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).
Work From Home: How IBM Balances Business, Employee Needs
IBM Chief Human Resources Officer Diane Gherson discusses the shift toward working from home, evaluating worker productivity, and making offices a “destination” for work.
Massachusetts Court Won’t Use Term ‘Grandfathering,’ Citing Its Racist Origins
The practice was “adopted by some states after the Civil War in an effort to disenfranchise African-American voters,” the court noted.
Is It OK That I Haven’t Told My Parents I Was Fired?
Last year I was abruptly let go from my job.
How HR Leaders Can Adapt to Uncertain Times
Human Resource departments had a difficult job prior to the pandemic. In 2019, more than 50% of HR leaders struggled to ensure that employees had the skills necessary to navigate an increasingly digitized workplace.
How To Avoid Conflict Contagion As U.K. Workplaces Reopen
There are many sources of conflict at work, from misunderstandings and personality clashes to unfair treatment and bullying.
EEOC Resumes Issuing Notices Allowing Workers to Sue Employers
Workers awaiting a go-ahead from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to sue their employers over allegations of discrimination will soon hear from the agency on next steps.
Walmart, EEOC Ink $20 Million Deal Over Physical Abilities Test
Walmart Inc. will pay $20 million and drop its use of physical abilities testing for grocery orderfillers at all U.S. distribution centers to resolve an EEOC suit alleging it results in discrimination against female applicants based on sex, federal court records show.
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
Federal Court Rejects Key Provisions of FFCRA Leave Regulation
Earlier today, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York struck down four key provisions of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) regulation implementing the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The […]