Since California first legalized medical marijuana in 1996, approximately thirty-two other states and the District of Columbia have followed its lead and approved marijuana use for medical purposes.
Introduction [1] -...more
12/1/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Drug Testing ,
Drug-Free Workplace Act ,
Employment Policies ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Guidance ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Schedule I Drugs ,
SCOTUS ,
Supremacy Clause
On November 17, 2020, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it is seeking public input on its updated Compliance Manual Section on Religious Discrimination (the Manual).
According to the...more
Government contractors may wish to seek further legal review of all diversity and inclusion training materials used.
On September 22, 2020, the White House issued Executive Order 13950, entitled “Executive Order on...more
This is our fifth and final Alert on Virginia’s groundbreaking emergency, temporary COVID-19 workplace safety standard.
In the first, we summarized the standard’s general employer mandates. In the second, we covered...more
This is our fourth Alert that addresses Virginia’s groundbreaking emergency, temporary COVID-19 workplace safety standard.
In the first, we summarized the standard’s general employer mandates. In the second, we covered...more
This is our third Alert that addresses Virginia’s groundbreaking emergency, temporary COVID-19 workplace safety standard.
The first summarized the standard’s mandates for all covered employers. The second addressed the...more
In our previous Alert, we summarized general employer mandates contained in Virginia’s groundbreaking emergency, temporary COVID-19 workplace safety standard.
Today, we focus on a mandate applicable to covered employers...more
Last week, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced the nation’s first statewide COVID-19 workplace safety standard.
Northam said, “Workers should not have to sacrifice their health and safety to earn a living, especially...more
On April 27, 2020, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued Unemployment Insurance Program Letter No. 18-20 (the Guidance) to provide states with instructions on implementing the emergency unemployment relief provisions in...more
The workers’ compensation system was created to ensure that employees who suffer work-related accidents or illnesses are compensated while, at the same time, protecting employers from lawsuits by these employees. It was a...more
We previously reported on how the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) and its state law equivalents would apply to layoffs, furloughs, and closings during the coronavirus pandemic.
The US...more
On May 3, 2020, the SBA and the US Department of the Treasury released new guidance to assist businesses with calculating the forgiveness amount for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, with respect to employees who...more
The CARES Act provides another resource for federal contractors seeking to retain personnel, but actually obtaining the money requires circumspection and strategy.
Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic...more
Earlier this month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued two memoranda detailing the agency’s plan for conducting enforcement actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 13, OSHA released an...more
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have published more information on refundable tax credits that reimburse small and mid-size employers, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, for the cost of...more
4/2/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Medical Leave ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Wages
Yesterday, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an order aimed at significantly slowing the community transmission of COVID-19. The order, which went into effect immediately, bans all gatherings of more than 10...more
With COVID-19 diagnosed in 21 of Maryland’s 24 counties and the disease’s death toll increasing, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has issued another order designed to stem the virus’s spread. Effective at 5:00 on Monday evening,...more
The disruptions resulting from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic present difficult questions for many employers who must decide whether to close offices, furlough employees, or layoff all or part of their workforce....more
On March 18, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser signed into law the COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020. The statute, which the City Council passed unanimously, contains two major workforce protections applicable to...more
The package was sent to the President’s desk after undergoing technical changes to paid medical leave and public health emergency medical leave provisions that will limit costs for small businesses. Employers with 500...more
3/20/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
FMAP ,
Health Insurance ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Paid Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
TRICARE
Employers should be sure to consult their union contracts, individual employment agreements, government contracts, and local law for any apposite requirements or prohibitions.
Must employers grant FMLA leave to employees...more
Questions are being raised if an employer has the legal right to discipline or discharge employees who refuse to work out of concern about the Coronavirus. The definitive legal answer is, “it depends.” There are both legal...more
With the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus a worldwide pandemic and President Trump declaring a “National Emergency to Fight COVID-19,” it is imperative that employers understand the requirements of the OSH...more
Congressional leaders in Washington are halfway towards passing a second comprehensive spending package in response to the coronavirus outbreak. After several tense days of negotiations between Democrats in the House of...more
3/16/2020
/ Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Federal Funding ,
Health Insurance ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Leave ,
Paid Leave ,
Pending Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
As noted in an earlier Alert, on January 9, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission held a public workshop and invited public comments on whether the FTC should issue a rule that would restrict or prohibit the use of non-competes...more