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Worker Alert: Seattle Construction Worker Dies in Belltown Accident

September 28, 2011 by ·
Construction Accident

On September 15th, a construction worker died in an accident at the McGuire Building in Belltown, which is in the process of being torn down.  The 40 year old man was injured on the 22nd floor of the doomed building and a crane had to lower him to the ground before paramedics could perform CPR. Although paramedics attempted to revive him, he died from what appeared to be severe neck trauma, according to Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore. The McGuire building’s history is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Worker Injury, workers compensation, Workplace Accident

U.S. Veterans and Lung Injuries: Links to Injured Workers at Home

September 27, 2011 by ·
images-3

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have taken a toll on this country in obvious ways: lost military lives and billions of dollars spent.  Less obvious are the lasting repercussions for our men and women in uniform who do return from the war.  The New York Times reported today on the extreme stresses placed on families who must fill the role of caregiver for returning injured soldiers.  Unfortunately, it seems the list of injuries common to returning soldiers is about to expand again. While … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Occupational Illness, Uncategorized, Worker Injury, Worker Rights, workers compensation, Workplace Accident

Experts Weigh in on the IRS’s New Voluntary Classification Settlement Program

September 24, 2011 by ·
IRS program

Over the past week we have been following developments on the Labor Department’s crackdown on improper classification of workers, followed by the IRS’s announcement that a new program, the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, will extend an opportunity for businesses to reclassify those employees. As the IRS stated in its September 21 press release, “Under the program, eligible employers can obtain substantial relief from federal payroll taxes they may have owed for the past, if … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Wage and Hour Violations

New Bill Requires Seattle Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave and Safe Time

September 22, 2011 by ·
Paid Sick Leave Bill

City Council Meeting on Paid Sick LeaveOn September 12, the Seattle City Council approved Council Bill 117216, which requires businesses to provide paid sick leave and safe time to employees. The new requirement will apply to all employers with five or more employees who perform work in Seattle; workers performing less than 240 hours of work per year in Seattle will not be covered by the legislation. The bill also includes provisions to protect start-up companies and micro-businesses by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Paid Sick Leave

IRS Announces New “Voluntary Worker Classification Settlement Program”

September 21, 2011 by ·
IRS

Earlier today, the IRS announced a new “Voluntary Classification Settlement Program” (VCSP), which will extend a break to businesses that come forward to admit improperly classifying workers as independent contractors to evade federal payroll taxes. As we reported earlier this morning in our story “Labor Department Cracks Down on Businesses for Wage Violations” misclassifying workers as independent contractors is a tactic used by many businesses to avoid paying various taxes, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Wage and Hour Violations, workers compensation
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