In 2022, the City of Inglewood passed a healthcare worker minimum wage ordinance. The new $25.00 minimum wage applies to private-sector healthcare employees who work in hospitals, integrated health systems, and dialysis clinics in Inglewood. The new minimum wage applied to clinicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, aides, technicians, maintenance workers, janitorial or housekeeping staff
Healthcare workers
National Hospital Associations Release Statements Endorsing Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies for Healthcare Workers
The nation’s largest healthcare groups and associations have released separate statements endorsing the position that all healthcare workers should be fully vaccinated and supporting the implementation of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in hospitals and health systems nationwide.
On July 21, 2021, the American Hospital Association (“AHA”), an organization representing close to 5,000 members, released a…
The COVID-19 Strain on Health Care Remains, As Administrators Look to Long-Term Impacts
In March 2021, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released results from a national survey conducted between February 22-26, 2021 of front-line hospital administrators at 320 hospitals across 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The purpose of the survey was to assess…
Coronavirus Raises Privacy Concerns for Healthcare Providers and their Workers
The outbreak of a new coronavirus that is believed to have began in central Chinese city of Wuhan and now appears to be spreading to the United States is driving concerns for organizations around preparedness regarding their operations, their customers, and their employees. In the healthcare sector, as with prior contagious disease outbreaks, fears about…
Mandatory Nurse-to-Patient Staffing Ratios: Is Your State Next?
Healthcare facilities in California have been required to adhere to mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios since 2004. These ratios vary depending upon the degree of patient care involved. More recently, Massachusetts passed a law requiring mandatory staffing minimums in the state’s ICU’s. Other states are considering jumping on the bandwagon. A California-like bill is currently pending in…
Healthcare Lawyers Meeting Highlights Need for a Coordinated Approach to Preventing Sexual Harassment in Hospitals
Speakers at the 2019 American Health Lawyers Association’s Physicians and Hospitals Law Institute repeatedly emphasized the importance of a coordinated approach to preventing harassment in hospitals.
Programs at the conference reviewed the history of the #MeToo movement and its effect on hospitals and the healthcare field generally. One speaker cited Medscape’s Sexual Harassment of Physicians…
Illinois Hospitals to Face Requirements Designed to Reduce Violence Against Nurses
The Illinois Health Care Violence Prevention Act mandates hospitals and other healthcare providers to comply with requirements aimed at protecting their workers from violence. Beginning January 1, 2019, healthcare providers in Illinois will need to implement specific violence-prevention policies outlined in the Act (Public Act 100-1051). Our Workplace Safety and Health colleagues offer details on…
The Joint Commission Issues Seven New Workplace Violence Prevention Recommendations
Many healthcare workers experience violence in the workplace often resulting from violent behavior by their patients, clients and/or residents. What can healthcare organizations do to improve safety and minimize the risk of workplace violence?
In an effort to help healthcare organizations better prevent and address violence in the workplace, The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest…
Why the Healthcare Industry Should Pay Particular Attention to Drug and Alcohol Issues in the Workplace
While all employers struggle with navigating the ever-changing landscape of drug and alcohol issues in the workplace, healthcare employers should pay particularly close attention.
According to the annual Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index, illicit drug use among U.S. employees continues to rise, resulting in the highest drug test positivity rates in the last 12…