, how to spot them early, and best practices for employers to avoid costly, drawn-out claims.
- Preferred Worker Program in Washington State: What Every Employer Needs to Know: The Department of Labor and Industries’ revised Preferred Worker Program provides eligible employers with financial incentives to hire certified preferred workers. Learn how your company can participate in this program, help get your injured workers back to work and save tens of thousands of dollars by making them preferred worker job offers and getting them classified as certified preferred workers. When this opportunity is missed, claimants may go on to get years of vocational retraining and time loss compensation. Learn about the potential cost benefits of this program, strategies for implementation and “best practices.”
- Advanced Workers’ Compensation Issues and Solutions: If you already know the basics of workers’ compensation in Washington, it is important to understand some of the complexities of claims management and how and when to utilize members of your defense team. This seminar will fine tune your skills to lower your company’s EMR and effectively manage claims.
Learn the details of:
– Different types of Light Duty Job Offers
– Preferred Worker Program
– Independent Medical Exams
– Defense Toolkit & Surveillance