Employers nationwide are grappling with the new normal to balance how, where, and when their employees will work with the interests of employee health and safety and ever-tightening government mandates to self-quarantine. Below are some FLSA reminders and typical issues we are fielding from clients across many industries. Some of my employees are self-quarantined and working from home ...
1. Has OSHA developed standards specifically with respect to COVID-19, or coronavirus? At this time, OSHA has not created specific OSHA standards for COVID-19. However, OSHA is carefully monitoring the situation. It has created a centralized website for employers to familiarize themselves with the disease, including its transmission and what can be done to protect employees ...
As we continue to be bombarded daily with the relentless 24/7 news cycle regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the reality is that healthcare employees are currently the most likely to be exposed to the disease in the United States. Accordingly, healthcare employers must start, or continue, to think about the various situations that may arise in the workplace and the multitude of laws that may apply ...
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued guidelines to help employers avoid violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as they scramble to address the impact of COVID-19 on their employees and businesses. The EEOC guidance is a reminder that employee privacy and health protections under the ADA continue to apply even in the midst of a global pandemic ...
As part of Spilman’s COVID-19 Task Force, we wanted to answer the pressing questions of many employers during this growing pandemic. Employers should consider implementing strategies and policy changes to reduce the risk of infection in the workplace while still complying with their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a developing topic, with many states imposing quarantines and Congress taking up the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ...
Pursuant to Decree no. 195/March 16th, 2020, published in the Official Gazette of Romania no. 212/March 16th, 2020, the President of Romania instated a state of emergency on the entire territory of Romania, for a period of 30 days, starting from March 16th, 2020 ...
Below is a summary of key regulatory measures and restrictions introduced by Ukraine in response to a public health challenge caused by COVID-2019. This update speaks only as of its date. As the situation is highly dynamic, we encourage our clients to approach us directly for an up-to-date guidance. Immigration Foreign citizens are temporarily banned from entering Ukraine ...
On 16 March 2020, following the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Declaration of Infected Local Areas) Order 2020, all the states in Malaysia have been declared as infected areas by the infectious disease, Covid-19. On the same day, the Malaysian Government issued a formal Movement Control Order ("Order”) under thePrevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988and thePolice Act 1967 ...
We are pleased to bring you the latest update as of 18 March 2020 from our Dispute Resolution Practice Group ...
In order to limit the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its effects, on 12 March 2020, the Government of the Republic of Estonia declared an emergency situation until 1 May 2020 and the Health Board recommends avoiding human contact. In this situation, implementing effective safety measures at the workplace often requires asking additional personal data, including health data from the employees ...
The UAE authorities have been dynamic in implementing measures to control the spread of COVID-19 within the UAE. Please find below a non-exhaustive list of noteworthy measures that have been implemented by various UAE authorities to date ...
Assistance to maintain employment contracts in companies facing a proven business crisis. Ministerial Order 71-A/2020 of 15 March defines and regulates the terms and conditions to award immediate assistance for employers and employees affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. The assistance is intended to maintain jobs and to mitigate the extreme difficulties that many businesses are now facing. Thishelp isextraordinary, temporary and transitional in nature ...
As employers react to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), they must be aware of the potential for unlawful discrimination based on an employee’s race or national origin. The CDC has issued this guidanceto employers regarding COVID-19: “To prevent stigma and discrimination in the workplace, use only the guidance described below to determine risk of COVID-19 ...
So long as COVID-19 remains a pandemic, every employer must face the new reality that there is a good chance an employee will test positive for COVID-19. Employers should consider the following checklist when handling an employee testing positive for COVID-19: Treat positive test results and “suspected but unconfirmed” cases of COVID-19 the same. If the source of infection is known, identify if it was at the workplace or outside ...
As employers weigh their measure of response to COVID-19, the employers must recognize that The General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)(1), requires employers to furnish each worker with “employment and a place of employment, which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm ...
As a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Government of Karnataka through Department of Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety & Health has issued a circular dated March 14, 2020 (“Circular”) providing certain guidelines for factories / manufacturing entities situated within the State ...
On March 5, 2020, the Karnataka Labour Department issued a circular (“Circular”) requiring all establishments in the State to grant 28 days of paid sick leave to any employee who has been infected by the COVID-19 virus (“Coronavirus”). These precautionary measures laid out by the Government aim to prevent the spread of Coronavirus ...
Congress appears to have reached an agreement on legislation to provide paid family and medical leave in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the bill still must be signed into law by the President. In the interim, Pittsburgh employers should take note that the City of Pittsburgh has passed legislation that already requires most employers operating in the City to provide for the accrual of minimum amounts of sick leave effective March 15, 2020 ...
Following the measures announced by the Federal Government on 12 March 2020, more and more employers are considering implementing a temporary telework regime, in which employees are required to work from home. Can an employer impose such a measure and what are the implications? An employer cannot unilaterally oblige an employee to work from home, except if employees are exposed to specific health and safety related risks at work ...
On March 18, 2020, Congress passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The Act, which is on its way to the President’s desk for immediate signature, includes many emergency measures to address COVID-19. The provisions with the greatest potential to impact employers and employees nation-wide are the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act of 2020 and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act ...
CIVIL LITIGATION What are the effects of COVID-19 and the measures recently taken by the federal government on litigation proceedings? Will the civil courts remain in operation? As of 16 March 2020, a regulation amending the rules of procedure for courts of first and second instance will come into force. This regulation provides for a restriction of court services limited to the strict minimum ...
The new virus COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, is spreading exponentially all over the world, also in Brazil. The outbreak is affecting the way in which our clients and their clients conduct their businesses, and the behavior of each and every one of us drastically. The virus is not only tragic for those, whose health is being affected, but also for large parts of the economy, such as the tourism industry, airlines and general retail (other than nutrition-related) ...
At Patterson Belknap we continue to diligently monitor the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus and assess the potential legal and business issues that may arise relating to the virus. The situation is fluid, and best practices and guidelines are evolving in real time. We are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds, and share our latest perspectives on the legal issues relating to COVID-19 below ...
