Showing 13 posts in Coronavirus.

President Biden's American Rescue Plan Would Reinstate and Expand Federally Mandated Paid Sick and FMLA Leave

On January 20, 2021, President Biden announced the principal points of his American Rescue Plan (the Plan), a new COVID-19 relief package that would revive the federal mandate on employers to provide paid sick and paid FMLA leave for certain COVID-19-related absences. On February 1, 2021, Republican lawmakers responded with a competing relief package that does not include those paid leave mandates. As of now, neither side has released a draft of the actual proposed legislation. Much of what we know comes from the announcement released by the Biden administration and a chart from Republican Senators. More ›

Hinshaw's 12 Days of California Labor & Employment Series – Day 10: COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Expanded to All Employers

In the spirit of the season—and keeping some semblance of normal—we are using our annual "12 days of the holidays" blog series to address new California laws and their impact on California employers. On this tenth day of the holidays, my labor and employment attorney gave to me: ten lords a-leaping and AB 1867.

AB 1867 fills a void that was left by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) regarding paid sick leave. The FFCRA was enacted to provide federal paid sick leave and expanded family leave due to the pandemic, but it only applied to employers with less than 500 employees. In response, California enacted a supplemental COVID-19 paid sick leave law through AB 1867. Applicable to businesses with 500 or more employees nationally, AB 1867 in essence guarantees that any employee—regardless of the size of the employer—will receive paid sick leave if needed due to COVID-19. More ›

Hinshaw's 12 Days of California Labor & Employment Series – Day 2: Longer Time to File With the DLSE Is Another Unwanted Gift for Employers

In the spirit of the season—and keeping some semblance of normal—we are using our annual "12 days of the holidays" blog series to address new California laws and their impact on California employers. On this second day of the holidays, my labor and employment attorney gave to me: two turtle doves and AB 1947.

This bill was likely created and signed in part due to COVID-19, as it extends some deadlines. With all the craziness 2020 has brought—including work from home, court closures, court delays, and the like—it comes as no a surprise to see deadlines being extended, too. More ›

Hinshaw's 12 Days of California Labor & Employment Series – Day 1: COVID-19 and the Rebuttable Workers' Compensation Presumption

Can you believe this year is nearly over? Before popping the champagne, it's time to reprise our annual review of key labor and employment law developments in California. While California employers are thrown curve balls every year, the events of 2020 are simply unrivaled in living memory. Employers have been in a constant state of change all year, as they have been operating at the mercy of COVID-19 case numbers, stay at home orders, capacity limitations, and so much more. In the spirit of the season—and some semblance of normal—here is the first of our annual "12 days of the holidays" blog series. On this first day of the holidays, my labor and employment attorney gave to me: a partridge in a pear tree and SB 1159. More ›

OSHA Updates its Employer Guidance on COVID-19-Related Fatality Reporting

On September 30, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated its answers to frequently asked questions regarding an employer's obligation to report a COVID-19-related fatality if it occurs within 30 days of the work-related incident. Notably, according to OSHA, an "incident" includes exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace. In order for a fatality to be reportable it must occur within 30 days of the exposure at work, and an employer must report the fatality to OSHA within eight hours. The time clock for the reporting obligation commences within eight hours of the employer knowing that the employee has died and that the cause of death was work-related. More ›

DOL Temporary Rule Clarifies Paid Leave Under Families First Coronavirus Response Act

The U.S. Department of Labor issued a Temporary Rule on September 11, 2020, which revises regulations concerning paid sick leave and expanded family medical leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The rule, which goes into effect on September 16, 2020, was issued in response to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York's decision in State of New York v. Department of Labor on August 3, 2020, which struck down portions of the FFCRA regulations. More ›

Federal Court in New York Strikes Down Key Provisions of DOL's FFCRA Final Rule

In State of New York v. United States Department of Labor, the Southern District of New York struck down several key aspects of the Department of Labor's (DOL) Final Rule implementing the provisions of Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Brought by the State of New York, this suit challenged several features of the DOL's Final Rule as exceeding the DOL's authority. The DOL cross-filed for summary judgment and moved to dismiss for lack of standing. More ›

As COVID-19 Cases Increase, States Adopt Workplace Standards and Emergency Ordinances

With over 40 states showing a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the novel coronavirus remains top of mind for employers throughout the U.S. Numerous state and federal measures have been—and continue to be—enacted in response to the pandemic. We explore some of these recent policies and their impact on employers below. More ›

Proclamation by Trump Administration Will Have Major Impact on Employer-Sponsored Immigration

On June 22, 2020 President Trump signed a Proclamation suspending certain immigration applications and entry into the United States which will dramatically—albeit temporarily—impact the landscape of employer-sponsored immigration. Subject to limited exceptions, the suspension applies to foreign workers in the H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and J-1 visa categories, as well as their dependents, and is effective from June 24 to December 31. More ›

Think You Finally Understand the PPP? Think Again… Because It Has Been Amended

On June 5, 2020 H.R. 7010—known as the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (the "Act")—went into effect. The Act amends the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created by the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Although the amendments provide greater flexibility for employers, they may also require reconsideration of prior understandings and decisions. More ›