Last week, New York State enacted legislation that bans “no-fault” attendance policies. The new law, which will take effect in 90 days, prohibits employers from penalizing workers based on “use of any legally protected...more
Following a federal judge’s ruling last week, striking down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) mask mandate in airports and other public transportation settings nationwide, the agency’s ability to impose...more
While OSHA’s mandatory vaccine rule remains in legal limbo, the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a memo on November 10th, outlining bargaining obligations for employers with unionized...more
President Biden is ramping up measures aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. He announced a series of new actions on September 9, 2021, including a plan to require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their...more
9/29/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Healthcare Workers ,
New Guidance ,
OSHA ,
Privately Held Corporations ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Service Contract Act ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
According to new guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday, May 13, individuals who are fully-vaccinated for COVID-19 are no longer required to wear a mask or practice social...more
OSHA’s long-awaited emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 is one step closer to taking effect. According to news reports, the Department of Labor submitted the rule to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget for...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tweeted last week that it has cited more than 200 employers for coronavirus-related violations, with penalties totaling nearly $3 million. Amidst this wave of...more
11/17/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hospitals ,
Masks ,
Meat Processing Plants ,
Nursing Homes ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Workplace Safety
Wisconsin employers with layoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic must act before August 15th if they want to take advantage of Wisconsin law intended to afford a reduction of employer charges associated with their UI Account....more
A number of states, including California (by executive order on May 6, 2020), have made it easier for essential workers who contract COVID-19 to obtain workers’ compensation benefits by creating a rebuttable presumption that...more
More than 3,000 workers have filed complaints with OSHA since January 2020, alleging concerns over potential exposure to COVID-19, according to Freedom of Information Act records analyzed by the Washington Post. In the...more
On April 10, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued interim guidance regarding enforcement of employers’ obligation to record employees’ COVID-19 cases. The guidance recognizes that determining...more
On April 3, 2020, OSHA issued enforcement guidance that temporarily permits the extended and re-use of respirators as well as other alternatives, and clarifies when respirators, including N95 masks, may continue to be used...more
4/9/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Face-Filtering ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Devices ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Workplace Safety
On March 14, 2020, OSHA issued guidance for health care employers, which (1) temporarily waives the annual (not initial) fit-testing requirement for respirators, and (2) recommends discontinuing “quantitative” fit testing and...more
As the coronavirus outbreak continues to wreak havoc on markets and industries in the U.S. and around the world, businesses are now confronting significant and unique challenges. Successful navigation of these challenges...more