On Monday, September 6, 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Commissioner of Health has designated COVID-19 as a “highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public...more
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that all healthcare workers in New York State must receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by September 27, 2021. The mandate includes staff at hospitals and long-term care...more
8/18/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New York ,
Nursing Homes ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, New York City is now mandating COVID-19 vaccination for workers and patrons of indoor dining, indoor fitness, and indoor entertainment venues and performances. Mayor Bill de Blasio has issued an...more
8/18/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Entertainment Venues ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
New York ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Resorts & Restaurants ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) issued updated guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The updated guidance largely aligns with the...more
8/17/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that New York City will become the first major city in the United States to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for workers and patrons of indoor dining, indoor fitness, and indoor entertainment...more
In a memo dated July 6, 2021, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the COVID-19 vaccines’ status as products authorized for emergency use does not prohibit public and private entities from requiring them as a...more
8/2/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Vaccinations
On July 6, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor published multiple model documents related to the implementation of the New York HERO Act (the “Act”), which, as we previous reported, requires all employers in New York...more
On June 7, 2021, the New York State legislature amended certain provisions of the HERO Act which, as we previously reported, requires all employers in New York to adopt a prevention plan to protect against further spread of...more
On May 28, the EEOC issued updated and expanded guidance for employers, addressing many unanswered questions regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. The updates supplement prior EEOC guidance and focus on four topics: (1) mandatory...more
6/1/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The New York state legislature passed the Hero Act, which would require all employers in New York to implement certain safety standards and adopt a prevention plan to protect against further spread of COVID-19 and other...more
On April 10, 2021, the New York State Department of Health again updated its COVID-19 Travel Advisory for domestic and international travel. The advisory removes many of the quarantine requirements for domestic and...more
On March 10, 2021, New York State updated its quarantine guidance for individuals exposed to COVID-19. Under this new guidance, individuals who are fully vaccinated or have recently recovered from COVID-19 are no longer...more
The New York state legislature passed Bill S2588A/A3354B, which would amend the New York Labor Law to grant employees paid leave time for the COVID-19 vaccination. Below is a brief summary of what New York employers need to...more
On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that domestic travelers to New York State who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will no longer be required to quarantine or be tested upon arrival in...more
On January 20, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor issued new guidance on the state’s COVID-19 leave law, which requires that employers provide up to 14 days of job-protected leave to employees who are subject to a...more
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief, partners Harris Mufson and Evandro Gigante discuss the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recent guidance for employers regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. On...more
12/23/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On December 16, the EEOC issued updated guidance for employers in light of the Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) recent authorization of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. Widespread vaccinations are largely...more
12/18/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
New York State has released an informal guidance page, including frequently asked questions, regarding the newly enacted statewide paid sick leave law, which took effect on September 30, 2020....more
11/2/2020
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Leave of Absence ,
New Guidance ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On October 28, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued an Executive Order addressing health and safety requirements for New Jersey employers that require or permit their workers to be physically present in the office. The...more
The CDC has issued interim guidance on antibody testing for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19. While the guidance is primarily directed at clinical and public health entities, it does contain some information...more
Declaration of Coronavirus Pandemic by the World Health Organization -
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (also referred to as COVID-19, but...more
As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to disrupt markets and industries globally, businesses face significant internal and external challenges with how to identify and plan for issues caused by the outbreak. In response,...more
3/5/2020
/ Business Interruption ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Contract Negotiations ,
Contract Terms ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employment Policies ,
Force Majeure Clause ,
Foreign Commerce ,
Imports ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Insurance Industry ,
Joint Statements ,
PCAOB ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supply Chain ,
Workplace Safety
As employers are likely aware, cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (also referred to as COVID-19, but more commonly known simply as the “Coronavirus”) continue to spread. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...more
2/26/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Leave ,
OSHA ,
Public Health ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Risk Management ,
Traveling Employee ,
US State Departments ,
Workplace Safety ,
World Health Organization
As the recent Coronavirus outbreak continues, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance specifically for employers, outlining recommendations and best practices to protect their workplaces....more
2/11/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Business Travel ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Interim Guidance ,
OSHA ,
Public Health ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety ,
World Health Organization
To assist you in preparing for potential impact to your workplace and employees from the Coronavirus or other infectious diseases, we have put together the following list of action steps...more