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This topic provides the latest news articles and resources related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Check back here to keep informed.
As a result of COVID-19, many Canadian provinces declared a public health emergency and either ordered (or urged) employers to let employees work from home if their tasks could be performed remotely. A business may face several crucially important issues with regard to performing work remotely. Can it establish an area or a distance within […]
Updated technical assistance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) clarifies how employers can require or encourage employees to take a COVID-19 vaccine, but attorneys advising employers point out how the document also contains cautions. The EEOC updated its technical assistance on May 28 to address questions about how federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws may be […]
We all know neither Google nor Facebook has a legal degree, but that doesn’t stop your employees from acting as if the social media platforms do. More than one employee has probably pushed back on a policy by saying, “I read on Facebook . . .” or “I Googled [such and such], and you are […]
The pandemic has changed the business landscape as we know it. Perhaps one of the biggest lessons it has taught us is how to manage during a crisis. During these past 12 to 14 months, we have seen some organizations succeed, as they were able to pivot their business models and mitigate internal risk, while […]
As the vaccine rollout continues across the United States, employers are figuring out their employees’ needs. Some employers have opted to offer incentives for employees to get vaccinated, noting that having a vaccinated workforce can help reduce risks of COVID spread and absences as a result. Others have taken a hands-off approach and are allowing […]
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically upended everyday life for people around the world. For millions of Americans, the inability to attend traditional social events coupled with the ability to work from home meant significant amounts of additional free time, above and beyond pre-pandemic levels. For those who lost jobs, that free time increased even more. Managing […]
On March 21, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a national emphasis program (NEP) to focus its enforcement efforts on preventing employees from contracting COVID-19 and protecting those who report unsafe working conditions. In general, an NEP is a method by which OSHA temporarily focuses its resources on a specific danger or […]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) announcement that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can shed their masks in many settings, including indoors, no doubt came as welcome news to mask-weary workers, but employers are warned not to relax rules too quickly.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance has confirmed employers may require a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment and/or to return to the workplace. Employers that choose to do so, however, need to be careful about how they implement the vaccine requirements. Who Will Administer Vaccine? Under the EEOC’s guidance, administering the COVID-19 vaccine […]
The pandemic’s sweeping impacts shifted how, when, and where millions of people work. Firms that previously did not allow remote working under any circumstances changed their tune and offered flexible working options. As part of this broader change, companies also altered the benefits they offered to new hires and existing workers. As the pandemic fades […]