Have you heard about ChatGPT? Your students definitely have, and they are probably already using it. ChatGPT is a new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI. This new technology has the potential to...more
You may have heard about ChatGPT over the last few weeks, a new chatbot with an uncanny ability to mimic human dialogue and decision making. This artificial intelligence (AI) — which was developed by OpenAI and is currently...more
The nation’s federal health authorities marked the next chapter of the pandemic yesterday by significantly loosening many COVID-19 recommendations – including dropping the “six-foot” social distancing rule – thereby...more
8/12/2022
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
OSHA ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
After the news yesterday that a federal court judge struck down the CDC’s mask mandate for airplanes, mass transportation, and transit hubs, many employers immediately wondered what it might mean for their business. Though...more
4/19/2022
/ Airlines ,
Business Travel ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Public Health ,
Transportation Industry ,
Traveling Employee ,
Workplace Safety
Serving up yet another curveball for healthcare employers, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals effectively reactivated the CMS vaccination mandate across nearly half of the country with a surprise decision on Wednesday...more
During a special legislative session, Florida just passed a new law banning private employers from mandating COVID-19 vaccines unless several exemptions are offered to employees. The law, signed by the governor yesterday,...more
With the Delta-variant-fueled surge of COVID-19 cases leading to new CDC masking guidance, statewide mandates, and the specter of further restrictions, employers have a renewed interest in seeing the vaccination rate of their...more
Believing current federal standards and regulations were not doing enough to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19, federal workplace safety officials recently issued a new Emergency Temporary Standard – but many private...more
7/27/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Nurses ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Private Schools ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Safety
The Delta variant is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. As it continues to spread, both in infections and news headlines, employers are wondering how it affects their return-to-work plans.
What is...more
Declaring that the state is “no longer in a state of emergency,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday banning vaccine passports while issuing two executive orders immediately suspending and invalidating local...more
Heeding calls from a consortium of over 40 business groups, the EEOC announced yesterday that it would soon provide guidance to employers across the country on workplace incentives and the COVID-19 vaccine. Noting that...more
4/16/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
There is no doubt that President Biden has signaled strong interest in schools and educational reform as a priority for his administration. Obviously, however, battling COVID-19 remains the top priority. Although the...more
3/10/2021
/ Arbitration Agreements ,
Biden Administration ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Education ,
Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
Executive Orders ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Race Discrimination ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
School Districts ,
Secretary of Education ,
Social Justice Issues ,
Student Loans ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Unions ,
Universities
The CDC recently adopted a recommendation from an advisory committee that healthcare workers should be the first in line to get COVID-19 vaccine shots after they receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)....more
Florida voters just approved a constitutional amendment that will gradually raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2026. What does this mean for employers? Here are the top five things you need to know about Monday’s...more
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order pre-empting any local COVID-19 ordinance that prevents a business from operating or an individual from working, or that allows restaurants to operate at a minimum of 50%...more
In recent years, gamification has risen up the leaderboards as a corporate learning technique. Companies across the country are embracing gamification in their employee training, recruitment, and engagement. But as an...more
8/7/2020
/ Age Discrimination ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employee Engagement ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gaming ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Productivity ,
Recruitment Policies ,
Wage and Hour
By a 7-to-2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important and expansive ruling for religious institutions yesterday, holding that the “ministerial exception” primarily requires an inquiry into whether an employee carries...more
7/9/2020
/ Age Discrimination ,
Appeals ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employment Discrimination ,
First Amendment ,
Freedom of Religion ,
Ministerial Exception ,
Our Lady of Guadalupe School v Morrissey-Berru ,
Religious Schools ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Teachers
This week, Governor Ron DeSantis and many of Florida’s largest counties issued orders carefully detailing if and how businesses across the state may re-open. Fisher Phillips has reviewed the relevant orders, which are...more
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just extended his Safer At Home Order for the State of Florida but announced his plan to gradually re-open the state pursuant to a new Order that will go into effect just after midnight (at 12:01...more
Many independent and private schools are contemplating applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and/or Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans under the CARES Act. The PPP loan offers an attractive incentive in...more
4/9/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
CARES Act ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Federal Loans ,
Financial Assistance Policies ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Relief Measures ,
SBA ,
School Districts ,
Title IX ,
Title VI ,
Universities
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a Safer At Home Order for the State of Florida Wednesday, April 1st. It goes into effect just after midnight (at 12:01 am) on the morning of Friday, April 3, 2020, and is set to expire on...more
As Florida continues to see the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, South Florida has emerged as a hotspot for the state’s total cases. Yesterday, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued Emergency Order 07-20, mandating...more
3/20/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Layoffs ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Public Health ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Workplace Safety