As many states and municipalities begin lifting stay at home orders and implementing steps for a phased reopening of businesses, employers should be developing a written “game plan” to minimize the risks of transitioning from a COVID-19 complete or partial shutdown to resumption of business as usual, or business in the post-Pandemic workplace ...
After the start of Phase 2 (which began on 4 May 2020) the Italian government adopted on 16 May Law Decree no. 33 concerning, inter alia, "Further urgent measures to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak" (the "DL 16 May 2020"). Moreover, on 17 May 2020, in implementation of the aforementioned DL 16 May 2020, the Prime Minister issued a new decree with specific implementing provisions (the "PMD 17 May 2020") ...
On May 19, 2020, OSHA issued two revised enforcement policies with respect to in-person workplace inspections, and an employer’s obligation to record occupational injuries and illnesses, specifically cases of COVID-19. As phased re-openings of businesses are occurring throughout the United States, OSHA explained that it revised its policies to ensure that employers are protecting the health and safety of their workers ...
The landmark CARES Act, signed into law by the President on March 27, provides many employers with several options to increase liquidity and cash flow during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. And only 9 days before that legislation was enacted, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) also created two other payroll tax-related incentives for certain employers, and to self-employed individuals ...
Effective Tuesday, May 19, 2020, the Department of Labor issued a new rule to provide greater simplicity and flexibility to retail and service-industry employers. The rule relaxes the regulatory framework underpinning Section 7(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, also known as the “retail service exemption ...
State Attorneys General across the nation are warning consumers about price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic and offering easy online tools to report violations. Consumers have gotten the message. Texans, for example, have sent over 10,000 complaints of price gouging to the state AG’s office during the pandemic.1 Price gouging laws have been enacted by nearly 75 percent of states ...
The Department of Labor and Employment (“DOLE”) issued Labor Advisory Nos. 17 and 18 dated 16 May 2020 containing guidelines on employment preservation upon the resumption of business operations as well as guidelines on the cost of COVID-19 prevention and control measures, respectively. Read the analysis of DFDL’s collaborating firm in the Philippines, Ocampo & Suralvo Law Offices, now: Contact View More
The government has rolled out a series of measures to relieve the economic impact brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Introduced under the second round Anti-epidemic Fund, the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) has come under the spotlight as it aims to provide wage subsidies to employers against their undertaking to spend all subsidies on paying wages to their employees and not to implement redundancy during the subsidy period ...
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has issued guidelines on data protection in work from home (WFH) arrangements (NPC PHE Bulletin No. 12 on “Protecting Personal Data in a Work from Home Arrangement; issued May 15, 2020). The full text of the guidelines can be found here: https://www.privacy.gov.ph/2020/05/npc-phe-bulletin-no-12-protecting-personal-data-in-a-work-from-home-arrangement/ ...
Philippine government agencies continue to issue additional and more specific guidelines on dealing with business continuity concerns, in light of more enterprises being able to resume operations under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), and more areas now being under the less restrictive General Community Quarantine (GCQ). This briefing covers the following more recent advisories: Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Labor Advisory No ...
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been forced to work from home and this has created new opportunities and very fertile ground for the emergence of cyber threats. Accordingly, on 29 April 2020, the Intermediaries Supervision Department of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued a circular (Circular) containing examples of controls and procedures firms can put in place to manage their cybersecurity risks ...
Dykema’s Labor & Employment Practice Group created a Q&A overview addressing best practices for employers to consider when businesses return to work. The document discusses frequently asked questions concerning employer recalls, pay and benefits, medical documentation, personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, and more ...
On May 18, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-91 (“Order”) into effect, which details the requirements on employers reopening for business in Michigan. The Order reaffirms and builds upon previous directives for employers permitted to reopen business ...
Is Coronavirus the Great Leveller? When the novel coronavirus first started spreading like wildfire, people called it the “great leveller”. No respecter of status or economic background, Covid-19 affected people at all strata, from housemaids to Hollywood royalty; peons to prime ministers. Tom Hanks, Boris Johnson and an aide to US Vice President Mike Pence all contracted it ...
The USCIS on Friday, May 15, sent a request to Congress for $1.2 billion in emergency funding, proposing to pay it back with a 10% surcharge on application filing fees. The immigration service is entirely funded by these filing fees and has seen a significant drop in applications due to the coronavirus pandemic. It said in the statement it expects a 61% drop in revenue through the end of the fiscal year ...
This briefing takes a deeper dive into the labor and employment aspect of COVID-19 issuances. Some of the guidelines here are covered in our The Return-to-Work-Checklist for Philippine Companies. A. Operating establishments have been directed to comply with public health standards prescribed by the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 1. The DTI issued DTI Memorandum Circular No ...
In accordance with the publications by the Ministry of Health on May 14 and 15, 2020, the morning of Monday 18, the technical guidelines for health safety in the workplace were published so that micro, small and medium-sized companies can restart activities without compromising the health of its employees ...
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 ...
The COVID-19 pandemic hit employers hard and fast, causing employers to deal with loss of revenue, tough decisions in regard to workforce and pay issues, and new laws and other guidelines that had to be analyzed and implemented quickly, with little time for planning or preparation ...
In today's Federation's Official Gazette (May 15th, 2020), the Ministry of Health issued modifications to the publication dated May 14th, 2020 in relation to the strategy for the reopening of social, education and economic activities in Mexico. Modifications are related to the activities that were added to the list of essential activities, namely those in the mining, construction and manufacturing in the transportation industries ...
In planning for the post-quarantine return to business activities, the Ministry of Labor (MITRADEL, for its initials in Spanish) based on Executive Decree No. 78 of March 16, 2020, has required business to create Special Committees on Health and Hygiene for the Prevention and Care of COVID-19. These committees must include representatives for both management and labor ...
The DMCC Authority recently passed DMCC Guidelines 1 of 2020 (DMCC Guidelines) setting out what actions DMCC employers can take with respect to their employees during the COVID-19 Precautionary Measures Period. DMCC entities can: • Request employees to work remotely and implement means to monitor them (without infringing their privacy). Working remotely does not however apply to key employees working in Vital Industries ...
