With 70 percent of adult New Yorkers having received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, as of June 15, 2021, New York lifted restrictions imposed on most industries under the NY Forward and COVID-19 Safety Plan rules that...more
Amendments to New York’s Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act) give the state Department of Labor more time, until July 5, 2021, to create industry-specific model safety standards and to clarify when employers must...more
On June 8, 2021, New York State updated the NY Forward Guidance for several industries, including office-based and food services employers, with changes that many people feel are overdue...more
In its latest update to informal guidance on COVID-19 vaccination issues, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) addressed vaccination mandates, incentives, and confidentiality, among other topics...more
6/1/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Confidential Information ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employer Mandates ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Incentives ,
New Guidance ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Remote Working ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations
New York employers may need to change their approach to workplace health and safety rules significantly under the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act), signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on May 5, 2021...more
5/14/2021
/ Best Practices ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Enforcement ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
OSH Act ,
OSHA ,
Risk Management ,
Safety Programs ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
In a surprise move today, CDC followed the lead of the various states that have lifted their masking and physical distancing recommendations. However, CDC’s new recommendations come with a twist. The CDC’s recommendations...more
The Biden administration has called for all people at least 18 to be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by April 19, 2021. Most states have already done so.
A BenefitsPro article cites a 2017 survey from the Society for...more
4/14/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Incentives ,
Labor Relations ,
Liability ,
Local Health Departments (LHDs) ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Vaccinations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance regarding Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools with the goal of aiding the eventual return to in-person schooling on a full-time basis while...more
Effective immediately, New York State employers must provide employees with up to four hours of paid time off per COVID-19 vaccination. The new law sunsets on December 31, 2022...more
3/15/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
New York ,
Paid Leave ,
Popular ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “Plan”). The Plan is the most recent stimulus bill enacted to address the COVID-19 pandemic and it comes almost one year to the date the...more
3/15/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Joe Biden ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Popular ,
Quarantine ,
Tax Credits ,
Vaccinations
As employers continue to grapple with a safe return to the workplace, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance for businesses and employers on SARS-CoV-2 testing of employees, as part of a...more
1/28/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Informed Consent ,
New Guidance ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
In March 2020, when Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) with a sunset date of December 31, 2020, few anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic would be ongoing into 2021. Several similar state and...more
On November 16, 2020, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) clarified its guidance permitting critical infrastructure workers to return to work before the end of the standard 14-day quarantine period following exposure to...more
Commercial property management companies face unique operational challenges during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a COVID-19 health and safety plan is becoming more important every day.
Not only do commercial property...more
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has released its “NY Forward Interim Guidance for Higher Education” for in-person attendance. Similar to other industry guidance issued by the DOH, the Higher Education guidance...more
New York State has joined the growing list of states and localities (including New York City and Westchester County) mandating that employers provide paid sick leave to employees...more
The Department of Labor (DOL) has promulgated temporary regulations to implement provisions of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) which were enacted as...more
The “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (H.R. 6201) has passed the Senate and been signed by President Donald Trump.
This article discusses the paid Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and paid sick leave provisions...more
The Families First Coronavirus Act (H.R. 6201) was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in the early hours of March 14, 2020. The bipartisan legislation would extend employee sick leave benefits, expand access to free...more