On 11 June 2020, the Discrimination Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2018 (Bill) was passed at the Legislative Council. The Bill introduced amendments to Hong Kong’s four anti-discrimination legislations, namely the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO), the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO), the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (FSDO), and the Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO) (Amendments) ...
As seen in Bank Director The federal government has a history of assisting businesses when a crisis occurs, but one of its latest interventions may have created risk for bank partners providing aid ...
Although the data for San Francisco Bay Area remains encouraging for the first quarter of 2020*, given the economic instability brought by COVID-19, we might see more down rounds going forward. Down rounds are financings where the company is valued less than in a previous round. In practical terms this means that the new investors are buying shares of the company at a lesser price than the previous investors ...
The General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR") came into force a little over two years ago, on 25 May 2018 and the first administrative fines were imposed in Finland in late May 2020. What is noteworthy is that in two out of the four decisions, the fines concerned violations of processing of personal data of employees and job applicants ...
Congress recently passed the economic stimulus package referred to as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (“PPPHCE Act”), and the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (“PPP Flexibility Act”). Ttogether, the CARES Act1, PPPHCE Act, and PPP Flexibility Act are called the “CARES Act” ...
In a landmark decision issued today, the Supreme Court of the Unites States ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination against gay, lesbian, and transgender people. The case involved consolidated lawsuits filed by two gay persons fired due to their sexual orientation and a transgender woman fired after revealing plans to transition from male to female ...
Up until now, there has been no suspension of a notice period served upon an employee who has been made temporarily unemployed under the ‘corona’ regime. Such a notice period started during the corona temporary unemployment and continued to run during this period. Given, as a consequence, employers would be able to dismiss employees 'cheaply', a draft bill was submitted in Parliament to have the notice period suspended in the event of corona temporary unemployment ...
Following the Chancellor’s announcement on 29 May 2020 regarding further changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, we now have more detailed guidance about how the new flexibility under the scheme will work from 1 July. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) Flexibility As we know, from 1 July 2020, employers will be able to bring furloughed workers back to work on a part time basis if appropriate while still being able to claim under the CJRS for hours not worked ...
Unexpectedly siding with the liberal wing of the Court, Justice Neil Gorsuch penned a 6-3 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, holding that Title VII’s prohibition on sex-based discrimination also covers sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. The Court’s decision dealt a historic victory for proponents of expanding gay and trans protections for workers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...
The Federal Reserve's Main Street Lending Program (the “MSLP”), which is designed to help credit flow to small and medium-sized businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, was officially launched today, Monday, June 15th. As a result, the MSLP is now open and ready for registration by lenders looking to participate in the program ...
With COVID-19 taking its toll on some businesses, employees may find themselves placed at risk of redundancy. This article looks at the practical steps an employer should take when carrying out an individual redundancy consultation. Individual consultation is fundamental to the fairness of any dismissal for redundancy ...
On 27 May 2020 the Federal Council adopted the Ordinance on Protecting against Cyber Risks (OPCy, available in French and German), which is set to enter into force on 1 July 2020. This move is the next step in a series of measures taken by the Federal Council to adopt a new organisational structure and implement a national strategy to protect Switzerland against cyber risks (NCS, available in German, French, Italian and English) ...
On June 10, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released new guidance, in the form of frequently asked questions and answers, regarding the use of masks in the workplace.[1] The new guidance serves to help employers ensure employees know how to properly wear masks and which type of mask is appropriate. OSHA explains the difference between cloth face coverings, surgical masks, and respirators ...
Key Point The Federal Reserve has further revised the terms for the upcoming Main Street Lending Program in order to expand access to the program's three loan facilities The Federal Reserve announced on June 8, 2020, that it has revised key terms for its upcoming Main Street Lending Program to support small and medium-sized businesses, consisting of three loan facilities: the Main Street New Loan Facility (MSNLF), the Main Street Priority Loan Facility (MSPLF), and the Main Stree
Congress recently passed the economic stimulus package referred to as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act1”), the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (“PPPHCE Act”), and the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (“PPP Flexibility Act”). Together, the CARES Act1, PPPHCE Act, and PPP Flexibility Act are called the “CARES Act” ...
Businesses affected by COVID-19 are frantically seeking help. Direct forms of assistance, such as the financial shield and standstill pay, are extremely popular. Meanwhile, another instrument of the Anti-Crisis Shield has begun operating recently, i.e. loan repayment guarantees granted by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego to medium-sized and large enterprises from the Liquidity Guarantee Fund ...
This time we address solutions from the front lines: devices for remote diagnostics which can improve effective detection of the coronavirus and also unburden the health service in other areas. These solutions can also serve as aproving ground for the regulatory approach to oversight of algorithms. The immediate inspiration for writing this text was asolution from the company StethoMe presented at the DemoDay organised by the MIT Enterprise Forum CEE ...
The economic turmoil stemming from the outbreak of COVID-19 has forced small business owners to take drastic measures to save their companies. Unfortunately, government subsidized loans, loan deferrals, and temporary rent relief may not be enough to save all small businesses. Bankruptcy should never be the first choice for a business in financial distress, but it may be the best choice for all interested parties ...
Special Report "COVID-19 in Central America" on special measures taken in each country of our region prepared by the multidisciplinary team of Consortium Legal. The information contained in this publication is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is constantly updated and is subject to change ...
Preparation of financial statements and corporate income tax, recommencement of time periods, remote trials, gradual return to workplaces, insolvency proceedings and compliance with criminal law In a new edition of our COVID-19 Special Newsletter, we examine the key new legislation approved over the past two weeks in all areas of business law ...
Key Points New legislation allows longer 24-week period for payroll costs that will be forgiven under Paycheck Protection Program loans Maximum forgiveness of loan can be achieved if 60% of the proceeds are used on payroll costs New broader safe harbor to avoid FTE-based reduction in forgiveness amount New legislation signed into effect on June 5, 2020, received bi-partisan support to address complaints about the current Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans for small busines
As the saying goes “when the wind blows, some people build walls, while others build windmills". We know that we’re facing a crisis unlike any other, but what’s been illustrated clearly is that a lot of our old assumptions on how we work can be challenged. We can be working smarter, faster, better. We want to emerge from lockdown with something positive to show for it: a new normal better than the old one. We need a new how ...
ALRUD’s Labor experts have prepared the material that is useful for each employer in the current situation: Checklist: Reopening of business after lifting restrictions. The checklist includes the main steps that must be taken to return the company and employees usual work activities after lifting the restrictions. Most interesting for company managers, HR directors, Compliance officers, heads of legal departments ...
It is astonishing that in the same week that we’ve read about astronauts going into space in a reusable rocket, we have also experienced the horrors of humanity reading about the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor ...
On June 8, the Federal Reserve announced a number of changes to the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”), involving all three facilities, the Main Street New Loan Facility (“MSNLF”), the Main Street Priority Loan Facility (“MSPLF”), and the Main Street Expanded Loan Facility (“MSELF”) ...
