As of February 3, 2025, California’s COVID-19-specific workplace regulations will expire, though employers must still track COVID-19 cases until February 3, 2026. Cal/OSHA can enforce COVID-19 as a workplace hazard under the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is shifting its COVID-19 isolation guidance, advising that COVID-positive individuals no longer need to isolate once they have been...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an order revising COVID-19 definitions and procedures. Because the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 standard incorporates by reference certain CDPH...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The CDC has found that COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are leveling off from their rise over the summer. The CDC advises that Americans can help prevent these numbers from increasing again by...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On August 11, 2022, the CDC, through a press release, eased its COVID-19 guidance to “help us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives,” while acknowledging that the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Omicron BA5 strain has become dominant and has evolved to render vaccinations and boosters less effective, resulting in many employers revisiting their COVID-19 policies....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Labelling the Delta-variant surge as the “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated,” on August 26, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Prtizker announced that Illinois residents must wear masks indoors, and that school and...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On July 27, 2021, the CDC revised its mask guidance in response to the burgeoning threat of the COVID-19 Delta variant, recommending that all individuals — including those who are vaccinated — wear masks...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 27, 2021, CDC announced updated recommendations for fully vaccinated people in non-healthcare settings (note that on the same day the CDC also posted Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just released revised guidance on quarantine time allowing for two quarantine options in addition to the standard 14 day quarantine....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In late May, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam directed the state’s Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) to develop emergency temporary standards to prevent workplace exposure to COVID-19. Those rules were...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Last week, the President issued an Executive Order under the Defense Production Act of 1950 to protect the continued operation of the nation’s meat and poultry processors during the current COVID-19...more
5/5/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Defense Production Act ,
Farm Animals ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Food Supply ,
OSHA ,
Poultry ,
Public Health ,
Retail Market ,
Trump Administration ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have jointly released coronavirus-related interim guidance for meatpacking and meat...more
5/4/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Farm Animals ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Food Supply ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Meat Processing Plants ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Poultry ,
Public Health ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: The WHO has officially declared COVID-19 to be a global “pandemic,” triggering new considerations for employers....more
3/13/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety ,
World Health Organization
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has issued a new alert and guidance document on COVID-19 suggesting ways for employers to minimize and manage risks to their workforces....more
3/12/2020
/ Airline Employees ,
Aviation Industry ,
Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Waste Disposal ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth Shaw’s OSHA/MSHA group is at the ABA’s Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting this week. Today, we heard some introductory remarks from the Solicitor of Labor, a panel who...more
3/5/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ,
Mining ,
Occupational Exposure ,
OSHA ,
OSHRC ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Severe Violators Enforcement Program (SVEP) ,
Silica ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: First American case reported of deadly new Chinese coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated that it is closely monitoring an outbreak caused by a new 2019 Novel...more
1/22/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
China ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Safety
The flu and cold season is now approaching. Tragically, each year, a number of deaths result from flu and other infectious diseases. Employers again routinely face concerns about how to respond to highly infectious diseases...more
11/14/2018
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Premises Liability ,
Public Health ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Vaccinations ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
Seyfarth Synopsis: With Hurricane Florence bearing down on the East Coast, employers are looking at potentially huge liabilities, including employee injuries and fatalities, not to mention facility damage and rebuilding....more
9/11/2018
/ Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Hurricane Season ,
Mandatory Evacuation ,
Natural Disasters ,
OSHA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Severe Weather ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Safety
By now, the worldwide health authorities and media have publicized the Zika virus disease (Zika) that has been reported throughout South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Although the United States has only...more
2/12/2016
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
General Duty Clause ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Public Health ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Zika