On the final day of the Kentucky General Assembly’s 2021 session, it fulfilled one of its top legislative priorities: enacting a new law that provides personal injury liability protections against COVID-19-related claims to...more
While many might be celebrating the first set of public health recommendations that permit relaxed safety standards for fully vaccinated people, employers should not be automatically changing their current safety practices as...more
President Biden wants to “help ensure unemployed Americans no longer have to choose between paying the bills and keeping themselves and their families safe from COVID-19.” Specifically, he has instructed the U.S. Department...more
3/4/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Job Applicants ,
Unemployment ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unemployment Compensation System ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Workplace Safety
At the beginning of its 2021 legislative session, the Indiana General Assembly vowed to fast track a bill to provide civil tort immunity to businesses for damages arising on their premises from COVID-19. On February 15, less...more
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended the use of a face mask to help stop the spread of the virus. State and local governments followed suit, in some cases...more
President-elect Biden has unveiled an ambitious legislative package that would serve to not only provide a third wave of economic stimulus relief to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic but also transform the American...more
1/21/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employment Policies ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Leave ,
Relief Measures ,
Small Business ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
For employers required to maintain work-related injury and illness records: it’s that time of year again. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires covered employers (establishments with 10 or more...more
The 2021 Kentucky General Assembly got underway last week and, as expected, the leaders wasted no time setting their COVID-19 legislative agenda. Of particular importance for Kentucky businesses is Senate Bill 5, which, if...more
Federal lawmakers agreed to a second round of stimulus legislation late last night, sending a nearly 6,000-page bill to President Trump for his expected signature. The proposal allocates $900 billion in economic relief to...more
12/23/2020
/ Borrowers ,
Business Expenses ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retention ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Federal Loans ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Income Taxes ,
Loan Applications ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Paid Leave ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Relief Measures ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retail Workers ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Small Business ,
Small Business Loans ,
Tax Benefits ,
Tax Deductions ,
Unemployment Benefits
With such little fanfare that it may have escaped many employers’ attention, the Kentucky Labor Cabinet’s Department of Workplace Standards recently implemented final amendments to its injury and illness recordkeeping and...more
Employers now have clarification that they will be able mandate the COVID-19 vaccine among their workers in certain circumstances without running afoul of key federal anti-discrimination laws, according to updated guidance...more
12/17/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Interactive Process ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
In an attempt to curb the rapid community spread of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear just issued new restrictions, effective November 20, that will impact employers across the state. While the...more
In late September, Indiana Governor Holcomb announced that Indiana could move to Stage 5 of his “Back On Track” COVID-19 plan, which allowed businesses to reopen and operate under a few restrictive measures. Since that time,...more
11/16/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Holcomb ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Gatherings ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Employees ,
Sick Leave ,
Social Distancing ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
The Kentucky Supreme Court issued a decision yesterday determining Governor Andy Beshear was acting within his powers when he issued orders related to COVID-19 without deference to local authorities or other emergency...more
Media outlets announced Saturday that Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. If the legal challenges to the election result fail and he is inaugurated in January, President-Elect Biden can begin taking...more
11/10/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Citations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Safety
It appears to be official: unless the election results can be overturned in several states, Joe Biden will soon be our nation’s 46th president. Now the work begins to forecast what the next four years will bring. We’ve spent...more
11/9/2020
/ Affirmative Action ,
Biden Administration ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Labor Relations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Political Campaigns ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
When thinking about safety training for your workforce, you may be, understandably, focused on your workforce as a whole. Just as important, however, is considering the age, gender, nationality, and other aspects of all of...more
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) just published its newest series of answers to its COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) addressing when an employer must report to OSHA an employee’s...more
This article addresses many employment-related issues facing employers in the wake of hurricane-related disasters; consequently, in addition to federal laws, we also focus on certain state laws, especially those in the areas...more
8/21/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Charitable Donations ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Data Privacy ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Force Majeure Clause ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
H-1B ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
HIPAA Privacy Rule ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hurricane Season ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Relations ,
Medical Leave ,
Military Leave ,
Military Service Members ,
Natural Disasters ,
NLRB ,
OSHA ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
Retirement Plan Providers ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unemployment Compensation System ,
Unions ,
USCIS ,
USERRA ,
Visa Applications ,
Visas ,
Volunteers ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
Because COVID-19 continues to spread at a rapid rate throughout the country, with positivity rates hovering between 7% and 8% in Indiana, Governor Eric Holcomb recently announced he will sign an executive order requiring face...more
As an increasing number of businesses begin to require face coverings in their facilities – whether as a result of a local legal mandate or in the interest of public safety – there has been a corresponding increase in the...more
Because COVID-19 continues to spread at a rapid rate throughout the country, with Kentucky being no exception, Governor Andy Beshear announced that masks or face coverings would be required starting Friday, July 10, 2020 at...more
Noting that outbreaks at food processing facilities and other high-density critical infrastructure businesses have raised unique questions that require additional guidance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced that OSHA area offices will begin to increase in-person inspections in some parts of the country as the agency released a revised response plan on how it...more
While there had been some doubt whether Kentucky’s various COVID-19 reopening “requirements” and “guidelines” had the force of law, the state largely removed that doubt today through an Order confirming that these releases...more