On February 25, 2022 the CDC announced new guidance on when masks should be worn in indoor public places. This guidance is important for employers because OSHA recommends that workplaces follow current CDC guidance. (Note:...more
Following up on our update of earlier this week, today the U.S. Supreme Court stayed implementation and enforcement of OSHA’s vaccination or testing ETS, while it allowed CMS’s mandate, which requires COVID-19 vaccination for...more
1/14/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
National Federation of Independent Business v Department of Labor and OSHA ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
On Jan. 7, 2022 the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in separate cases challenging two vaccine mandates—OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on vaccination or testing for employers with 100 or more employees, and...more
On Dec. 17, 2021, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can enforce its emergency temporary standard (ETS) to...more
On November 30, 2021, Judge Van Tatenhove of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the federal contractor COVID-19 vaccine mandate in Kentucky,...more
Recently we provided an overview of expected vaccine mandates for: (1) employers with 100 or more employees, (2) federal contractors, and (3) healthcare employers.
On September 24, 2021 a task force issued guidance on...more
On Sept. 9, 2021, President Biden issued a six-part plan to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic “while also keeping schools open and safe, and protecting [the] economy from lockdowns and damage.”...more
9/15/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Employees ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Over the past year and a half, employers have become all too familiar with various public health agencies and their regulations, recommendations, and preventative measures. For the past several months, a big question for...more
On August 13, 2021, OSHA updated its COVID-19 guidance applicable to employers not covered by its recent healthcare emergency temporary standard (ETS). The update includes general statements intended to reflect the CDC’s...more
North Carolina and South Carolina enforce their own workplace safety and health plans. As “state plan states,” they are required to adopt regulations that are at least as effective as those adopted by the federal...more
On January 21, 2021, one day after his inauguration, President Biden signed an executive order directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to consider issuing a broad emergency temporary standard (ETS)...more
The day after his inauguration, President Biden signed an executive order directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to “consider whether any emergency temporary standards on COVID-19, including with...more
On Jan. 29, 2021, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) issued new guidance on workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance, titled “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing...more
One year ago this week, we released our first “insight” on a COVID-19-related issue, titled “OSHA Publishes Resource on Coronavirus Outbreak.” At that time we were starting to get questions from clients about employee travel...more
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prepares to authorize two COVID-19 vaccines for use, employers are asking if they can, and should, require that employees be vaccinated....more
Updated on 11/16/2020
COVID-19 cases in the United States have been increasing rapidly in recent weeks, and the surge is expected to continue into the winter. On Nov. 15, 2020, the rolling seven-day average of confirmed...more
On Sept. 16, 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that a “second wave of coronavirus infections” is “gather[ing] momentum across Europe,” but this time, “governments are determined to avoid large-scale lockdowns and instead...more
Under new OSHA guidance that goes into effect on May 26, 2020, employers covered by OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements must determine if an employee who contracts COVID-19 was infected while at work. According to the new...more
A recent Washington Post headline read: “Thousands of OSHA complaints filed against companies for virus workplace safety concerns, records show.” The sub-headline stated: “Employees told regulators about failures to follow...more
An April 17, 2020 Washington Post headline read: “Thousands of OSHA complaints filed against companies for virus workplace safety concerns, records show.” The sub-headline stated: “Employees told regulators about failures to...more
In the current pandemic, it is important for construction employers to understand safety and health best practices to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.While no OSHA standards relate specifically to communicable...more
In response to the spread of COVID-19, Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, and other municipalities in the county have issued a “stay at home” order that goes into effect on Thursday, March 26, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. The...more