09/25/2020
Concerned about the emergency temporary standards on all Virginia businesses adopted by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry permanent? Today’s the deadline to share your concerns.
Background —
In July, Governor Northam and labor groups applauded when Virginia became the first state to adopt COVID-19 Workplace Safety Emergency Regulations. The business community, led by NFIB and others, strongly opposed it. Now, instead of letting that mandate expire in February, the state might make the temporary standard permanent.
The deadline to share concerns with the Virginia Safety and Health Codes board is midnight today, Friday, Sept. 25.
The workplace standards were pushed though with little input and they go way beyond federal standards. Here are some examples of how these regulations are expensive, confusing, and difficult for small business:
* Requiring physical separation of employees at low-risk businesses by a permanent, solid floor to ceiling wall when physical distancing can’t be achieved. Yet higher risk businesses have more flexibility to use smaller temporary barriers like Plexiglas sneeze guards.
* All businesses must clean and disinfect at the same intervals whether its a 9 to 5 office setting or a factory with round-the-clock shifts.
* Requiring employers to determine the risk of each employee instead of basing that on their job tasks.
*Attempting to regulate sick leave policies, flexible work sites, flexible schedules, meetings and travel, and delivery of services or products without regard to varying industry standards.
* Not allowing enough time to train employees.
*Expecting employers with “reasonable diligence” to know when an employee is infected with the virus but doesn’t define what that means.
Message us for more information.
Got to the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website here https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/comments.cfm?GeneralNoticeid=1137&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTVdNd05tVXdZbUZsTmpBeCIsInQiOiJ5UEpUYThqNHpMUEVXclZ6V3pva3ptWHFLZTFaSWFEbUR2cVFadWJnTzVMOGFxQUFCcUYxZlVyREgrRG55MndcL0RGYVJuYVJLbklyRzdaOUt3WnJmSXRXdTZGWkFGc1FGdFpjNkdORFNvVVwvOGxaVk9MWWgwdlo0UmRtTFpIYkxSIn0%3D.
You’ll see a green dot by the link “Enter Public Comment” where you can file your opposition.
Virginia Regulatory Town Hall List Comments
