On December 22, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a nationwide preliminary injunction banning the enforcement of Executive Order 13950, which seeks to prohibit purported...more
12/24/2020
/ Bias ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Due Process ,
Employee Training ,
Federal Contractors ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
LGBTQ ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Sexual Stereotyping ,
Trump Administration
Although the 2020 presidential election is technically behind us, razor-thin and contested elections for the presidency and Congress remain, potentially drawing out the uncertainty through the new year. As of the date of...more
11/9/2020
/ Equal Pay ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joe Biden ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
LGBTQ ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour
On October 21, 2020, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance released a Request for Information (RFI) relating to federal contractor and subcontractor training, and the recently issued Executive Order 13950. That order,...more
10/22/2020
/ Bias ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Race Relations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Request For Information ,
Sexual Stereotyping ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
On October 7, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) released Frequently Asked Questions under the recent Executive Order 13950 regarding diversity and inclusion programs...more
10/8/2020
/ Bias ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Race Relations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Sexual Stereotyping ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
On Saturday, September 26, President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy on the bench occasioned by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett, who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the...more
On September 22, 2020, the White House released a new executive order, On Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping. Among other things, the order instructs government contracting agencies to add provisions to government contracts...more
9/24/2020
/ Bias ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Race Relations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
On August 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued guidance for employers with respect to the deferral of the employee portion of certain payroll taxes. This guidance stems from a presidential memorandum issued...more
On August 8, 2020, the president signed several executive memoranda and an order addressing the continued economic havoc of the COVID-19 pandemic, two of which are of direct interest to employers....more
8/11/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Eviction ,
Executive Orders ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Moratorium ,
Payroll Taxes ,
Relief Measures ,
Social Security ,
Student Loans ,
Tax Deferral ,
Trump Administration ,
Unemployment Benefits
A new executive order directs federal agencies to focus their efforts on regulatory barriers to economic recovery. Specifically, the May 19, 2020 order directs agencies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic public health...more
On May 12, 2020, the Democratic leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled its opening bid in the next round of COVID-19 response legislation. ...more
5/14/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Trump Administration
After giving employers a day off from addressing new information concerning the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which took effect April 1 and requires private employers with 499 or fewer employees,...more
4/3/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Quarantine ,
Relief Measures ,
School Closures ,
Shelter-In-Place ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
On March 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its third batch of Q&As (#38-59) concerning the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Effective April 1, 2020, the FFCRA will require private...more
3/31/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
On March 26, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released additional FAQs that further explain employer and employee rights and responsibilities under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)....more
3/30/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
On March 16, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled legislation revisiting the sweeping COVID-19 response bill it passed only days earlier. While ostensibly styled as “corrections” to the prior legislation, this...more
On March 18, 2020, the U.S. Senate approved House-passed legislation responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill will now be sent to the president, who is expected to sign it into law. Of direct interest to the business...more
Many agencies are experiencing lingering effects after the longest-ever partial government shutdown, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Recognizing these effects will include delays and...more