Tropical Storm Helene is projected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a major hurricane later this week, and evacuations are already underway in parts of the state. Employers are likely to face inevitable workplace safety risks...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unveiled its long-anticipated proposed heat illness prevention rule, which would require employers to monitor excessive heat in the workplace and develop and implement...more
7/9/2024
/ Administrative Agencies ,
Chevron Deference ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
General Duty Clause ,
Heat Exposure ,
Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo ,
NPRM ,
OSH Act ,
OSHA ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Safety Precautions ,
SCOTUS ,
Workplace Safety
On December 3, 2021, the Florida Department of Legal Affairs of the state attorney general’s office issued an emergency rule establishing the procedure for private employer vaccination mandate complaints under section...more
12/8/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Rule ,
Employer Mandates ,
Exemptions ,
OSHA ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Health Departments ,
Stays ,
Temporary Regulations ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
In a November 30, 2021, order, a federal judge sitting in Louisiana entered a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Biden administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) interim final rule entitled...more
12/2/2021
/ Appeals ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
OSHA ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Stays ,
Temporary Regulations
On November 18, 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law measures that immediately prohibit workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private and public employers and begin the process for Florida establishing a state...more
11/19/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Enforcement ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor DeSantis ,
OSHA ,
Pending Legislation ,
Preemption ,
State OSHA Laws ,
Temporary Regulations ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On November 15, 2021, the Florida Legislature will convene a five-day special session under the proclamation issued on October 29, 2021, by Governor Ron DeSantis for the “Keep Florida Free” joint legislative agenda.
With...more
11/15/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Enforcement ,
Exemptions ,
Governor DeSantis ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Preemption ,
Private Sector ,
Public Employees ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
State Health Departments ,
State Legislatures ,
State OSHA Laws ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
As of August 8, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has received more than 5,558 whistleblower complaints related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic (and State Plans have received an...more
8/12/2021
/ Administrative Complaints ,
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Biden Administration ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
OSHA ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers ,
Workplace Safety
With the onslaught of the pandemic in 2020, many employers were busy dealing with staffing issues, safety concerns, and COVID-19–related legislation. There may have been little to no time to address handbook policies....more
Employees - particularly healthcare employees - are increasingly refusing to work because of safety concerns and the need for accommodations related to COVID-19. In certain circumstances, these refusals may trigger...more
On November 21, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution (HR) 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, in a 251-158 vote.
HR 1309 would direct the...more
On February 27, 2019, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing on House Resolution 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, introduced by...more
On November 16, 2018, Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT) introduced House Resolution 7141, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. The bill would force the Occupational Safety and...more
On July 9, 2018, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine published a study in a peer-reviewed medical journal indicating that “[p]hysician burnout is at least equally responsible for medical errors as unsafe...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) authorizes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor to conduct inspections at worksites within its jurisdiction to enforce the...more