On September 17, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 1159, (SB 1159) which modifies and extends the Governor’s Executive Order N-62-20 creating a disputable workers’ compensation presumption that illness or death related to COVID-19 is an occupational injury and therefore eligible for benefits. The statute takes effect immediately and remains in effect through January 1, 2023.
Archives for September 23, 2020
7 Strategies for Better Group Decision-Making
When you have a tough business problem to solve, you likely bring it to a group.
Apple CEO Impressed by Remote Work, Sees Permanent Changes
Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said he’s been impressed by employees’ ability to operate remotely and predicted that some new work habits will remain after the pandemic.
My Boss Wants Us On Zoom All Day Long
My boss has announced that while we’re all working from home, the entire company will now be spending the whole work day on a Zoom call with video.
Cornell Ends ERISA Suit With Modest Settlement After Legal Win
Cornell University will pay $225,000 to settle a 28,000-person class action challenging the fees and investment options in the school’s retirement plan, according to settlement papers filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The Changing Workplace, Part 1: Why Remote Work Is Gaining Permanence
The specter of compensation for employees. For COVID-19
DOL Provides Enforcement Reprieve for Certain Seasonal Establishments Coping with COVID-19
On September 15, 2020, the United States Department of Labor assured existing, seasonal-based establishments they could engage in alternative activities to cope with the financial fallout from COVID-19, without losing their minimum wage and overtime exemption. The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) stating
“They drill, tap and listen to disco-polo.” We ask what a remote employee can do when a neighbor is undergoing renovation
DOL Releases Proposed Regulation on Independent Contracting
On September 22, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a long-anticipated proposed rule addressing when a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Employment agreements: The whole is greater than the parts
Rhonda B. Levy and George Vassos outline the effects of Ontario Court of Appeal ruling.
Canadian Employment Law Today
EEOC Must Follow Certain Steps Before Filing a Systemic Bias Suit
Jim Paretti reminds employers that their workplace should be free of discrimination in all instances.
SHRM Online
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The Biggest Changes In Calif.’s Contractor Law ‘Cleanup’
Bruce Sarchet describes some of the new exceptions to A.B. 5.
Law360
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The crisis of multiemployer pension plans: Where do we go from here?
Sarah Bryan Fask and Michael Romeo explore various legislative proposals to prevent the collapse of the multiemployer pension system.
BenefitsPRO
Final Key Provisions of Oregon’s Workplace Fairness Act Take Effect October 1, 2020
In the summer of 2019, Oregon enacted the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act (SB 726), which imposed sweeping new requirements on Oregon employers in response to the #MeToo movement. Although some of the law’s provisions took effect in September 2019, the remaining provisions take effect on October 1, 2020. Oregon employers