The Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) just issued final regulations implementing the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law (PFMLL). Employees will become eligible for paid time off under the PFMLL starting on January 1, 2021. Between now and then, we anticipate that the DFML will be issuing additional guidance on the logistics, sample healthcare provider certification forms, and other compliance assistance information and documents. In the meantime, we are pleased to provide this HRW Client Alert discussing a number of important “big picture” issues raised by the regulations for employers to consider now.
Archives for August 4, 2020
EEOC to Resume Dismissing Charges of Discrimination Following Suspension due to COVID-19 Pandemic
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on August 3, 2020, that it will begin dismissing charges that were suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Court Vacates Parts of FFCRA Regulations, Including Healthcare Provider Definition
The federal district court in New York struck down four provisions in the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) regulations on August 3, 2020, four months after the regulations went into effect, and five months before the FFCRA is set to expire. State of New York v. U.S. Department of Labor, et al., No. 1:20-cv-03020 (S.D. N.Y. Aug. 3, 2020).
Restaurants navigating pandemic guidelines stick to one big rule: build customer trust
Partner Rick Warren was quoted in the Reporter Newspapers, “Restaurants navigating pandemic guidelines stick to one big rule: build customer trust.”
Judge’s FFCRA Ruling Invalidates USDOL’s “Health Care Provider” Definition and Raises Questions About Paid Leave Eligibility During Pandemic-Related Shutdowns
On August 3, 2020, a federal judge in New York struck down two important limits regarding which employees are eligible for paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
Court Rules with New York: DOL “Jumped the Rail” in Restricting Pandemic Paid Leave
In a decision with far-reaching implications, U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York sided with the State of New York in striking down a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Final Rule limiting the circumstances under which employees can gain access to sick leave and emergency family leave benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With COVID-19 Resurgent, Employers Confront Privacy and Information Security Issues When Testing Employees for COVID-19
With the resurgence of COVID-19 infections across the United States, employers are facing growing pressure to ascertain whether their employees have contracted the virus. Temperature checks and symptoms screening, while helpful, will not identify employees who are asymptomatic and potentially contagious. This gap is critical because studies show that up to
Michael T. Glascott Elected President of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
On July 31, Goldberg Segalla partner Michael T. Glascott began his term as President of Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC).
New York District Court Vacates Parts of FFCRA Regulations Including Healthcare Provider Definition
Shortly after the Department of Labor issued its FFCRA regulations, the state of New York filed a lawsuit challenging some of the provisions. Today (four months after the regulations went into effect, and just five months before the FFCRA is set to expire), the federal district court in New York
Elections, Political Protests, and the Workplace
As campaign season heats up and political protests continue on top of an already stressed workforce, most employers seek to maintain a harmonious work environment. While perhaps tempting to regulate employee behavior to keep politics out of the workplace, employers should tread carefully.
Under California’s discrimination laws, political affiliation is
H-1B Update: Administration to Increase Scrutiny, Investigations
Employers need to ready themselves for investigations from the Department of Labor (DOL) into the use of H-1B visas.
Without Congressional oversight or legislative changes, the Trump Administration has changed the policies for H-1Bs, resulting in the highest denial rate in history of this legal immigration program. During the ongoing