The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is making a concerted effort to investigate coronavirus-related cases in which employers allegedly inadequately protected their workers from the pandemic, according to USA Today.[1] A total of 192 COVID-related inspections were launched between Feb. 19 and April 23. The health care industry, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities, appears to be the focus of the OSHA investigations ...
On April 23, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued new guidance clarifying that employers may conduct mandatory testing of employees for COVID-19 before they enter the workplace so long as the testing is “job related and consistent with business necessity ...
Covid-19 is upending capitalism as we know it. Amid the pandemic, how can businesses rewrite their rule books so as to emerge stronger? Americans have allegedly outbid the French for masks “right on the tarmac” just as the goods were to be flown off to their destination. From Amazon to Rakuten to Carousell, traders exploited fears by price-gouging on masks and hand sanitisers ...
A number of states have issued executive orders or other emergency declarations to provide relief from certain debt collection practices in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Such measures include ceasing new wage attachments and vehicle repossessions, etc. None have been as comprehensive as the regulation issued by Massachusetts Attorney General, Maura Healey, on March 26, 2020 ...
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) have released a proposal calling on Congress to provide additional protections for consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their proposal notes that an unprecedented 22,000,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the past four weeks. Millions of them received or will receive a $1,200 stimulus check the senators argue will not cover one month of basic expenses ...
Freddie Mac has taken a series of steps to assist its borrowers, sellers, and servicers during these unprecedented times, and should help Freddie Mac continue its goal to “keep mortgage money flowing, support the stability of the housing market, and promote housing affordability.” Freddie Mac announces avenues of assistance to borrowers affected by COVID-19, and that borrowers in forbearance will not be required to repay in a single lump sum ...
This is a briefing on the following issuances as of May 3, 2020 in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. Guidelines for Areas Under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and General Community Quarantine (GCQ) B. Extensions of Deadlines to Pay National and Local Taxes C. Extension of Deadlines for Filings with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) A. Guidelines for Areas Under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and General Community Quarantine (GCQ) 1 ...
Although government shutdown orders are being challenged across the country, the one issued by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf appears to be receiving particular attention ...
On April 30, 2020, WorkSafeBC announced it is moving forward with adding COVID-19 to the list of diseases for which there is a presumption of it being work-related. Employers will now have to rebut the presumption that a worker caught COVID-19 at work to have the claim denied. Addition to the list typically takes between 18-24 months, but WorkSafeBC is hoping to expedite and complete the process in 6 months ...
WHAT'S NEW COVID-19 Business Strategies Hub Since the news first broke about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy, Dinsmore has worked diligently to create the COVID-19 Business Strategies Hub. The Hub features attorney insights and complementary webinars to help you prepare and respond to legal, regulatory, and commercial implications related to the crisis ...
On April 27, 2020 the SEC updated its Division of Investment Management Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response FAQ and addressed a question pertinent to our article dated April 17, 2020. Question II ...
The Bay Area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara, and the City of Berkeley have jointly issued new Shelter-in-Place orders superseding their existing March 31, 2020 Shelter-in-Place orders ...
On April 8, 2020, the federal government adopted draft wording presented by the Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection for a draft bill to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in event contract law in order to protect organizers of recreational events and operators of recreational facilities from considerable outflows of liquidity ...
In Hungary, the Government hasintroduced multiple measures – besides the ongoing curfew restrictions – aimed at helping companies navigate through these hard times. Hédi Bozsonyik, Head of our Employment Law practice, has summarized the most important facts. 1. General employment law related measures a.) The employer has more flexibility in modifying the work schedule even after it was communicated with the employees; b ...
As the contagion rate and death toll caused by the Covid-19 emergency (“Covid-19”) continues to decrease, on 26 April 2020 the Prime Minister announced in a press conference the measures adopted to ease the lockdown during the so-called “phase 2”. The new measures are reflected in the Prime Minister Decree dated 26 April 20201 (the “26 April 2020 Decree”) ...
Dykema would like to remind U.S. employers that they must use the October 21, 2019, version of the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form beginning May 1, 2020. Since January 31, 2020, employers were allowed to use either the July 17, 2017, or October 21, 2019, version of the form. These dates are indicated in mm/dd/yy format in its bottom left corner. The Form I-9 is used to confirm the identity and employment authorization of people hired as employees by U.S. employers ...
The Ministry of Health and Social Protection issued Resolutions 677, 679 and 681 adopting the biosecurity protocols for the control and management of COVID-19 risk in the transportation, transportation infrastructure and games of luck and chance sectors. These protocols are complementary to the general biosecurity protocol adopted through Resolution 666 of 2020 and to other measures implemented by corresponding companies ...
Due to the health emergency triggered by COVID-19, various measures that affect the normal operation of the courts of law, have been decreed and adopted by each of the Courts: The Chilean Supreme Court has issued various instructions, all of which may be checked at https://www.pjud.cl/noticias-emergencia-sanitaria, underscoring, among others: Favoring teleworking for judges, court officials and attorneys-at-law. Suspending customer service ...
L.N. 156 of 2020, entitled the Malta Residency Visa Agency (Establishment) (Amendment) Order, 2020 has come into force with the scope of introducing a new system of distribution of applicationsamongthe ApprovalsBoard. This has been done primarily to help with ensuring that each Approvals Board is assigned an equal number of cases, with the said assignment to be carried out by theChief ExecutiveOfficer of the Agency ...
On April 10, 2020 the Department of Health and Human Services distributed the first $30 billion in healthcare relief funds. On April 22, HHS followed by allocating another $40 billion in relief funds. These funds will provide much needed assistance to healthcare providers absorbing costs and suffering losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Resolution 849 of the Department of Cooperatives of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism recently published, allows credit cooperatives under the supervision of the same, to refinance up to three installments in the payment of credits if they are delayed for terms of less than 30 days. since the publication of said resolution, on April 6, 2020. New credits or amendments may not be treated as such, for purposes of their rankings and provisions ...
On April 20, 2020, the National Consumer Service (SERNAC) published the "Interpretative Circular on Supplier’s Good Practices in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic", which seeks to establish the main concepts and criteria for companies to promote good commercial practices in order to protect consumers, especially with regard to their health and physical and psychological integrity ...
