On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (the Act) into law. The Act provides $900 billion of relief, including expanding certain relief previously provided under the CARES Act (e.g., $600 additional stimulus checks for certain individuals and $275 billion in additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans) ...
On 6 February 2020, the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2020 (“IRA 2020”) received the Royal Assent and was gazetted on 20 February 2020.Earlier this month, the Minister of Human Resources in exercising his powers conferred under the IRA 2020, appointed that majority of the provisions in IRA 2020 will come into force on 1 January 2021, save for certain amendments relating to sole bargaining rights and essential services ...
On 16 December we held a webinar as part of the IHL series looking at the preparatory steps you need to have in place within your organisation as well as outline the new Immigration routes from January 2021 and onwards. We have briefly summarised the key points discussed and further sources of guidance below. The information contained in it is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice ...
“On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin.” Gregory S. Williams Your business and employees have just experienced an extraordinary year. We have learned new ways of working, embraced new technology, and incorporated many new legal requirements, but most importantly, we have persevered ...
Introduction On 5 October 2020, the House of Representatives and the Indonesian Government passed the Omnibus Law Bill which has been enacted as Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation (“Job Creation Law”). Almost 30 days after being passed, on 2 November 2020, the Indonesian President signed the draft bill ...
With the rapid development of technology and the rise of new finance products and players in the fintech industry, banks are pushed to produce new products and innovative services in order to serve their customers and keep abreast of the behaviour of consumers who appreciate the convenience of digital services. In response to this, the Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan -- OJK) has issued OJK Regulation No. 12/POJK ...
On 29 September 2020, the Minister of Law and Human Rights (“MOLHR”) issued Minister of Law and Human Rights’ Regulation Number 26 of 2020 on Visas and Stay Permits During the Adaptation to the New Normal Period (“MOLHR Reg. No ...
As Seen in Law360 Last month, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan issued its opinion in Roseman v. International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers Of America.[1] ruling in favor of the employer, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC, and the union, known as United Auto Workers, or UAW ...
Key Points Employers may mandate employee COVID-19 vaccination programs, subject to certain exemptions. When requiring employee vaccinations, employers should consider the fact that these COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved under the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Mandatory employer COVID-19 vaccination programs must include religious and disability-related employee exemptions. INTRODUCTION On Dec ...
Is coronavirus vaccination a cure that will solve many challenges faced by employers or does it just inject further issues for employers to deal with? We answer the key questions. To be vaccinated or not to be vaccinated? That is the question... being discussed in homes and in workplaces up and down the country ...
With employees potentially returning to the workplace, we take a look at what will need to be done to tackle a number of mental health challenges – both for people and the companies they work for. Part three of our mental health series. With the second lockdown now over and the tier system fully in play, some employers are finding themselves able to open and trade again ...
The emergence of COVID-19 has changed the workplace as we once knew it. California employers need to be prepared for unprecedented compliance challenges in recent legislation related to the ongoing pandemic, expanding leave protections, wage and hour compliance risks, and much more. Employers will need to review and adapt their policies and procedures in order to keep up in the coming year with California’s ever-changing employment laws ...
On 10 December 2020, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) providing guidance to licensed corporations(LCs) on how to meet the obligations in its 31 October 2019 circular on use of external electronic data storage providers (EDSP). The SFC also made consequential amendments to its Frequently Asked Questions on the premises for business and record keeping ...
Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the promise of an effective vaccine has been held out as a key component to a return to normality. Now, with the Pfizer vaccine approved, and the Moderna vaccine on the path to approval shortly, employers have begun struggling to determine what their legal obligations are towards employees who refuse to be vaccinated. While we have addressed these issues recently in a Dec ...
On Dec. 16, 2020, the United Stated Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released much-anticipated guidance regarding employers’ ability to enact mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies. The new guidance addresses many questions regarding the interaction between mandatory vaccination policies and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1963 (Title VII), and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (Act) ...
The Brexit transition agreement, which governs the relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom in 2020, including arrangements relating to data protection, ends on December 31, 2020. Without an agreement, the UK becomes a third country The European Union and the United Kingdom are still in intensive negotiations over how they will shape future trade relations, and it is so far unclear whether they will arrive at a follow-up agreement ...
California voters signaled that privacy is a top priority by overwhelmingly approving Proposition 24 on Nov. 3, 2020—the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). The CPRA amends and significantly strengthens the recently enacted California Consumer Privacy Act and moves California's privacy laws toward those of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ...
Ransomware Goes Corporate - A First-Hand Account An Interview With.... Sandra Elvin, National Security Office for Microsoft Sweden Jon Åsberg, Editor-in-Chief at Fokus, Sweden’s leading weekly news and current affairs magazine Faced with a range of obstacles, business leaders were already dealing with rising challenges to their risk and approach to cybersecurity; and then, along came Covid-19 ...
Artificial intelligence is one of the areas of technology where there is currently the most research and development in Canada. To preserve Canada's advantageous position in this area, it is important to consider all forms of intellectual property protection that may apply. Although copyright has historically been the preferred form of intellectual property in computer science, patents are nevertheless very useful in the field of artificial intelligence ...
On 10th December 2020, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) issued a circular on “New License Categorisations for the Nigerian Payments System”. The introduction of the policies highlighted in the circular may impact significantly on the fintech landscape in Nigeria as the CBN now clearly sets out the activities that can be carried out by fintechs that operate in the electronic payments system space in Nigeria ...
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is providing EUR 50 million annually until 2023 to promote computer games in order to strengthen Germany as a location for developers. In the now launched second phase, large-volume projects are being funded ...
Despite the numerous decisions on state aid to mitigate the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic under the Temporary Framework, the Commission has also taken decisions outside this topic. The following decisions concern broadband vouchers for Italian households, the rollout of a gigabit network infrastructure in Germany and aid for charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in Schleswig-Holstein. Finally, some news on consultations and revisions to state aid rules are presented below ...
On December 8th, 2020, The President of the Russian Federation signed the Federal Law, introducing the new rules for remote work (hereinafter the “Law”). This Law will come into force from January 1st 2021. Here is a brief summary of new rules: i. New types of temporary remote work In accordance with current labour legislation, an employee and employer can conclude a remote employment contract only on a permanent basis ...
Effective Jan. 1, 2021, Florida law will require all public employers, as well as some private employers, to enroll in and use the E-Verify system. What is E-Verify? E-Verify is a free federal electronic database that allows employers to quickly validate documentation presented by new hires to establish that a new employee is lawfully eligible for employment in the United States ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed Canadian workplaces. For many organizations, the pandemic and its containment measures have fast-tracked the shift to teleworking. In this context, the Canada Revenue Agency (the “CRA”) and the Agence du Revenu du Québec (the“ARQ”) have published administrative positions regarding deductible expenses for employees working from home as well as for their employers ...
