The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued revised guidance in the form of three new Q&As on its website further clarifying when employers must inform OSHA if employees are hospitalized or die...more
On September 11, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued revised regulations under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which generally requires employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid sick...more
The COVID-19 Report is a compilation of coronavirus news, analysis, and insights from around the world to help life sciences and health care companies stay current in this challenging time.
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A new D.C. emergency law titled “Protecting Businesses and Workers from COVID-19 Emergency Amendment Act of 2020” (Act), signed by the Mayor on August 13, 2020, requires all private employers and D.C. agencies to take...more
On August 27, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance (in FAQs numbered 98-100) clarifying how the childcare provisions of the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) apply to various remote and in-person...more
9/1/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Relief Measures ,
Remote Learning ,
School Closures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Students
On October 1, 2020, a new Maryland law related to compensation will:
- prohibit employers from requesting or relying on job applicants’ prior pay history to make decisions about employment or initial pay in most...more
8/20/2020
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On August 3, 2020, in an action brought by the State of New York (New York) against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), a court in the Southern District of New York granted summary judgment to New York and vacated four...more
Effective July 27, 2020, Virginia employers must comply with new COVID-19 workplace safety standards, known as the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). The ETS applies to all employers subject to the jurisdiction of the...more
As explained in greater detail in a prior alert, Virginia has enacted a number of new employment laws that increase employee rights and protections. Most of these new laws took effect on July 1, 2020....more
7/27/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Arbitration ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Labor Disputes ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Title VII
On July 14, 2020, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Law). The law has two significant impacts. ...more
In Tuesday's report: FDA issues first EUA for sample pooling, closes its COVID-19 hotline, and extends HCT/P enforcement discretion; a litigation team podcast on work return risks; Virginia establishes COVID-19 workplace...more
After several weeks of discussion, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (Board) on July 15, 2020 adopted the nation’s first workplace safety standards designed to establish requirements for employers to control,...more
The District of Columbia recently adopted a new version of emergency laws requiring employers to provide both paid and unpaid leave to eligible employees for certain COVID-19 related reasons....more
7/17/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Sick Employees ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On Thursday, June 18, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a pamphlet with “guidance to assist employers and workers in safely returning to work and reopening businesses deemed by local...more
6/22/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
Benefits will be available to employees under the District of Columbia’s paid family and medical leave program, known as D.C. Paid Family Leave (DCPFL), starting July 1, 2020. ...more
As employers across the country are implementing return to work procedures and are gradually opening up their workspaces, many employers were left with unanswered questions regarding what testing they may conduct prior to...more
The CDC recently released new guidance on considerations for events and gatherings. The scope of the guidance is broad, covering any planned or spontaneous event, even those with only small numbers of people. ...more
Last week, the EEOC updated its Q&As for “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws”. Here are some highlights...more
Virginia has substantially rewritten its employment laws to provide a number of new protections and rights to employees in the areas of employment discrimination, whistleblower protection, non-compete agreements, independent...more
6/12/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Human Rights ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Pay Transparency ,
Private Right of Action ,
Protected Class ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
CDC provides updated guidance and toolkit for employers preparing to re-open -
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to release workplace re-opening guidance, both generally and for employers...more
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has published a new self-identification form federal contractors (including subcontractors) must provide to individuals to request information concerning their...more
On May 19, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued Revised Enforcement Guidance (Guidance) requiring employers to investigate whether employee COVID-19 infections are “work-related” for the...more
As the world learns how to navigate the new normal, businesses have become accustomed to dealing with what used to be considered exceptional – managing mass shut-downs, disrupted supply chains, the collapse of demand, and the...more
5/12/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
OSHA ,
Price Gouging ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Rent ,
Rental Property ,
Retail Market ,
Social Distancing ,
Supply Chain ,
Telecommuting ,
Workplace Safety
Many U.S. employers are eager to reopen their worksites and to resume more normal in-person operations. But resumption of business while the country continues to face the risk of COVID-19 infections presents significant legal...more
In an important development for critical workforces that continue to operate, as well as businesses planning to reopen, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has advised employers that they may administer...more
4/24/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Workplace Safety