What questions may employers ask their employees about their health status in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic? In today’s episode, Valerie Samuels and Michael Stevens address what’s permissible under the ADA and state and...more
Many states and localities have issued stay-at-home orders, and have closed on-site business operations to all but essential businesses and their employees. To enable employers to navigate those restrictions, we provide below...more
4/8/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Car Dealerships ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
Hotels ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Retail Market ,
Shelter-In-Place ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government
The following chart has been compiled to provide New York employers with guidance as they weigh decisions about whether to approve an employee’s leave request(s) based on different common factual scenarios that may...more
As noted in our previous Alert on March 19, 2020 concerning the bipartisan coronavirus relief bill, under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) employers with 499 or fewer employees are responsible for providing...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
To address COVID-19’s rapid spread in Washington, DC and across the region and the nation, Mayor Muriel Bowser has issued a stay-at-home order for the District of Columbia. The Order, which goes into effect on April 1, 2020...more
Governor Ralph Northam, like his Maryland counterpart, today issued an Order that requires people in Virginia to remain at home. And, to the extent that they use shared spaces, whether indoors or out, the Order requires...more
Today, Governor Larry Hogan has taken his most aggressive measure yet to protect public safety and prevent COVID-19’s spread. Effective at 8:00 p.m., today, he has ordered everyone who resides in Maryland to remain at...more
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact employers’ business operations, employers with unionized workforces are faced with making business decisions while fulfilling their obligation to bargain with their employees’...more
On March 24th, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued its first round of guidance regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
The new guidance includes two new posters, one for federal workers...more
On March 18, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law Senate 8091 providing for paid sick leave, family leave, and certain disability leave for employees affected by mandatory or precautionary orders to quarantine...more
As more and more states order businesses to close their physical locations because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, employers are being encouraged by the federal and state governments to work remotely and not have their...more
Yesterday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued a state-wide order aimed at promoting health and safety and reducing COVID-19’s spread. The order, which goes into effect today at 11:59 p.m., bans all gatherings of more than...more
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
Earlier this week, we published an Alert that reviews the EEOC’s recent guidance entitled What Employers Should Know about the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19. This Alert reviews the additional guidance that the...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
On March 10, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued guidelines that address many Fair Labor Standards Act issues that have arisen due to the COVID 19 pandemic. This Alert identifies some of the highlights.ny...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
On October 10, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law California Assembly Bill 51 (“AB 51”), which prohibits California employers from requiring prospective and current employees to “waive any right, forum, or...more