“Vaccinating the Unvaccinated” is central to the Biden Administration’s “Path Out of the Pandemic.” Federal agency workers and military personnel are required to be vaccinated; health care facilities that participate in Medicare or Medicaid must require vaccination for health care workers; certain federal government contractors must ensure that covered employees are vaccinated (see our prior
Andrew L. Levy
Task Force Issues Details for Federal Contractors on Vaccine and Safety Requirements
On Friday, September 24, 2021, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued new guidance on COVID-19 vaccination requirements and other workplace safety protocols for covered federal government contractors, as required under Executive Order 14042. Beginning on October 15, 2021, all agencies will be required to add a clause to all covered Federal procurement solicitations and…
OSHA Issues Revised COVID-19 Guidance on Protecting Workers
McNees attorney Errin McCaulley is a co-author of this post
On June 10, 2021, OSHA released a revised version of its Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace (“Workplace Guidance”). This Guidance was issued simultaneously with the Emergency Temporary Standard, which is applicable only in the healthcare industry. …
COVID-19 in the Healthcare Workplace: OSHA Issues Emergency Temporary Standard
McNees attorney Errin McCaulley is a co-author of this post
On June 10, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) released its long-awaited COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) (the final prepublication version that is set to become effective upon publication in the Federal Register). Covered employers will be required to comply with most provisions…
DOL Issues Revised FFCRA Regulations
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued revisions to its Temporary Rule implementing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) on Friday, September 11, 2020 (the “Revised Temporary Rule”). The Revised Temporary Rule was issued in response to the decision by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York on August…
Federal Judge Vacates Portions of DOL’s FFCRA Regulations
On Monday, August 3, 2020, U.S District Judge J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York issued a Decision and Order striking down portions of the Department of Labor (“DOL”) regulations implementing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). Particularly, the order vacated the following portions of the DOL regulations:
- The requirement that
…
Businesses Ordered to Implement New Safety and Sanitation Measures
Special thanks to McNees attorneys Steve Matzura and Errin McCaulley for contributing to this post.
On April 5, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Health released an Order requiring businesses with in-person operations during COVID-19 to adopt and implement certain safety measures. Businesses covered by the Order include those with facilities of at least 50,000 square…
President Trump Signs Families First Coronavirus Response Act to provide Paid FMLA Leave and Paid Sick Leave in Response to COVID-19
Yesterday, President Trump signed into law historic legislation that will have a significant impact on a many employers nation-wide. The legislation, called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, has many provisions. We will focus this discussion on the workplace issues that most employers can expect to face.
Paid Sick Leave
The law includes the Emergency…
An Employer’s Guide to Managing the Coronavirus in the Workplace
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Coronavirus, or COVID-19 as it has been named, is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified in late 2019 during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Cases of coronavirus have…
ENFORCEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AGREEMENTS – SUPREME COURT TAKES TWO STEPS FORWARD AND ONE STEP BACK
Last year, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a significant decision upholding the use of individual arbitration agreements that include class action waivers. The Epic Systems’ Decision provided clarity to employers considering the use of arbitration agreements and class action waivers in the employment context. However, for employers with workers in the transportation…