As flu and other respiratory virus rates peak across the U.S., hospitals and other health care providers are responding by taking measures such as limiting patient visitors. For years, one element of this response has...more
Following public hearings and at least 78 public comments, at the end of October, hospitals and other facilities licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) will have new flexibility to require both flu...more
It’s the season of football, fall foliage, and unfortunately, the flu. As the temperatures dip and boxes of tissues begin to fly off the shelves, it’s time for employers to prepare to meet the challenges of cold and flu...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: With concerns of infectious disease at the forefront of workplace health and safety in the past several years, and with the traditional flu and cold season upon us, OSHA has reminded the regulated...more
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of jurisdictions enacted sick leave laws specifically designed for absences due to COVID-19. Some states, however, enacted permanent changes to their leave laws that apply...more
As summer ends, millions of Americans should pop around the corner for a healthy double — that is, a pair of vaccinations, one targeted against the latest, widely circulating coronavirus Omicron variants and the other...more
While we’ve spent more than the last 12 months navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, let’s not forget that flu season is upon us, again. As is typical during the start of the flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and...more
Congressional Update: Debt Limit Crisis and Reconciliation Plans. Both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives were officially out this week, but the U.S. Congress still made some news....more
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued the Eighth Amendment to the Declaration Under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (“PREP Act”) for Medical Countermeasures...more
Growing numbers of private businesses and public entities have announced policies requiring employees and others to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment or as a condition of access to facilities or...more
A New York hospital sought to reduce the transmission of influenza by requiring employees to submit to the flu vaccine or face dismissal unless they could establish a medical contraindication warranting an exemption. A...more
Il Tribunale di Messina, con ordinanza del 12 dicembre 2020, ha disposto la disapplicazione del Decreto con il quale l’Assessorato Regionale della Salute della Regione Sicilia disponeva un obbligo di vaccinazione...more
In Washington: The House of Representatives was set to pass its $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package (H.R. 1319), late Friday night over solid Republican opposition. The passage is a key step toward giving President Joe...more
As if protocols in certain states for dealing with nursing home residents returning from holiday leave weren’t complicated enough in terms of corhorting, the impending influenza season and new considerations from the Centers...more
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), employers have a general duty to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. As cold weather returns, workplaces across the nation will face increased health risks this...more
With winter quickly approaching, employers face the usual spate of employees with seasonal flu and common colds. This year, however, cold and flu season coincides with spiking COVID-19 cases nationwide....more
In Washington: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) outlined a busy lame-duck session agenda Wednesday, saying he wants another coronavirus relief bill by the end of the year and a spending bill by the December 11...more
While many workplaces are settling into a COVID-19 groove of social distancing, masks and sanitizer, we now find ourselves on the cusp of flu season in the United States. Employers may wish to encourage employees to get flu...more
In Washington: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) set a Tuesday deadline for her and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to reconcile significant policy disputes if they want to pass a coronavirus relief bill before Election...more
On October 6, 2020, CMS announced new enforcement measures to ensure hospitals report daily COVID-19 data, with the exception of psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals that must report weekly, to the federal government...more
In this Virtual Town Hall discussion, we explored what employers need to be thinking about as we head into year end. Topics discussed include: - Paid Child Care Leave as schools adopt a hybrid model; - Remote work...more
This year has presented many challenges, including a global health pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes, and social justice unrest, and yet we now face a fast approaching influenza season that is sure to bring on more coughs,...more
As flu season approaches, employers are searching for answers on how to deal with viruses spreading throughout the workplace. The question is, “Can I mandate employees receive the flu vaccine?” Are there standards in place?...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more workplace law challenges over the past six months or so than many employers will see in a lifetime. From changing directives on wearing masks, determining what to do when an employee is...more
In Washington - Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have agreed to revive negotiations over a stalled follow-up coronavirus relief bill. Speaker Pelosi has...more