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 ...
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 ...
Below is a summary of key new measures that have been implemented by various UAE authorities since 25 April 2020 and the time of this inBrief, 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, 30 April 2020.I. Economic Relief MeasuresA. Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) announces further incentives to support businessesOn 29 April 2020 the ADGM Registration Authority enacted incentives for new businesses, aimed at supporting the establishment of their operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Although government shutdown orders are being challenged across the country, the one issued by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf appears to be receiving particular attention ...
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program is an existing loan facility offered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) under Section 7(b) of the Small Business Administration Act of 1953. The purpose of the EIDL program is to extend low-interest credit to small businesses that are impacted by disasters ...
On April 29 and April 30, 2020, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) provided additional guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) through the issuance of a new PPP Interim Final Rule (the “Corporate Group Rule”), which supplements the first PPP Interim Final Rule, published on April 2, 2020, and the subsequent interim final rules issued since that date, as well as issuing updates to the Frequently Asked Questions&nbs
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 ...
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 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 ...
The Covid-19 pandemic situation has emerged as more than just a healthcare crisis. Accordingly, the focus is to address and anticipate at the same time the economic and social implications which are still at an early stage. What we are rapidly starting to acknowledge is that the circumstances created by the pandemic have revealed legislative gaps and vulnerabilities, which need to be addressed in order to avoid further negative impacts to the extent possible ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Government of the Slovak Republic approved on 14 April 2020 the draft bill amending Act No. 62/2020 Coll. on certain emergency measures in relation to the spread of dangerous contagious human disease COVID-19 and in the justice, and amendments to certain laws.The bill was passed by the Slovak Parliament on 22 April 2020 and has been published in the Collection of Laws on 25 April 2020.The below regulation on temporary protection of businesses came into force since 12 May 2020 ...
The new deadlines for the submission of financial statements are as follows: 1 ...
The EU Commission has implemented a Temporary Framework for State aid measures and provided the Member States with a toolbox of instruments to support their companies in the crisis. Germany has implemented some of these instruments. The following article takes a look at instruments that have been notified by other Member States and are also of interest to Germany ...
In recent months, the European courts have again decided numerous cases on state aid law. The following cases deal with antitrust law claims for damages for granting authorities, the effects of changes to the legal basis in state aid proceedings and the access to files in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 1049/2001 in state aid proceedings ...
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 ...
Key Points A recent order from the Santa Clara County Superior Court suggests that California courts intend to uphold and implement SB 35's goals of fast-tracking housing developments that meet established, objective criteria. California courts will closely scrutinize the objective planning standards cities and local governments utilize in determining whether a project is compliant with local land use criteria and building codes ...
In the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Congress – among other things – directed U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to report regarding waivers of children’s rights under the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. On April 27, DeVos announced she would not recommend that Congress pass any additional waivers concerning the requirements in those acts ...
On April 27, 2020, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Amy Acton, M.D., MPH, and Governor Mike DeWine announced surgeries that do not require an overnight stay may proceed on May 1, 2020. Other surgeries that meet current essential standards may continue to be performed. Additionally, dental offices and veterinary offices can resume operations on May 1, 2020 ...