California’s COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) law, previously set to expire in September, was extended to December 31. While you may be preparing to move past the set of obligations that came along with this law,...more
Employers that continue to test workers for COVID-19 should review their policies to ensure they comply with updated guidelines released Tuesday by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In prior guidance, the...more
California public health officials recently revised the definitions of “close contact” and “infectious period” that appear in the state’s pandemic-related rules – and the new broader standards might catch some employers by...more
Federal workplace safety officials just released the mandate-or-test workplace vaccine emergency rule, and employers are sure to have questions. The Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) developed by the Occupational Safety and...more
11/5/2021
/ Best Practices ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Contractors ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Joint Employers ,
OSHA ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Safety
“Are you fully vaccinated?” This seems to have become a million-dollar question that employers want to pose to their workers, but confusion abounds regarding the legal contours of this deceptively dangerous question. Many...more
Not long after West Hollywood issued an Emergency Order requiring vaccine verification and a vaccine mandate for certain businesses, Los Angeles County followed suit with its own vaccine mandate for many hospitality...more
10/6/2021
/ Bars ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Distilleries ,
Employer Mandates ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Nightclubs ,
Public Gatherings ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Vaccinations ,
Verification Requirements ,
Virus Testing ,
Wineries
A sharp increase in pandemic-related workplace litigation this summer could spell trouble for employers, as we expect to see a steady increase in COVID-19 lawsuits filed by employees across the country. That’s just one of 10...more
9/8/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Leave of Absence ,
Remote Working ,
Retaliation ,
Small Employers ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Whistleblowers ,
Workplace Safety
As the Delta variant surges throughout the country, more and more employers are implementing mandatory vaccine policies, especially now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full FDA approval. Most employers know they may need...more
8/26/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Interactive Process ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Undue Hardship ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Following recent updated guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommending that all individuals wear face coverings indoors regardless of vaccination status, Cal/OSHA just released a statement...more
After announcing last week that healthcare workers (and state employees) will soon be required to either provide proof of vaccination or submit to weekly or bi-weekly COVID-19 testing, California issued an additional order...more
8/9/2021
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
CDPH ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Clinics ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hospice ,
Hospitals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Physicians ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
After a rollercoaster meeting Thursday where it originally voted down the proposed revisions, Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board eventually adopted proposed revisions to the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that will establish...more
6/7/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Housing ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Exclusions ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Required Documentation ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
After months of calls for modification to Cal/OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), California is about to adopt significant changes to the standard in light of the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the...more
5/19/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Housing ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Exclusions ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Employers in California have been clamoring for changes to workplace health and safety COVID-19 standards as a result of the growing numbers of employees who are fully vaccinated. Recent updated guidance from the California...more
The latest COVID-19 stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), contains a myriad of provisions to provide relief to individuals and employers – including some important changes to employer tax credits that have...more
There is no doubt the summer of 2020 has been memorable, but likely not for overseas jaunts or exotic vacations. Although the CDC recently relaxed its COVID-19 guidance regarding quarantine after travel, it still recognizes:...more
9/3/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employment Policies ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Travel ,
Paid Leave ,
Quarantine ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Sick Employees ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Travelers ,
Traveling Employee ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
In a surprising and significant ruling Monday, a New York federal judge tossed out several key Department of Labor rules regulating the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), meaning that more workers will be able...more
8/5/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Intermittent Leave ,
Labor Regulations ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Required Documentation ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour
As an increasing number of businesses begin to require face coverings in their facilities – whether as a result of a local legal mandate or in the interest of public safety – there has been a corresponding increase in the...more
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti just signed into law the City Council’s proposed Supplemental Paid Sick Leave ordinance. He made some modifications to the original proposal passed by the City Council, which have been updated...more
The L.A. City Council just took two steps that will impact many grocery and retail food operations in the city. First, it passed the Grocery, Drug Retail and Food Delivery Worker Protection ordinance, offering workplace...more
The U.S. Department of Labor issued a new rule yesterday to regulate the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) and the paid leave programs that just became law on April 1, 2020. We’ve digested the 124-page document...more
4/3/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Healthcare Workers ,
New Rules ,
Paid Leave ,
Rate of Pay ,
Required Documentation ,
Shelter-In-Place ,
Sick Leave ,
Small Business ,
Wage and Hour
The L.A. City Council just passed a COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law which provides up to 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave to employees who work within the City of Los Angeles. This ordinance hasn’t been...more