Next week, Ohioans will head to the polls to vote on Issue 2, which would legalize and regulate recreational marijuana for Ohioans over the age of 21 to include cultivation, sale, purchase, possession, use and home growth, in addition to other proposed regulation.

So will Issue 2 force employers to change how they make decisions regarding marijuana in Ohio workplaces? Arguably no. Consistent with Ohio’s existing Medical Marijuana Control Program, the ballot initiative language is clear. Employers would NOT:

  1. Be required to “permit or accommodate an employee’s use, possession, or distribution of adult use cannabis”, and
  2. Be prohibited from “refusing to hire, discharging, disciplining, or otherwise taking an adverse employment action against an individual … because of that individual’s use, possession, or distribution of cannabis.”

In other words, under the proposed statute, employers could still prohibit employees from using or possessing cannabis while at work and/or on the employer’s premises. And employers could continue to refuse to hire, discipline, or discharge an employee if the employe tests positive for cannabis – even if the positive test was the result of lawful, off-duty use.  Ohio employers subject to federal Department of Transportation requirements and parties to federal government contracts will also continue to be permitted to drug test employees pursuant to those federal requirements.  And Ohio employers would also be able to maintain voluntary Drug-Free Safety Programs through the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

Employers in other states with legalized recreational marijuana use are sometimes significantly more restricted in what actions that they can and cannot take as the result of an employee’s positive drug test. In California and New York, for example, employers can generally only take action against employees if they have psychoactive cannabis metabolites in their system such that they are impaired at work.  These standards are particularly onerous for employers because science and research have, to date, yielded few (if any) approved, available drug tests that are capable of detecting current cannabis impairment that would be analogous to BAC results that test for alcohol impairment.  Further complicating the analysis in these other states is the different impact on impairment caused by the method of cannabis consumption.  Fortunately for Ohio employers, no such requirements or standards would result from the passage of Issue 2.  Employers could still refuse to hire, discipline, or discharge employees based on a positive drug test – regardless of current impairment.

If Issue 2 passes, however, employers should carefully consider whether pre-employment and other cannabis-related policies are still right for their business.  Employers may continue to grapple with the balance between relaxing pre-employment drug testing due to the nationwide labor shortage and the increased risk for potential negligent hiring, retention, and/or supervision claims.

To put it bluntly, regardless of how Ohioans vote on November 7th, employers should ensure their drug policies are consistent with state and federal law, communicate the policies to employees, and apply them consistently. If you have any questions about employer drug testing policies, please contact Katie McLaughlin or any member of Frantz Ward’s Labor & Employment Group.

After a 3-2 vote along political party lines, the EEOC recently voted to publish its Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace, which remains open to public comment until November 1, 2023. When the current version is finalized, it will be the first update on harassment issued by the EEOC in almost 25 years and will consolidate, supersede and update five dated EEOC guidance documents on the topic: Compliance Manual Section 615:Harassment (1987); Policy Guidance on Current Issues of Sexual Harassment (1990); Policy Guidance on Employer Liability under Title VII for Sexual Favoritism (1990); Enforcement Guidance on Harris v. Forklift Sys., Inc. (1994); and Enforcement Guidance on Vicarious Employer Liability for Unlawful Harassment by Supervisors (1999). The EEOC’s last proposed guidance on harassment was issued in 2017 but was never finalized under the Trump administration. The proposed guidance follows the EEOC’s 2024-2028 enforcement priorities, which include preventing and remedying systemic harassment.

In addition to reiterating the EEOC’s position on what constitutes unlawful harassment (including causation and liability standards) and providing well-worn examples of workplace harassment, the EEOC’s newest proposed guidance also “reflects notable changes in law, including the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, the #MeToo movement, and emerging issues such as virtual or online harassment.”  The following are notable topics addressed in the draft enforcement guidance:

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Referencing the Bostock decision, 140 S. Ct. 1731 (2020), the proposed guidance explains that the decision itself “concerned allegations of discriminatory discharge, but the Supreme Court’s reasoning in the decision logically extends to claims of harassment. Indeed, courts have readily found post-Bostock that claims of harassment based on one’s sexual orientation or gender identity are cognizable under Title VII.”  As a result, the EEOC specifically identifies: 1) intentional and repeated use of a name or pronoun inconsistent with an individual’s gender identity (i.e. misgendering); and 2) the denial of access to sex-segregated facilities like bathrooms and locker rooms that are consistent with an individual’s gender identity as examples of sex-based harassment.

Abortion
Consistent with the EEOC’s proposed regulations to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which contemplates reasonable accommodation in the form of leave for abortion-related care, the EEOC’s proposed guidance states that sex-based harassment also includes harassment based on “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions,” which can include “harassment based on a woman’s reproductive decisions, such as decisions about contraception or abortion.”

Religious Expression
With respect to religious expression, the EEOC’s stated position on when such expression rises to the level of harassment is as follows: “If a religious employee attempts to persuade another employe of the correctness of his beliefs, the conduct is not necessarily objectively hostile. If, however, the employee objects to the discussion but the other employee nonetheless continues, a reasonable person in the complainant’s position may find it to be hostile.”  Acknowledging the need for “special consideration when balancing anti-harassment and accommodation obligations with respect to religious expression,” the EEOC states that “employers are not required to accommodate religious expression that creates, or reasonably threatens to create, a hostile work environment” and that employers “should take corrective action before the conduct becomes sufficiently severe or pervasive…”

Social Media
The EEOC also specifically addresses an employers’ obligation to address private social media activity if such conduct begins to seep into and affect the workplace: “Conduct that can affect the terms and conditions of employment, even though it does not occur in a work-related context, includes electronic communications using private phones, computers, or social media accounts, if it impacts the workplace.”  The EEOC specifically notes that social media posts on personal social media pages can contribute to a hostile work environment if “an employee learns about the post directly or other coworkers see the comment and discuss it at work.”  The EEOC also addresses revenge porn: “Given the proliferation of digital technology, it is increasingly likely that the non-consensual distribution of real or computer-generated intimate images using social media can contribute to a hostile work environment, if it impacts the workplace.”

While it is clear from this proposed guidance that employee comments on social media regarding, abortion, marriage, gender identity or sexual orientation may “impact the workplace,” the EEOC is silent as to how an employer should reconcile its obligation to address potential sexual harassment with the First Amendment ministerial exemption, Title VII’s religious organization exemption, or free speech protections. See e.g., Meriwether v. Hartop, 992 F.3d 492 (6th Cir. 2021)(allowing challenge by a devout Christian professor at Shawnee State University to discipline awarded to him by the University for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronoun based on free-speech and free-exercise grounds). Employers should also exercise caution when addressing out-of-work conduct in light of the August 2023 National Labor Relations Board’s Stericycle decision, which promises heightened scrutiny of workplace policies that impose restrictions on employee speech, including private social media speech. Stericyle, Inc. v. Teamsters Local 628, 372 NLRB No. 113 (2023).


While the proposed guidance does not “have the force and effect of law” and is “not meant to bind the public in any way,” it is clear that the current proposed guidance is another step in the EEOC’s coordinated effort to expand growth and enforcement under the Biden administration. Employers should consult experienced labor and employment counsel regarding training and to ensure policies and procedures are updated before this guidance is finalized.

Last week the EEOC issued its Strategic Enforcement Plan Fiscal Years 2024 – 2028 (FYI 2024-2028). According to the Agency, the plan “establishes the EEOC’s subject matter priorities to achieve its mission of preventing and remedying unlawful employment discrimination and to advance its vision of fair and inclusive workplaces with equal opportunity for all.” In other words, the Plan identifies “big ticket” items for potential lawsuits and other enforcement efforts that employers can expect the EEOC to pursue more aggressively in the near future.

Below are some key issues identified by the EEOC that employers should consider:

  1. “Preserving access to the legal system” by reviewing “overly broad waivers, releases, non-disclosure agreements, or non-disparagement agreements.” This priority emphasizes the need to ensure that severance agreements, arbitration agreements, and employer policies do not unlawfully discourage or prohibit the filing of EEOC charge and lawsuits;
  2. “Recognizing employers’ increasing use of technology, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to target job advertisements, recruit applicants, and make or assist in hiring and other employment decisions.” This emphasis comes just weeks after, as our colleague Joel Hlavaty wrote, the EEOC announced a $365,000 settlement agreement with a software company that it accused of violating anti-discrimination laws through its use of AI in recruiting and hiring process. In its press release, EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows wrote, “Even when technology automates the discrimination, the employer is still responsible … This case is an example of why the EEOC recently launched an Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Fairness Initiative. Workers facing discrimination from an employer’s use of technology can count on the EEOC to seek remedies.”  This initiative and the related settlement reinforce the need to ensure that AI tools are used in compliance with applicable laws.
  3. Targeting discrimination, bias, and hate directed against religious minorities (including antisemitism and Islamophobia), racial or ethnic groups, and LGBTQI+ individuals.” This priority merits special consideration in light of Groff v. DeJoy, the recent Supreme Court decision that heightened the standard for establishing the employer’s undue hardship  defense in the context of religious accommodations. Under the previous standard, the employer could prevail so long as the accommodation cost was anything more than “de minimis.” Going forward, employers must now show that the burden “is substantial in the context of [its]  overall business.” Thus, before rejecting religious accommodation requests, employers should carefully consider the nature of the request, the burden imposed on the business, and the viability of alternative options.
  4. “Protecting workers affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including under the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and other EEO laws.” This focus highlights the urgency for employers to develop a strategy to comply with the PWFA, as our colleague Megan Bennett outlined in her recent article.

What’s Ahead
While the EEOC will exercise its usual jurisdiction to process charges that allege violations of the federal discrimination statutes within its jurisdiction, the items in the Strategic Plan will receive special attention from the EEOC’s investigators and litigators. Therefore, employers should identify any potential exposure in these areas and creative a proactive strategy for minimizing liability and ensuring compliance in the future.

Employers finally have some guidance regarding the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which went into effect on June 27, 2023. On August 11, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement the law. The proposed rule will now enter a 60-day comment period, during which interested parties can submit feedback to the EEOC regarding the rule. The EEOC will take the comments into consideration when finalizing the rule, and we should expect a final rule to be in place in December 2023.

As a refresher on the PWFA, it is modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations based on known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Employers are not required to grant an accommodation request if it imposes an undue hardship. The terms “reasonable accommodation” and “undue hardship” have the same meaning as under the ADA. Additionally, employers should follow the interactive process after receiving a request for an accommodation, just like under the ADA.

The full text of the EEOC’s proposed rule is available here. However, answers to your most important questions are outlined below.

  • What is a “known limitation?”

A limitation is known to the employer if the employee or her representative has communicated it to the employer.

A limitation is a physical or mental condition related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. One major difference between the PWFA and the ADA, is that a limitation does not need to rise to the level of a disability to trigger an employer’s duty to accommodate. A limitation can be a “modest, minor, and/or episodic impediment or problem.”

  • What are “related medical conditions?”

The proposed rule lists several potential issues that could be considered “related medical conditions,” including, for example: 1) termination of pregnancy (miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion); 2) infertility/fertility treatments; 3) anxiety, depression, psychosis, or postpartum depression; 4) menstrual cycles; 5) use of birth control; 6) and lactation. This is not an all-encompassing list, and the proposed rule lists out additional “related medical conditions.”

  • Can I request medical documentation from an employee who requests an accommodation during the interactive process?

The EEOC suggests that the need for documentation should not be common because most accommodation requests will be “simple and straightforward.” In the event that an employer has “reasonable concerns” about whether the employee has a limitation, whether the employee’s limitation is caused by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition, and/or whether the accommodation is necessary, it may request medical documentation. In short, requesting medical documentation should be the exception, not the rule.

  • What is a reasonable accommodation under the PWFA?

The EEOC presumes that the following accommodations are reasonable: 1) allowing an employee to carry and drink water during the workday; 2) allowing an employee additional restroom breaks; 3) allowing an employee breaks to eat and drink; and 4) allowing an employee to sit or stand when necessary. The EEOC states that these accommodations will not cause undue hardship in virtually all cases.

Additional examples provided by the EEOC of possible accommodations are: 1) light-duty assignments; 2) providing an employee with different equipment, uniforms, or devices; 3) closer parking; 4) schedule changes/flexible hours; 5) temporarily suspending one or more essential functions; and 6) teleworking. A leave of absence (paid or unpaid) is also a reasonable accommodation, but it should only be offered as an accommodation if there is no other reasonable accommodation available.

  • What if an employee is unable to perform the essential functions of her job due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition?

In the second major difference from the ADA, the EEOC suggests that temporarily excusing an employee from an essential function of the job is a reasonable accommodation, unless it would impose an undue hardship. Employers only need to excuse an employee from an essential function if the employee’s inability to perform the duty is 1) temporary, 2) the essential function can be performed “in the near future,” and 3) the inability to perform the essential function cannot otherwise be reasonably accommodated. The EEOC defines the phrase “in the near future” to generally mean 40 weeks.

The EEOC began accepting charges based upon the PWFA on June 27, 2023. Therefore, although the EEOC’s rule has not yet been finalized, employers should begin implementing policies and procedures in line with the proposal now. As the EEOC noted, voluntary compliance with the proposed rule and communication between employer and employee are key to the success of PWFA. We will continue to monitor the status of the proposed rule, and employers should keep a look out for updates on the final rule in December 2023.

In a huge victory for organized labor earlier today, the National Labor Relations Board paved the way for unions to represent workers even without holding a formal representation vote. The NLRB did this through a decision by its Democratic majority in a case involving Cemex Construction Materials Pacific LLC.

The NLRB’s Cemex Construction decision resurrected parts of a representation framework that it originally developed in 1949. The current framework will now involve the following steps:

  • A union can request that an employer recognize it as the employees’ bargaining representative. A union can make this request on the basis that a majority of employees in an appropriate bargaining unit signed authorization cards.
  • Once the employer receives this request, it must either: (1) recognize and bargain with the union; or (2) promptly file a petition with the NLRB seeking an election. 

Importantly, if an employer files a petition seeking an election and then commits certain types of unfair labor practices, the NLRB can dispense with the election altogether and simply order the employer to recognize and bargain with the union. 

The NLRB justified imposing this framework on employers by concluding that it will better enable the NLRB to deter employers from interfering with union elections.

If you have questions about this or other Labor and Employment issues, contact Brian Kelly or another member of the Frantz Ward Labor and Employment Practice Group.

We previously reported in May of 2022 that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice, issued guidance to employers, employees and applicants on the use of artificial intelligence tools.  We also reported in February of this year about the public hearing held by the EEOC in January, which lasted almost four hours, was attended virtually by almost 3,000 members of the public, and had testimony from 12 witnesses, including experts from the American Civil Liberties Union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the American Association of Retired Persons, as well as witnesses from law firms and universities. 

The EEOC has now reached a tentative settlement of its first discrimination suit based on the use of AI software.  In the EEOC v. iTutorGroup, Inc., E.D.N.Y., No. 22-cv-02565,  the EEOC alleged that iTutorGroup, which provides English-language tutoring services to students in China, was using AI software that automatically rejected applicants based upon their age.  The discriminatory practice was discovered after one of the rejected applicants resubmitted their application using a different birth date and was accepted for the position.

The EEOC and iTutorGroup have entered into a consent decree that needs to be approved by Judge Pamela K. Chen.  Under the terms of the consent decree, iTutorGroup will provide $365,000 to be distributed to more than 200 applicants who were denied jobs in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.  The Company must invite all applicants previously rejected between March and April 2020 to reapply, and it also must adopt anti-discrimination policies and conduct anti-discrimination training.  If approved, the consent decree will remain in effect for a period of five years.

This case highlights the aggressive stance that the EEOC is taking and will continue to take against companies that utilize AI software in their recruiting.  Examples of some of the AI tools that concern anti-AI advocates and the EEOC are: “resume scanners that prioritize applications using certain keywords; employee monitoring software that rates employees on the basis of their keystrokes or other factors; “virtual assistants” or “chatbots” that ask job candidates about their qualifications and reject those who do not meet pre-defined requirements; video interviewing software that evaluates candidates based on their facial expressions and speech patterns; and testing software that provides “job fit” scores for applicants or employees regarding their personalities, aptitudes, cognitive skills, or perceived “cultural fit” based on their performance on a game or on a more traditional test.”

If you have questions about the EEOC’s guidance on and examination of artificial intelligence, or a general labor or employment question, feel free to contact Joel Hlavaty or any member of Frantz Ward’s Labor & Employment Group.

Pay transparency is on the rise. To date, eight states and multiple cities and localities have already enacted pay transparency statues – and several more jurisdictions have pending legislation. What do these laws require, and what should employers expect if they become subject to them?

Generally, these laws have three different components. They could have all three components or just one, depending on the individual statute:

  1. Employers are prohibited from considering a candidate’s salary history when making hiring or compensation decisions.
  2. Employers must disclose compensation information (usually in the form of a salary range) to job candidates. Employers typically must do this during the hiring process upon a candidate’s request, or publicly disclose a salary range by including it in a job posting. The amount of information employers must disclose can also vary – in some states, employers must disclose a general description of all benefits and other compensation in addition to a salary range.
  3. Employers must maintain records or report on historical salaries for various positions.

Currently, Ohio does not have a state-wide pay transparency statute. However, city ordinances in Toledo and Cincinnati require that certain employers provide the pay scale to an applicant who has received a conditional offer of employment.

What does it mean for your organization if you are subject to pay transparency laws or become subject to one in the future? Keep the following practical considerations in mind:

  • Multi-state employers. Employers with locations in multiple states should stay up to date on new and pending legislation. Additionally, be mindful of the differences between the laws – what do you have to disclose, at what point in the hiring process do you have to disclose it, etc.? Consider whether you should implement state-specific practices to comply, or create a nationwide policy to comply with the most restrictive laws for jurisdictions in which you operate.
  • Remote-only positions. Pay transparency poses a particularly challenging question for remote-only postings, which could be theoretically filled by a candidate from any state. So, what if an employer is based in a state without pay transparency laws, but an applicant lives in a state with pay transparency requirements? Some states have resolved that employers must take notice of a remote applicant’s physical location to ensure compliance with laws that apply to the applicant. In other words, if the applicant lives in a jurisdiction with pay transparency laws, the employer must comply with those laws regardless of where the employer is based. But in other states, this is still unclear.
  • Training. Employers should train HR staff, managers, and others who are interviewing applicants to make sure they are aware of and complying with these laws, particularly in jurisdictions where employers are only required to disclose pay upon an applicant’s request.
  • Discrimination claims. Along with the rise of pay transparency laws, employers may see an increase in discrimination litigation based on inequitable pay. So, employers should be proactive and consider implementing routine audits into their pay practices and compensation structures to identify these potential areas of inequity and work to rectify them – instead of discovering them for the first time in a lawsuit.
  • Reporting obligations. Employers should keep detailed records of job titles, responsibilities, and salaries in the event they are called on to report on this data.
  • Be proactive. Avoid perpetuating pay inequities when determining compensation by focusing on salary expectations and job responsibilities – instead of salary history.

Any of the attorneys in Frantz Ward’s Labor & Employment group are happy to assist you with monitoring pay transparency legislation, or any of the other action items above. If you have any questions, please contact Katie McLaughlin or any other Frantz Ward Labor & Employment attorney.

In Glacier Northwest, Inc., v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters the Supreme Court recently ruled that employers can seek tort claims against unions who purposefully destroy employer property during labor disputes.

Glacier Northwest is a concrete company in Washington state, and had a collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union No. 174 (the “Union”). After the CBA between Glacier and the Union expired, the Union called for a work stoppage on a morning it knew the company was in the midst of mixing substantial amounts of concrete and making deliveries. On the day of the work stoppage, the Union directed its members to deliberately ignore Glacier’s instructions to complete the concrete deliveries in progress, leaving uncured concrete in varying trucks. It is well known that if uncured concrete is not properly handled, it can harden and cause significant damage to trucks and other property. While Glacier was able to take steps to offload concrete from the trucks in question, the offloaded concrete quickly became useless, resulting in financial harm to Glacier.

Glacier initially sued the Union for damages in state court, claiming that the Union intentionally destroyed the company’s concrete and that this conduct amounted to common-law conversion and trespass to chattels. The Union moved to dismiss Glacier’s tort claims on the ground that the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) preempted them. The Washington trial court dismissed the lawsuit on preemption grounds, and the Washington Supreme Court later affirmed the decision, holding that “the NLRA preempts Glacier’s tort claims” because the loss “was incidental to a strike arguably protected by federal law.”

Strike misconduct has typically been considered protected activity pursuant to the NLRA, and thus generally immune from tort claims. However, in an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that The NLRA did not preempt Glacier’s tort claims alleging that the Union intentionally destroyed the company’s property during a labor dispute. The Court found that the Union’s coordinated strategy of deliberately refusing to deliver concrete created both a foreseeable and serious risk to Glacier’s equipment and its concrete, and was deliberately designed to cause such harm. Because the Union failed to “take reasonable precautions to protect” against the foreseeable and imminent danger, such tactics were not considered protected activity and thus, not protected by the NLRA.

The Supreme Court’s ruling makes clear that employers who face intentional destruction of property by Unions, where the Union did not take reasonable precautions to stop such behavior, can seek damages. The issue of what constitutes “reasonable precautions” will likely be litigated in the future, but the Court’s decision brings a sense of relief to employers subjected to strike misconduct.

If you have questions regarding Glacier Northwest, Inc., v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, contact Jonathan Scandling or any other Frantz Ward Labor & Employment attorney.

Videoconferencing made many employee onboarding tasks easier under COVID-related rules, including the inspection of passports, birth certificates and other I-9 documents. Those COVID-related rules are ending, however, and employers now have to conduct an in-person inspection of all I-9 documents that they examined virtually.

Federal law has long required employers to complete a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, for each employee within 3 business days of the employee’s first day of work. As part of this process, the employee’s passport, driver’s license or other I-9 documents had to be physically inspected in the employee’s presence, and the person who conducted the inspection had to complete the employer’s portion of the I-9 form. Due to health concerns during COVID, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced temporary rules, under which employers could inspect I-9 documents virtually, by videoconference or otherwise, rather than in person.

When DHS issued these rules, it made it clear that it was simply deferring, and not eliminating, the employer’s obligation to conduct an in-person inspection of the I-9 documents. Although DHS extended the deferral period for an in-person inspection several times, it recently confirmed that the deferral period is ending on July 31, 2023, with a 30-day grace period until August 30, 2023.

In order to comply with the recent guidance from DHS, employers should therefore do all of the following no later than August 30: (1) identify all I-9 forms that were completed with a virtual inspection of the supporting documents; (2) arrange for an appropriate in-person inspection of the supporting documents; and (3) make the necessary notations on the I-9 forms to confirm the in-person inspection. If an employer fails to complete these steps, it could face consequences in the event of a DHS audit or other compliance proceeding.

If you have questions about this or other Labor and Employment issues, contact Brian Kelly or another member of the Frantz Ward Labor and Employment Practice Group.

On May 1, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced its second National Emphasis Program (“NEP”) in three months, this time addressing the leading cause of fatal workplace injuries and the most frequently cited health and safety standard during construction industry inspections: falls.

According to a statement released by Assistant Secretary for OSHA, Doug Parker, the release of the NEP intentionally coincided with last week’s 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction week. In the same statement, Assistant Secretary Parker cited to Bureau of Labor Statistics and OSHA data documenting 5,190 fatal workplace injuries in the year 2021, 680 of which were associated with falls from elevations that represent 13% of all deaths.

While it is anticipated that most inspections will occur in the construction industry (all of which will be conducted under the NEP), the NEP applies to all industries and identifies the following non-construction activities being targeted:

  • Roof top mechanical work/maintenance (e.g., HVAC)
  • Utility line work/maintenance (electrical, cable)
  • Arborist/tree trimming
  • Holiday light installation
  • Road sign maintenance/billboards
  • Power washing buildings (not connected to painting)
  • Gutter cleaning
  • Chimney cleaning
  • Window cleaning
  • Communication towers

Significantly, the NEP will focus on reducing fall-related injuries and fatalities for people working at all heights, including those less than four feet (the height threshold referenced in several OSHA general industry standards). The NEP also permits compliance officers to initiate inspections “whenever they observe someone working at heights,” as well as in response to reportable incidents, referrals and complaints. The NEP takes immediate effect and contains no date of expiration. As such, employers in construction and non-construction industries should expect and prepare for an increase in on-site inspections relating to fall hazards in 2023 and beyond.