Workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and other workplace issues were front and center at the AWB/Society of Human Resource Management 's HR Day on the Hill Wednesday. Nearly 70 HR professionals from around the state toured the Capitol, met with legislators and participated in the event at AWB.
AWB Government Affairs Director Kris Tefft kicked off the event with an overview of legislation that could affect every workplace in the state, including:
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HB 2444, sponsored by Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, mandating educational leave for parents with children in school.
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HB 2764, sponsored by Rep. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma, mandating leave for employees with H1N1 flu.
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HB 2805, sponsored by Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, requiring prevailing wage paperwork to be filed by contractors on public works projects using out of state prefabricated items.
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HB 3145, sponsored by Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, an AWB-supported bill that strengthens the Department of Labor and Industries' enforcement of wage complaints
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HB 3024, also sponsored by Conway, mandating 30 minute meal and rest breaks for hospital employees.
Donna Steward, AWB government affairs director on unemployment and health care issues, shared her insights into those two key issues. Steward said Washington is on the verge of enacting an important piece of health insurance reform. HB 3015, sponsored by Rep. Eileen Cody, D-Seattle, would allow Washingtonians the opportunity to purchase health coverage from across state lines. The bill is moving in the House with bipartisan support and may be up for a floor vote in the coming week.
Steward warned against expanding unemployment insurance benefits under provisions for employees who voluntarily quit their jobs. Additionally, some employees who are fired for cause from their jobs are still getting benefits, paid by their employers.
Peter Bogdanoff, Gov. Chris Gregoire's executive policy advisor on labor issues, also addressed the group, stressing that the budget was the governor's top priority.
"What the governor says keeps her up at night is the 2011-13 biennial budget because this recession is not like others," said Bogdanoff. "It certainly seems that unemployment is going to remain high. It seems that revenues to the state will increase, but only incrementally as we come out of this recession, so whatever we do in this supplemental budget will affect the 2011-13 budget. The governor is very cautious not to do anything that would cripple the economy and not do anything that would have to be reversed."
Bogdanoff suspects the state may get federal money to help close the state's $2.6 billion budget shortfall, but is unsure how the state will plug the parts of the budget hole not covered by federal money.
Rep. Steve Conway, chairman of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, chairwoman of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, joined the gathering for lunch.
Conway stressed the need for business to work with his committee to clarify laws and make them easier to administer. He also admitted doubts about the chances for passage of HB 2764, his own bill related to employees with H1N1 flu.
"The H1N1 flu bill kind of lost its sparkle as the H1N1 virus went away," said Conway. "I'm not sure if that bill will even pass. It's really lost its purpose."
Kohl-Welles expressed reservations about HB 3024, Conway's bill to regulate meals and rest breaks in hospitals. She also defended her decision to not hear legislation to reform workers' comp.
"I do not believe that we could have dealt with the workers' comp issue in the deliberative manner it would have needed in a 60 day session," said Kohl-Welles. "It didn't add up."
Instead, Kohl-Welles wants to create a task force on workers' comp that would report its findings to the Legislature in December. Additionally, she says her own committee will study the issue in the interim between the current session and the 2011 session.
The day's final speaker, Joel Sacks, assistant commissioner for budget, policy and communications with the Department of Employment Security, suggested ways for employers to cut costs without laying off employees. This includes shared work programs, where employees could have their hours cut 50 percent, but still remain on the payroll while receiving UI benefits for the half of their hours that were cut. Sacks believes this is a good way for employers under financial pressure to cut costs while still keeping their workforce intact.
Sacks concluded with some advice to employers on why it is always important to immediately respond when Employment Security calls about a UI claim.
"The most important thing we ask of you to do as an employer is to get back with us when we call after an employee files a claim," said Sacks. "Otherwise, the only information we will have is from the employee. Someone comes in and says 'I was fired" or 'I was laid off.' We then contact the employer. When we don't hear back from the employer we take at face value what the claimant said and we make a decision based on the information we have."
