As COVID-19 cases once again surge across the country, Washington, D.C. employers must remember to provide both paid and unpaid leave under the new District of Columbia Coronavirus Support Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-130) (the “Act”). Although passed in July 2020, the Act formally became effective on October 9, 2020 and will remain in effect through the end of the declared COVID-19 public health emergency—currently December 31, 2021. The law repeals the emergency laws that we previously blogged about, but carries over the additional obligations to provide ...
As featured in #WorkforceWednesday: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention broadened its definition of “close contact.” Now, spending a total of 15 minutes within six feet of an infected individual over a 24-hour period counts as close contact. Previously, it was an exposure period of 15 consecutive minutes. Attorney Denise Dadika explains what this change means for employers.
As the pandemic continues into 2021, many employers are contending with their workers’ significantly increased caregiving responsibilities. Parents – many without viable day care or other childcare options – must try to balance work with the challenges of caring for their children and overseeing their education (and entertainment). Other employees find themselves at the forefront of caregiving for sick family members and for family members at high risk for serious illness, if they become infected by COVID-19.
Recent data has revealed the disproportionate impact that ...
October has brought a weekly flurry of changes to Michigan’s COVID-19 legal landscape. [1] On Thursday October 22, 2020, Governor Whitmer added to this recent activity by signing three bills into law that provide employers with significant liability protection and employees with job protections related to COVID-19.
Employer Protections: Liability Shield
Titled the “COVID-19 Response and Reopening Liability Assurance Act,” HB 6030 provides employers with immunity from liability for a “COVID-19 claim” as long as the employer acted in compliance with all federal ...
Part 9 of a series featuring our video Rules of the Road: Return to Work in the Time of COVID-19.
If the Rules of the Road: Return to Work in the Time of COVID-19 series has given you any takeaways, it should be that it pays to be prepared, to be safe, and to anticipate workplace issues before they arise. This means taking stock of what has happened in the past year and what challenges lie ahead. There is almost nothing the pandemic has not affected in our lives, or in business and the workplace and the challenges have been daunting. Challenges have included, coping with illness, the stressors of ...
As featured in #WorkforceWednesday: This week, federal contractors receive guidance on diversity training, while many employers are committing to diversity and inclusion anew with updated plans and time off to vote.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Ned Lamont declared a public health and civil preparedness emergency in Connecticut. In connection with this declaration, Governor Lamont has issued numerous Executive Orders throughout the pandemic. The Executive Orders were set to expire on September 9, 2020, if they were not terminated earlier.
On September 1, 2020, Governor Lamont extended the existing public health and civil preparedness emergency until February 9, 2021. In addition, on September 8, 2020, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 9A, which reissues and extends ...
In the last several years, a growing number of states and municipalities have passed “ban the box” laws that to varying degrees prohibit employers from inquiring into a job applicant’s criminal background until later in the hiring process and/or restrict employers from using certain criminal conviction information in connection with their hiring decisions. Recently, St. Louis, Missouri joined this group, while California and Hawaii expanded their existing prohibitions on criminal history inquiries.
St. Louis, Missouri
Under the St. Louis ban the box Ordinance (the ...
Part 8 of a series featuring our video Rules of the Road: Return to Work in the Time of COVID-19.
If there has been one, singular guiding principle or mantra that has sustained us, challenged us, and in some cases, inspired us over these last few months, this is it: “Don’t Waste the Crisis.” It is also the mantra that will propel us forward.
Flashback to the eve of Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order in March, shutting down New York State and New York City as the nation and the world watched. In the countdown leading up to its effective date, there was a palpable feeling of existential ...
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) recently updated its COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQ”) regarding employers’ reporting obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As previously reported, effective as of May 26, 2020, OSHA has declared COVID-19 a recordable illness for all employers. Thus, employers are responsible for recording workplace cases of COVID-19 on a OSHA 300 Log if the case: (1) is confirmed COVID-19, as defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”); (2) is ...
In this installment of Epstein Becker Green’s “Class Action Avoidance” webinar series, attorneys Lauri F. Rasnick and Frank C. Morris, Jr. address potential discrimination class actions related to office reopenings, the changing way in which we work, and the impact that the pandemic has had on individuals in protected classes.
As many employers think about reopening their offices and other workspaces, they should consider how they do so very carefully in order to avoid decisions that may adversely impact certain protected groups or lead to disparate decision making.
As featured in #WorkforceWednesday: While some might expect U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to be a pro-employer judge, her record on labor and employment decisions could tell a different story. Attorney David Garland discusses Judge Barrett’s record and what it could mean for employers should she be confirmed to the High Court. Read more about Judge Barrett’s record (subscription required).
After repeated introductions over the course of several years in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, on September 14, 2020, the House passed HR 2694, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”). The stated purpose of the legislation is to “eliminate discrimination and promote women’s health and economic security by ensuring reasonable workplace accommodations for workers whose ability to perform the functions of a job are limited by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.” If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the Act would ...
As featured in #WorkforceWednesday: Workplace incidents—ranging from shootings and assaults to less severe violence—have spiked across a variety of industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorney Beth McManus discusses the steps employers can take to address and prevent workplace violence in the current environment. Read more.
As featured in #WorkforceWednesday: The appropriate response to an employee’s controversial off-duty or other conduct, particularly conduct that occurs on social media, has long been an uncertain area for employers. And in these polarized times, that uncertainty is only growing. Attorney Adam Forman speaks to how employers can legally respond to offensive employee conduct that occurs beyond the workplace.
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Recent Updates
- Video: How Modern Workplaces Navigate Generational Shifts: One-on-One with Jeff Landes
- Updated New York Retail Worker Safety Act Takes Effect Soon
- Video: Independent Contractor Rule, EEO-1 Reporting, and New York Labor Law Amendment - Employment Law This Week
- Colorado’s Historic AI Law Survives Without Delay (So Far)
- Disparate Impact Liability Under Fire