Responding to a recent New York federal court decision invalidating certain of its regulations interpreting the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)...more
9/22/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Furloughs ,
Intermittent Leave ,
Layoffs ,
New Guidance ,
Paid Leave ,
Remote Working ,
Sick Leave ,
Work Availability Requirement
Spurred by the uptick in remote work due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL") recently issued a new Field Assistance Bulletin clarifying employers’ obligations to pay hourly, non-exempt...more
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. employers have struggled with how to address the unanticipated ramifications of the pandemic while at the same time meeting their obligations under federal labor law. ...more
8/20/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hazard Pay ,
Layoffs ,
NLRB ,
Paid Leave ,
Retaliation ,
Sick Leave ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Unions ,
Wrongful Termination
In March 2020, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which provided emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) and emergency paid family medical leave (EPFML) to millions of workers needing time off for...more
8/6/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EPSLA ,
Essential Workers ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Intermittent Leave ,
Medical Leave ,
Paid Leave ,
Required Documentation
On July 24, 2020, Governor Charlie Baker issued an Executive Order imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers entering Massachusetts. The Order, which goes into effect on August 1, 2020, applies not only to...more
As businesses across the country move toward re-opening in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) continues to provide updates to its guidance to employers relating to...more
On May 20, 2020, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) released a Final Rule authorizing employers that use the “fluctuating workweek” method for calculating employees’ regular rates of pay to award employees additional...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) has changed its policy for employer recording of COVID-19 cases among its workforce. OSHA’s new policy rescinds prior guidance announced in April 2020 (discussed...more
On May 18, 2020, Governor Baker announced a four-phase reopening plan for Massachusetts. Of particular importance for Massachusetts business, the Reopening Plan will allow many businesses to reopen in a phased manner, albeit...more
On May 11, 2020, Massachusetts released a set of mandatory safety standards that will apply to businesses as they begin to open their doors in the coming weeks pursuant to the Commonwealth’s four-phased plan. The workplace...more
On May 8, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that the 2020 EEO-1 data collection period previously scheduled for later this year will be delayed until 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19...more
Since Congress’s quick passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) in late March, the Department of Labor has continued to issue guidance interpreting this new law. While the Department published its...more
On Wednesday, April 22, President Donald Trump signed a Proclamation suspending the issuance of new immigrant visas in an effort to limit job competition as the U.S. economy reels from the COVID-19 pandemic. The President’s...more
On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order requiring New York employers to provide certain employees with masks or other face coverings, at the employer’s expense. The order applies only to those...more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration has released a new memo addressing employers’ obligations under the Occupational Safety & Health Act (“OSHA”) with respect to COVID-19. The new memo...more
On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), the third and by far the largest stimulus package passed by Congress to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. As discussed...more
On Wednesday, April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued new formal regulations interpreting the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Those regulations largely formalized the informal guidance the DOL has...more
As concerns about the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continue to mount in the United States (and world-wide), resulting in school and business closures and other disruptions across the country, employers are...more
4/2/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
OSHA ,
Paid Leave ,
Sick Employees ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
State of Emergency ,
Traveling Employee ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On Saturday, the Department of Labor published additional guidance on the two emergency leaves available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
(We reported on the provisions of this new law in our...more
Late March 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) offered employers some important guidance on complying with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which President Trump signed into law last week. DOL...more
In December 2019, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) updated its procedures for union elections, with the new rules going into effect on April 16, 2020. These updated procedures include changes such as longer time...more
Earlier this week, as millions of Americans were being urged to self-quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a new paid sick leave bill into law. The law is designed, among other...more
On the evening of Wednesday, March 18, 2020 the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provides various forms of emergency relief to directly address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic....more
On March 23, 2020, in response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker ordered all businesses not providing “COVID-19 Essential Services” to close their physical, brick-and-mortar premises to...more
On March 18, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a guidance to employers answering several commonly asked questions relating to COVID-19 and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The...more