We at Schwabe and Aldrich are excited to share the insightful findings from the third edition of our State of Manufacturing in the Pacific Northwest survey. Having conducted similar surveys in 2018 and 2021, we’ve maintained...more
An Oregon law that took effect January 1 gives new protections to certain warehouse employees, and noncompliance could subject your business to civil penalties or an administrative complaint. While HB 4127, which Governor...more
In recent years, Illinois has gone the way of states like California and New York by expanding workplace protections for employees. That trend was evident in 2024 with the passage of several laws that took effect on January...more
On December 21, 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Program (S5081C/A8907A), requiring certain warehouse employers in New York to prepare and implement formal injury reduction...more
On March 27, 2024, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed into law House Bill (HB) 4127, which will impose notice and recordkeeping requirements on covered employers of certain warehouse workers when using quotas to measure worker...more
Ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders are the subject of a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that portends an even greater focus by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the...more
Applause can be heard from diverse sectors of private industry as the U.S. Congress redoubles its resolve against threats in the supply chain. New bills introduced in recent months target supply chain challenges at home and...more
Assembly Bill 98 imposes stringent design requirements applicable to new and expanded warehouse development as soon as January 1, 2026....more
In response to abundant press reports of injury rates in warehouse and distribution centers, Washington State has joined New York and California in enacting a new law, House Bill (HB) 1762, regulating employers’ use of...more
OSHA has launched a three-year National Emphasis Program targeting warehouses and distribution centers. Beginning this fiscal year this Program will extend through the middle of 2026. National Emphasis Programs are temporary...more
Effective January 1, 2024, California’s Assembly Bill 647 will expand recall rights for grocery workers when there is a change of control in a grocery establishment. Prior to AB 647, existing law required an incumbent grocery...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA Region V last week provided a Webinar on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) national emphasis program (“NEP”) to prevent workplace hazards in warehouses, processing...more
On October 8, 2023, California’s Governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 647, which revises recall rights for grocery workers when there is a change of control in a grocery establishment....more
In July, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a National Emphasis Program (NEP) focusing on warehouse and distribution facilities. A NEP is an enforcement initiative put into place when OSHA...more
Recently, U.S. lawmakers put Amazon and its top executives on the hot seat, raising questions about the retail giant’s commitment to the safety of its warehouse workers. Over the past decade, the number of Amazon warehouse...more
OSHA has been particularly busy and aggressive lately, making good on Biden Administration promises and talking points—hiring more inspectors, appointing new administrators, conducting more inspections, aggressively issuing...more
On July 13, 2023, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced the launch of a three-year National Emphasis Program meant to prevent workplace hazards in warehouses, processing...more
It is perhaps not a surprise to anyone familiar with e-commerce and the corresponding infrastructure that was developed to deliver all those packages, but according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA this week announced a national emphasis program (“NEP”) to prevent workplace hazards in warehouses, processing facilities distribution centers, and high-risk retail establishments....more
A new Washington law regulating employers’ use of production quotas or production standards for employees working at warehouse distribution centers (House Bill 1762) will go into effect on July 1, 2024....more
Warehouse distribution centers should prepare for increased regulation over their use of employee production quotas. Many employers use quotas to monitor employee performance and set minimum standards for productivity. The...more
A federal court heard motions for summary judgment in challenge to first-in-nation rule requiring warehouses to adopt clean technologies. By Joshua Bledsoe, Nick Cox, and Jennifer Garlock On April 17, 2023, a US federal judge...more
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a law amending and delaying the effective date of the recently enacted Warehouse Worker Protection Act from February 2023 to June 2023. The act creates new regulations on the working...more
The warehousing and distribution industry has one of the highest overall union membership rates in the United States. Now, employers in the industry are also navigating high turnover rates and mass labor shortages as they...more
In June of 2022, the New York legislature passed the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (WWPA) (A10020/S8922), which Governor Hochul signed into law on December 21, 2022. This legislation followed similar legislation in...more