The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new framework on February 25 providing that mask wearing is optional in low- and moderate-risk settings....more
The US Supreme Court issued two decisions on January 13, 2022 in cases challenging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on Vaccination and Testing and the Centers for...more
1/17/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On January 7, the US Supreme Court debated a range of complex issues in a pair of oral arguments over challenges to two federal regulations requiring workplace COVID-19 precautions. Although it is unlikely the Court will...more
1/10/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Federal Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Oral Argument ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On December 17, 2021, a divided panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit granted the federal government’s emergency motion to dissolve the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s stay of the Occupational...more
12/21/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Federal Contractors ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSH Act ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
A federal judge in Georgia issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the federal government from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors and subcontractors nationwide. This decision follows a November...more
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on December 6 that employees (1) not previously covered under the existing “Key to NYC” vaccination requirements and (2) who perform in-person work for private businesses in the...more
The fate of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s landmark Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19 vaccination is in the hands of the Sixth Circuit—for now. In this LawFlash, we walk businesses through the...more
National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer A. Abruzzo issued a memorandum explaining her view of employers’ bargaining obligations in response to the US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health...more
11/16/2021
/ Collective Bargaining ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
NLRB General Counsel ,
OSHA ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The Fifth Circuit temporarily stayed the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19, placing it in legal limbo. In addition, state governments continue to take actions related to...more
After long anticipation by US companies and their employees, the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published its 490-page Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) and preamble on COVID-19...more
11/8/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Federal Contractors ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently updated its COVID-19 guidance, detailing its view of employer obligations under Title VII when evaluating religious objections to COVID-19 vaccination mandates....more
10/27/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued guidance on September 24 detailing the requirements that covered federal contractors and subcontractors must follow to comply with Executive Order 14042, “Ensuring Adequate COVID...more
President Joseph Biden on September 9 announced his new Path Out of the Pandemic: President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan, which describes the president’s six-pronged strategy to fight the pandemic. This sweeping action plan...more
Despite initial ambiguity over the legality of an employer-imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate in 2020, 2021 has brought a series of decisions and opinions from federal authorities and the judiciary clarifying that an employer...more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated guidance recommending that fully vaccinated persons in areas with substantial or high rates of COVID-19 transmission resume wearing masks in public...more
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a long-awaited update to its technical assistance guidance on COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and other federal...more
6/1/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Dear Retail Clients and Friends, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance for fully vaccinated individuals on May 13 to state that “fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or...more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people that provide guidance on activities these individuals can engage in as well as ongoing precautions of which...more
As the United States races to deliver safe and effective coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines under the Biden administration, employers, healthcare providers, and many others are assessing what it means for their industries and...more
2/1/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Life Sciences ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Public Health ,
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On the heels of the US Food and Drug Administration’s first issuance of an Emergency Use Authorization for a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published an updated technical...more
12/18/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
As the world awaits a successful COVID-19 vaccine, employers are beginning to consider the implications a new vaccine will have on their workplaces. Although much remains speculative, employers can look to the regulation of...more
11/10/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
FDA Approval ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration ,
Vaccinations ,
Workers' Compensation Claim