Even the most experienced employers are sure to have questions from time to time about the nation’s workplace safety agency – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). That’s where we come in. The Fisher...more
2/15/2024
/ Appeals ,
Citations ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Discovery ,
Electronic Records ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
New Rules ,
OSHA ,
OSHRC ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Safety Inspections ,
Safety Violations ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
Even the most experienced employers are sure to have questions from time to time about the nation’s workplace safety agency – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). That’s where we come in. The Fisher...more
11/15/2022
/ Appeals ,
Citations ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Discovery ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
OSHA ,
OSHRC ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Safety Inspections ,
Safety Violations ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
In response to the ongoing Omicron wave of COVID-19 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just updated its guidance to reduce, in most instances, both the length of time an individual must isolate after...more
12/29/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Occupational Exposure ,
OSHA ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Employees ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
As the COVID-19 pandemic (mercifully) starts to retreat, many states have begun rolling back face-covering mandates, which often relieve employers of the obligation to require masks for employees and visitors in the...more
5/10/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Citations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
General Duty Clause ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workplace Safety
The COVID-19 pandemic has created many unique workplace safety issues for employers. One of the most challenging developments has been whether an employee’s COVID-19 case should go on your OSHA 300 logs pursuant to the...more
A recent move by the federal workplace safety watchdog agency means that you should prepare for more COVID-19-related OSHA inspections this spring and summer. On March 12, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration...more
The National Football League recently concluded its 2020 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claiming a 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV – but perhaps the bigger story is the league claiming victory...more
As predicted following Joe Biden’s election as President of the United States, the new administration announced last week that it has directed the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to consider...more
1/27/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Regulations ,
Notification Requirements ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Safety
The Department of Labor has just published its increases to the maximum civil penalties that can be assessed against employers by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The increases are based on...more
The CDC recently adopted a recommendation from an advisory committee that healthcare workers should be the first in line to get COVID-19 vaccine shots after they receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)....more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just issued new guidance stating that coronavirus quarantines may be shortened to seven or 10 days under certain circumstances, down from the 14 days currently recommended,...more
COVID-19 won this past college football Saturday. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) football schedule for November 14 originally included seven games. Only three were played, none of which included ranked teams No. 1 Alabama,...more
11/16/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
College Athletes ,
Colleges ,
Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Football ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Employees ,
Workplace Safety
Media outlets announced Saturday that Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. If the legal challenges to the election result fail and he is inaugurated in January, President-Elect Biden can begin taking...more
11/10/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Citations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Safety
New COVID-19 contract tracing procedures released by the federal government yesterday have expanded the category of individuals who are deemed to be in close contact with each other – and will complicate the already difficult...more
President Donald Trump’s recent hospitalization at the Walter Reed Medical Center has captured the American public’s attention, especially given the potential implications with the election less than a month away. But for...more
10/12/2020
/ Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Evidence ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Occupational Exposure ,
OSHA ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Investigations ,
Workplace Safety
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more workplace law challenges over the past six months or so than many employers will see in a lifetime. From changing directives on wearing masks, determining what to do when an employee is...more
9/29/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Influenza ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Quarantine ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
This article addresses many employment-related issues facing employers in the wake of hurricane-related disasters; consequently, in addition to federal laws, we also focus on certain state laws, especially those in the areas...more
8/21/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Charitable Donations ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Data Privacy ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Force Majeure Clause ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
H-1B ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
HIPAA Privacy Rule ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hurricane Season ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Relations ,
Medical Leave ,
Military Leave ,
Military Service Members ,
Natural Disasters ,
NLRB ,
OSHA ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
Retirement Plan Providers ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unemployment Compensation System ,
Unions ,
USCIS ,
USERRA ,
Visa Applications ,
Visas ,
Volunteers ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued constantly changing guidance for employers that many view as complex, confusing, and impractical. In its perplexing web of...more
8/18/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Notification Requirements ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
The CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor just released interim guidance for all agriculture employers to provide an action template to protect agriculture workers from COVID-19. Primarily, the guidance addresses exposure risk...more
6/5/2020
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Agricultural Workers ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Health and Safety ,
Interim Guidance ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Sick Employees ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Employers are looking for better ways to monitor whether individuals entering their workplaces have been exposed to or are infected with COVID-19 – and the use of more sophisticated thermal scanning cameras or similar systems...more
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of encountering a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 among your employees as you reopen your business is identifying those employees who worked near the infected worker – and thus must...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration just issued new guidance for enforcing its COVID-19 recordkeeping requirements, soon requiring covered employers to make an increased effort to determine whether they need to...more
Employers may be required to take the temperatures of employees when businesses begin to reopen in the coming days and weeks following the expiration of many states’ stay-at-home orders. Screening for fevers is a task never...more
Businesses will soon reopen, presenting employers with new challenges as part of the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no known vaccine or treatment currently available for the novel coronavirus, reopened employers...more
Many essential businesses operating during the COVID-19 pandemic may be utilizing temporary workers and contractors. Employers using such workers must keep in mind their responsibilities for notifying the Occupational Safety...more