The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission (TJC) have published guidance on survey procedures and enforcement of the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for hospitals and health care facilities after...more
In an effort to keep their employees, customers, clients, and others safe, businesses are considering whether to require their employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination policies play a crucial role in...more
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently added vaccination against COVID-19 to its list of required vaccinations for individuals seeking lawful permanent resident status - colloquially known as...more
On September 9, 2021, President Biden released his COVID-19 Action Plan. The plan requires COVID-19 vaccinations for more than 17 million healthcare workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals and other...more
In recent months, we have reported extensively on the various carrot-and-stick approaches taken by employers to try to incentivize employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. In recent weeks, we have seen employers frustrated over...more
We received notice last week from a health care client that, as of October, any employee of a vendor that enters their work premises must provide proof of vaccination from the coronavirus. For our firm, this means that...more
A month ago, President Joe Biden issued an executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccinations or frequent testing for federal employees. This order also contained a requirement that employees of federal contractors working at...more
On August 18, 2021, Governor Jay Inslee announced the reinstatement of the indoor mask mandate for all Washingtonians. The mask mandate goes into effect on Monday, August 23, 2021....more
As the number of new cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to grow nationwide, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced, on August 18, 2021, measures to prioritize patient safety in nursing homes and hospitals....more
As we have previously written, the landscape for employers in the time of COVID-19, particularly healthcare employers and long term care facilities, is ever-changing and quickly moving. In the last year, healthcare employers...more
On August 12, 2021, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the City of New Orleans Health Department announced updated Guidelines for COVID-19 Reopening, which require individuals to provide proof of “having received at least...more
Federal Minimum Wage Increases to $15 on January 30, 2022 - Federal prime contractors and subcontractors should prepare to pay a higher mandatory minimum wage starting January 30, 2022....more
If you’re an employer contemplating implementing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for your workforce, you aren’t alone. With COVID-19 cases surging around the country and leading to new Centers for Disease Control and...more
Vaccine mandates are the subject of much discussion and controversy in nearly every industry, both in America and abroad. As protests rage across the country, many workers question the ability of employers to mandate...more
As more and more employers are considering mandatory vaccination policies (especially post FDA approval), let’s not forget the importance of engaging in the interactive process with those workers who have a bona fide medical...more
Since vaccines have become readily available, employers have been grappling with whether they should mandate vaccines for employees. Most companies have chosen to “strongly encourage” employees instead of mandating, and many...more
On May 5, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act”) providing new workplace safety requirements on all employers in New York. The HERO Act goes into effect...more
On May 5, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act into law, which will require New York State employers to implement workplace health and safety standards to protect their...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted society at every level in every part of the globe. The activity of working has particularly changed during the pandemic. Indeed, in many places, workers have been unable to work...more
The FDA’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations has given hope to many employers that we may finally be witnessing the horizon of the pandemic. But this good news comes with a few side-effects, including the question of whether...more
In the COVID-19 era, many employers and businesses are wrestling with unprecedented issues. You can add one more to the list: Can you have your employees ask a customer who refuses to wear a mask because of a claimed...more
In response to a lawsuit filed by the State of New York, a judge in the Southern District of New York considered and invalidated parts of the Department of Labor's (“DOL”) Final Rule implementing the Families First...more
New measures intended to increase protection of residents in Georgia assisted living communities and personal care homes were signed into law on June 30, 2020. House Bill 987 (“HB 987”) amends Title 31 of the O.C.G.A. and is...more
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many states now are requiring mandatory testing of residents and employees of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, including West Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida. Other...more
The Council of the EU announced on March 30 that the European Union has suspended the airport slot requirements until October 24. The slot requirements require airlines to use at least 80% of their slots in order to be...more