Months of working from home have made at least one thing clear – the “Freshman 15” has nothing on the COVID-19. Boredom, stress, and ease of access to the refrigerator has caused many employees to trade in their suits for...more
Law and Practice -
The 2020 Chambers US Regional Employment Guide features guidance on employment law across 14 states and includes a unique state comparison tool for readers. The guide provides expert legal commentary on...more
10/22/2020
/ Black Lives Matter ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Gig Economy ,
Harassment ,
Health and Safety ,
Interviews ,
New Guidance ,
NLRB ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Technology Sector ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Whistleblowers ,
Workplace Safety
The US Regional Employment 2020 features 14 states. The guide provides expert legal commentary on the impact of COVID-19 on the workplace, the "Black Lives Matter" and "Me Too" movements, unions, the National Labor Relations...more
In case you missed it, below are a few of the most recent employment law updates that may have gotten lost in the onslaught of the 24-hour news cycle.
EEOC Issues Opioid Accommodation Guidance -
While employers have...more
9/22/2020
/ Ban the Box ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Governor Cooper ,
Governor Kemp ,
Governor Lee ,
Health Care Providers ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) ,
Opioid ,
OSHA ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Substance Abuse ,
Written Notice
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, we have been talking about things to do to keep your employees safe and what laws apply in that arena. Recently, OSHA started handing out fines to companies for employee outbreaks...more
It’s September, which for most means the beginning of fall and the start of a new school year. This school year not only looks different than those in the past, but it has also added to the stress and uncertainty facing...more
As the country moves closer to fully opening businesses, the Department of Labor wants to remind all employers that their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act are still in place for workers with disabilities....more
8/26/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
High Risk Covid Employees ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Telecommuting ,
Workplace Safety
If you get COVID-19 at work, is it covered by workers’ compensation? Maybe. In Tallahassee, Florida, a school district denied a high school teacher’s COVID-19-related workers’ compensation claim. The reason? The district says...more
In the COVID-19 era, many employers and businesses are wrestling with unprecedented issues. You can add one more to the list: Can you have your employees ask a customer who refuses to wear a mask because of a claimed...more
8/12/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Business Ownership ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Customers ,
Direct Threat Defense ,
Disabilities ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Mandatory Requirements ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Accommodation
The EEO-1 report — who doesn’t love preparing that? With recent changes it has only gotten more fun. Many employers waited for the EEO-1 reporting portal to open for the March 31, 2020 reporting deadline, but it never did....more
In a shocking example of good news these days, the Wage and Hour Division has revised its optional forms that employers can use on various FMLA issues. The new forms can be filled out electronically and have cut down on the...more
OSHA and the CDC have each recently issued new guidance for employers as more and more employees make their way back to on-site work following the COVID-19 shutdown. Here are a few tips to consider to ensure that you are...more
6/19/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
New Guidance ,
OSHA ,
Popular ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Sick Employees ,
Workplace Decontamination ,
Workplace Safety
The EEOC just amended its Q&A document on COVID-19 testing to address what COVID-19 testing employers can require. At this time (and it could change), the EEOC says that the ADA does not allow employers to require antibody...more
Do you have to report an employee’s positive COVID-19 case to OSHA and will OSHA investigate it? On the reporting front, OSHA’s initial guidance said positive cases were reportable only in specific industries, like...more
As states begin to ease COVID-19 restrictions and individuals start to determine their own levels of acceptable risk, employers face yet another set of issues related to getting employees back to work. After many of you...more
We are two months into the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a handful of states are starting to ease restrictions. With relaxation of the rules, employers are developing plans to re-open and bring employees back to...more
Is your state starting to lift COVID-19 restrictions? Are you migrating your workforce back into the office from furlough or from remote work? Are you trying to figure out how to do this and just wish someone would give you a...more
One of the hardest things about the COVID-19 crisis is that nobody is sure about when things will open back up and life can go back to “normal.” If you’re an employer, this likely means you have more questions than answers...more
The newest edition of Form I-9 is officially here, and DHS has provided some guidance on how to inspect work authorization documents in a COVID-19 remote world.
The New Form -
Last fall, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration...more
In Part I of this post we covered some of the logistics you need to get started with the FFCRA paid leave provisions. Today we will continue our review of the Department of Labor’s FFCRA temporary regulations and discuss the...more
At the end of last week, the Department of Labor issued 125 pages of FFCRA guidance, including actual temporary regulations and 20 new Q&As (so we are now up to 79 — but who’s counting?). While a full summary of these...more
The DOL is clearly plugged in to the issues and questions employers are running into as everyone plans to give notice of and grant paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL’s first round of...more
The Department of Labor now has issued guidance, questions and answers, and a poster for those employers covered by the recently enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)...more
Late Wednesday night, the Senate passed a sweeping coronavirus economic rescue package that would pump $2 trillion into America’s economy. The House is expected to take up the bill as early as Friday, March 27...more
Last week we blogged about unemployment changes in Alabama, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia and what employers who have to reduce hours or lay off folks should be considering for their employees. Since our original post...more