Workforce Bulletin

On June 11, 2021, Illinois and the City of Chicago entered Phase 5 of its five-stage reopening plans. As part of the transition, Illinois released Executive Order 2021-12 (the “Phase 5 Reopening Order”) and new Phase 5 Guidance. Chicago also issued Phase 5 Recommendations and provided a helpful graphic that provides additional recommendations, which apply to all businesses. For Illinois and Chicago businesses, Phase 5 means a lifting of many COVID-19 restrictions across industries. Although businesses can start operating closer to normal, Phase 5 is a new normal that ...

On June 7, 2020, Governor Lamont issued Sector Rules that Connecticut businesses must follow in order to open during Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan.

Phase 2 (which began on June 17, 2020) includes the following sectors:

• Amusement parks
• Hotels/lodging
• Restaurants (indoor)
• Museums, zoos and aquariums
• Indoor recreation (e.g. bowling, movie theaters etc.)
• Libraries
• Outdoor events
• Personal services (e.g. nail salons, tattoo parlors, etc.)
• Sports and fitness facilities (e.g. gyms, fitness centers, pools, etc.)
• Film, television and digital media production

On June 26, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 157 (“EO 157”), which details rules for the reopening of indoor retail, recreational and entertainment businesses (including casinos) and individual instruction at gyms.  Initially, EO 157 also permitted indoor dining (with restrictions) to begin on July 2, 2020,  but Gov. Murphy reversed that decision three days later via Executive Order 158 (“EO 158”) and has said that indoor dining in New Jersey will continue to be prohibited indefinitely.  Gov. Murphy based this reversal on the “spikes in ...

July 1, 2020 represents a milestone for Virginia employers.  As we previously reported, nearly two dozen new employment laws take effect, including the Virginia Values Act.  In addition, all of Virginia enters Phase Three of Governor Ralph Northam’s Safer at Home plan to reopen the economy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Changes to Virginia Employment Law

Employers with Virginia operations should take note of the following important changes:

1. Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Military Status, and Pregnancy: The Virginia Values Act amended the Virginia Human Rights Act

Featured in #WorkforceWednesday: Attorney Denise Dadika examines the unique challenges health care employers face as they ramp business back up and reopen for both patients and employees.

Video: YouTube, Vimeo, MP4, Instagram.

Update:  On August 3, 2020, Gov. Murphy signed Executive Order 173 retightening  restrictions on permissible indoor gatherings to 25%  of a room’s capacity, with a maximum of 25 individuals.  The new limit does not apply to weddings, funerals, memorial services and religious and political activities protected under the first amendment. These gatherings will remain to 25% capacity and 100 maximum attendance.

On June 22, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 156  (“EO 156”), which, effective immediately, increases the permissible number of attendees at ...

Last week, Illinois moved in to “Phase 4” of the state’s five-stage Restore Illinois Plan (the “Plan”). As part of this transition, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity issued updated, industry-specific Phase 4 Guidelines (the “Guidelines”).

From an employer compliance standpoint, the transition from Phase 3 to 4 is not a radical change. Rather, the transition primarily involves loosened restrictions for already open businesses, and the reopening of additional industries (such as indoor recreation facilities like bowling alleys and ...

On June 18, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 155 (“EO 155”), which as of July 1, 2020, allows degree-granting public and private institutions of higher education (“IHE”) to resume instruction that cannot be readily taught other than in-person.  Specifically, EO 155 allows resumption of in-person labs, technical, clinical, or hands-on instruction, with enhanced health and safety protocols.

IHEs that are authorized and intend to resume in-person instruction pursuant to EO 155 must submit a restart plan to the Secretary of Higher Education (the ...

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Orders last week increasing the permissible number of attendees for indoor and outdoor gatherings, lifting part of a prior Executive Order that had directed residents to stay home, and setting a date and requirements for the reopening of outdoor pools and other outdoor entertainment and recreation.

Executive Order 152 – Expanding the Limits on Indoor and Outdoor Gatherings

On June 9, 2020, Gov. Murphy signed Executive Order 152 (“EO 152”), which effective immediately, permits an increased number of people at indoor and ...

On June 9, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam announced that Northern Virginia and Richmond will join the rest of the state in entering Phase Two on June 12, 2020, taking the next step to reopening the region.  Governor Northam’s Executive Order 65 further eased temporary restrictions throughout most of the Commonwealth of Virginia, initiating the “Safer at Home: Phase Two” strategy on June 5, 2020.

As we previously wrote, the Northern Virginia Region and Richmond entered Phase One on May 29, 2020.  In Phase Two, most of the restrictions remain fairly similar to Phase One reopening ...

Child care centers, day camps, some organized sports, outdoor dining and indoor non-essential retail are the latest business and activities that soon can start reopening (with limitations) pursuant to two Executive Orders signed last week by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

Executive Order 149 – Child Care Centers, Day Camps, Organized Sports

On May 29, 2020, Gov. Murphy signed Executive Order 149 (“EO 149”) , to allow the re-opening (with restrictions and guidelines) of all child care centers and other child care facilities, day camps and the operation of non-contact ...

As we previously reported, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian government invoked special provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (the “DMA”) to implement a series of orders under the DMA (“Orders”) imposing a nationwide lockdown. The Indian national lockdown went into effect on March 25, 2020 and was extended several times, until May 31, 2020.

The initial lockdown Orders included strict directives for employers. The employment provisions of the orders (the “Employment Provisions”) prohibited employers from terminating any employees or ...

Introduction

On April 30, 2020, Governor Ned Lamont released a four-stage plan to reopen business in Connecticut when the following conditions were met: (1) sustained 14-day decline in hospitalizations; (2) adequate testing capacity; (3) contact tracing system in place; and (4) sufficient personal protection equipment (“PPE”).  Governor Lamont identified May 20 as the tentative reopening date.

Meanwhile, on May 9, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”) issued detailed rules for the business sectors that are permitted to reopen as ...

On May 18, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued  Executive Order 147, which allows for the resumption of certain outdoor recreational businesses (subject to conditions and restrictions), and loosens some of the restrictions that had been placed on golf courses.   Some of the provisions of Executive Order 147 took effect on May 19, 2020, and others will take effect at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, May 22, 2020.

Outdoor Recreational Businesses or Activities that Have Been Closed

Pursuant to Executive Order 147, the following outdoor recreational businesses or activities that were closed ...

As Michigan businesses begin the process of reopening, they must comply with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-91 (“Order”) regarding “Safeguards to protect Michigan’s workers from COVID-19.”  The Order includes detailed safety standards, with which employers in construction, manufacturing, retail, research labs, offices and restaurants, must comply, for the stated goal of protecting workers and customers from the novel coronavirus.

Whereas the specific safety standards required by the Order differ by industry, all businesses or operations ...

On May 13, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 142 , which allows for the resuming of non-essential construction projects (subject to certain conditions and restrictions), the reopening of retail businesses (curbside pickup only) and permitting public gatherings of more than 10 people so long as attendees stay in closed (or socially distant) vehicles.   Some of the provisions of Executive Order 142 take effect immediately, and others at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2020.

Non-Essential Construction

Previously, Gov. Murphy permitted the operation of ...

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Superintendent of the State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan (who also acts as the State Director of Emergency Management) issued orders this week lifting some closures and reiterating or clarifying others, as follows.

Administrative Order 2020-10

On April 27, 2020, in Administrative Order 2020-10 (“A.O. 10”) , Col. Callahan clarified and amended Executive Order 107 (which we wrote about here).  A.O. 10, which became effective immediately, permits the reopening of certain business operations now deemed “essential retail business,” ...

On Monday, April 27, 2020, Governor Gregory Abbott announced Phase One of his much anticipated plan to reopen Texas, while minimizing the spread of COVID-19.  Governor Abbott accompanied his announcement by issuing Texas Helping Texans: The Governor’s Report to Open Texas (“Report”), and Executive Order No. GA-18 (“EO GA-18” or “Order”), pursuant to which all retail stores, restaurants[1], movie theaters, malls, museums and libraries are allowed to reopen on Friday, May 1, 2020, with a 25% occupancy limitation.  Within shopping malls and museums, all interactive ...