Written by Robert Lowe The US Department of Labor (DOL) has “stopped the clock” on many employee benefit plan deadlines during the period starting March 1, 2020 and ending 60 days after the end of the COVID-19 National Emergency (referred to by the DOL as the “Outbreak Period”), including the following: 60-day period for an employer to provide notice of the right to elect continuation … Continue reading Stop The Clock
Below please find our latest alerts regarding COVID-19’s effect on various policies and laws. Feel free to read and share, and contact us if there is anything we can do to help you or your business maintain compliance in this ever-evolving situation. Continue reading “COVID-19 Client Communication, Vol. 13”
California Issues Model Notice of Food Sector Worker Paid Sick Leave That Eligible Employers Must Post
Written by Jeremy Mittman and Stephen Franz
On April 16, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-51-20 (the ”Order”), which requires “hiring entities” with at least 500 employees in the United States to provide “food sector workers” who are unable to work for COVID-19-related reasons with up to 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave. We previously reported on the Order, which is one of several recent California laws providing paid sick leave to workers who are not covered by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). Continue reading “Keeping Food Sector Workers Posted”
Written by Susan Kohn Ross
The CDC has expanded the list of symptoms which may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the COVID-19 virus and may cause mild symptoms to severe illness. As companies plan their eventual return to work, or plan to terminate or decrease telecommuting (pending when their local jurisdictions’ shelter-in-place orders change or cease), they will want to consider this most recent information from the CDC to determine and account for the safety and well-being of their employees. The original and newly added symptoms are listed below. Continue reading “CDC Updates List of COVID-19 Symptoms”
Below please find our latest alerts regarding COVID-19’s effect on various policies and laws. Feel free to read and share, and contact us if there is anything we can do to help you or your business maintain compliance in this ever-evolving situation. Continue reading “COVID-19 Client Communication, Vol. 12”
Employers May Test Employees for COVID-19 Before Allowing Their Return to Workplace, EEOC Says Written by Jeremy Mittman and Thea Rogers The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) said in guidance released Thursday that employers may administer COVID-19 testing to employees in order to determine if they have the virus, prior to permitting them to return to the workplace. The agency stated that this latest … Continue reading Employees Put to the Test
President Suspends Temporary Entry of Certain Immigrants Due to COVID-19 Economic Fallout
Written by David S. Rugendorf
On Wednesday evening, April 22, 2020, President Trump issued his highly anticipated immigration proclamation, temporarily suspending some types of immigration to the United States due to COVID-19 and its resultant damage to the domestic labor market. While the language of the order suggested that future actions may be necessary, the current order is very limited in its scope and application. Very few individuals are now prevented from entering the United States who had not previously been barred from entry. A summary of the order is as follows: Continue reading “Immigration Proclamation Sets Limited Curbs”
Below please find our latest alerts regarding COVID-19’s effect on various policies and laws. Feel free to read and share, and contact us if there is anything we can do to help you or your business maintain compliance in this ever-evolving situation. Continue reading “COVID-19 Client Communication, Vol. 11”
EEOC Issues New Guidance on COVID-19 Reasonable Accommodation and Return-to-Work Issues
Written by Jeremy Mittman and Corey Singer
On April 17, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued updated guidance for employers, providing further technical assistance about complying with workplace issues during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of the EEOC’s new Q&As for employers concern how to handle employees’ accommodation requests in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, the agency advised that employers may ask questions or request medical documentation to determine if the employee has a “disability” under the Americans with Disability Act (“ADA”). Employers also may forgo or shorten the “interactive process” and grant the accommodation requests, if necessary. Continue reading “Accommodation Landmines Await”
California Provides Supplemental Paid Sick Leave For Food Sector Workers
Written by Jeremy Mittman and Stephen Franz
On April 16, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-51-20 (the ”Order”), which requires “hiring entities” with at least 500 employees in the United States to provide “food sector workers” with up to 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave related to COVID-19. The Order, effective April 16, 2020, is the second recent law in California providing paid sick leave to workers not covered by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”)(which requires employers with fewer than 500 employees provide paid sick leave). We previously reported on the Los Angeles emergency ordinance providing similar paid sick leave provisions for employees of larger employers not covered by the FFCRA.
Although the Order explicitly addresses “food sector workers”, it is not necessarily limited to workers in the food industry. The Order may apply to employers across all industries, if those employers have workers engaged in food services. Consequently, all employers should carefully scrutinize the provisions of the Order to determine if they apply. Here is what employers need to know about the Order: Continue reading “Order Up!”
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