As the number of new reported cases continues to climb in South Carolina, employers in all industries are confronted with COVID-19 related challenges. Employers look to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) for guidance on issues associated with the pandemic, as well as other regulatory authorities, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Archives for July 8, 2020
EEOC Looks to Increase Early Resolutions With Pilot Conciliation, Mediation Programs
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced two six-month pilot programs to expand its mediation program and increase the effectiveness of its conciliation process.
More Minnesota Cities Following Suit in Requiring Facemasks
The cities of Edina, Rochester, and Mankato are the most recent in Minnesota to require individuals to wear facemasks in public. They join the growing number of cities and states with the same requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the United States.
U.S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Religious Employers and Trump Administration in Two Important Decisions
Executive Summary: Today, July 8, 2020, the Supreme Court decided two cases – both by a 7 to 2 vote – involving the impact of religion in employment. First, the Supreme Court clarified the applicability of the Ministerial Exemption for religious organizations, including religious schools, from the federal antidiscrimination laws. Second, the Supreme Court upheld as valid two Trump Administration interim rules providing that employers who have sincerely held religious beliefs or moral objections against providing insurance coverage or payments for contraceptive services cannot be required to provide such coverage or payments.
DHS Rolls Back Some Temporary COVID-19 Exemptions for Certain International Students
Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that it is rolling back some of the temporary COVID-19 pandemic exemptions for international students in F-1 and M-1 status that allowed them to take online classes. For the fall 2020 semester, international students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States. DHS plans to publish the new procedures and responsibilities as a temporary final rule in the Federal Register.
What to Do If You’re Not Ready to Return to the Office
Emphasize how staying home will benefit the business—not you.
Woman Says She Was Fired Because Her Children Disrupted Her Work Calls
Drisana Rios of San Diego said in a lawsuit that she lost her job with an insurance brokerage firm after a supervisor complained that her children were being noisy during meetings.
What It’s Like to Enter the Work Force From Your Childhood Bedroom
They studied for years to get full-time jobs. Now, they’re right back where they started.
EEOC Announces Pilot Programs to Increase Voluntary Resolutions
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today announced two six-month pilot programs that will expand opportunities for parties to voluntarily resolve charges through mediation and increase the effectiveness of the conciliation process.
Working Parents, Your Family Needs a “Board of Directors”
Many of the roles we play in our lives do not fit neatly into professional and personal categories.
The Post-COVID Workplace: Will Employees Be Safe?
After nearly four months of a coronavirus-compelled shutdown, many workers across the U.S. are being asked to return to offices and shop floors.
Workplace testing for coronavirus remains a challenge
Testing shortages, lack of uniform standards complicate the path forward
INSIGHT: Employees Can Refuse Workplace Vaccinations
Under federal and state law, employers are under a duty to provide healthful workplaces.
Two-thirds of laid off workers eligible for benefits that exceed their wages: NBER paper
About two-thirds of workers displaced by the coronavirus can receive higher wages than they were receiving on the job, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research paper.
To stop ‘cancel culture,’ protect people’s viewpoints under civil rights law
An epidemic of workplace discrimination is sweeping the United States. It threatens not only people’s jobs and livelihoods, but the very structure of our civic life. It calls out for an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
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