Key topics in Akin’s July 2024 Sustainability/ESG Policy and Regulatory Update include: Updated Assessment of SFDR by EU Regulators: The European Supervisory Authorities have proposed changes to the Sustainable Finance...more
8/2/2024
/ Corporate Governance ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Products ,
Greenwashing ,
NRDC ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
SFDR ,
Sustainability ,
UK
Akin’s newsletter on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policy and regulatory developments, provides a timely digest of ESG topics, news items and other relevant information regarding significant ESG policy...more
3/7/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Final Rules ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Policy Updates ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainability ,
UNFCCC
Key Points -
New California statutes provide California employees with private right of action against firms that promulgate, maintain or try to enforce unlawful restrictive covenants. By February 14, 2024, firms must...more
In 2018, an investment professional sued the firm he co-founded for wrongful termination and federal privacy law violations associated with the former employer’s remote accessing into a desktop computer it had purchased for...more
Key Points -
The new law prohibits judicial enforcement of confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions with respect to sexual harassment and sexual assault disputes.
The law covers provisions entered into before...more
Rising inflation, increased costs of capital and the anticipation of a downturn in the economy have caused companies in many industries to begin to implement workforce reorganizations and reductions. In making plans for...more
Key Points -
The past eight months have featured the introduction of myriad new state and city laws impacting New York firms.
From amendments to the NYC Fair Chance Act and NYS Paid Family Leave Law, to the expansion...more
Like the preceding year, 2021 was full of unparalleled challenges for corporate directors, including new COVID-19 variants, supply chain disruptions, increased competition for talent and inflation. In this atmosphere,...more
Key Points The EFASASHA will invalidate most contractual provisions requiring the arbitration of claims alleging sexual assault or sexual harassment. The law will also invalidate pre-dispute joint-action waivers that relate...more
2021: ESG On Center Stage -
As we approach the end of a watershed year, we are struck by the rapid evolution and intensification of all things ESG (environmental, social and governance). Virtually every segment of the...more
1/7/2022
/ Business Strategies ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Sustainability ,
UNFCCC
Key Points -
Under New York’s Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act, New York-based firms must maintain an airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan (“Prevention Plan”) that meets or exceeds the minimum...more
While the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) May 28, 2021 guidance (the “EEOC Guidance”) largely is consistent with its previous pronouncements regarding employer mandatory COVID-19 policies, including policies...more
- On July 13, 2020, the New York Supreme Court in Andowah Newton v. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc., Sup. Ct., N.Y. County, July 13, 2020, J. Nock, Index No. 154178/2019, slip op at p. 16, allowed the plaintiff employee...more
7/17/2020
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
NY Supreme Court ,
Preemption ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws
On Friday, April 24, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) governing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). In...more
- The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), contained within the stimulus package signed by President Trump on March 27, 2020, creates a $349 billion loan facility to help “small” businesses make payroll and pay certain other...more
The grinding halt of the U.S. economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the Russia-Saudi Arabia oil price war, have forced companies in every industry to evaluate workforce reorganizations and reductions....more
- Corporate officers and directors can be held personally liable for unpaid wages.
- As companies and their officers and directors make difficult decisions to address the impact of COVID-19 on their workforce, they...more
- The President signed the FFCRA into law on March 18, 2020. The Act will go into effect “not later than 15 days after the date of enactment” (i.e., no later than April 2, 2020). Most employers with 500 or fewer employees are...more
3/25/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave Act ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Wage and Hour
- On March 16, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amended version of the FFCRA.
- The FFCRA includes two different coronavirus-related paid leave requirements for employers with fewer than 500...more
3/18/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Paid Leave ,
Pending Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
In this episode, Akin Gump labor and employment partner Richard Rabin and associate Grace O’Donnell discuss what you need to know about coronavirus’ impact on the workplace and employees.
Among the topics covered:
-...more
3/17/2020
/ Business Travel ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Testing ,
Quarantine ,
Remote Working ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Traveling Employee ,
Workplace Safety
Working from home may not be practical in many work environments, for example, where company tools, machinery or equipment may be required to accomplish a job. Where a company must suspend work or close a work location, the...more
3/13/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Over-Time ,
Public Health ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Remote Working ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Sick Leave ,
Timekeeping ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Employers face unprecedented challenges in addressing the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Among the items on their ever-expanding list is that federal and state occupational safety and health regulations require...more
Employers are facing unprecedented challenges in addressing the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Among the ever-expanding obligations is that federal and state occupational safety and health regulations require...more
- The continued spread of COVID-19 presents employers with an array of unprecedented workforce management and public health challenges.
- Decisions that employers may be called upon to make implicate a variety of...more
3/10/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Paid Leave ,
Public Health ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Risk Management ,
Salaried Employees ,
Sick Leave ,
Traveling Employee ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
- With the WHO having declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, companies should take reasonable precautions to protect themselves and their personnel.
- Below are some suggested practices United...more
3/4/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Strategic Planning ,
Traveling Employee ,
Workplace Safety ,
World Health Organization