Despite a global pandemic and two COVID-19-related legislative shutdowns over the last seven months, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California legislature have concluded the 2020 Legislative session on September 30, 2020, with an outbreak of new employment-related laws for employers to grapple with. Not surprisingly, many are related to COVID-19.
Archives for October 7, 2020
Trump Moves to Tighten Visa Access for High-Skilled Foreign Workers
Four weeks before the election, the Trump administration has announced stricter rules for the H-1B visa program, which U.S. companies have long valued.
How To Safely Transition Your Employees Back Into The Workplace
Over the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has inevitably forced business executives across the globe to take a step back and revise their leadership strategies to successfully guide teams through the “new normal” of remote work.
5 strategies to fix a toxic workplace
An epigenetics coach explains the key tactics that will assist leaders to repair work cultures torn apart by blame, lack of accountability, and trauma such as the one that flourished on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show.’
The Labor Department’s Latest Blow Against ESG Investing
The Labor Department is getting closer to dealing a one-two punch to ESG investing.
Labor Department Questions Microsoft and Wells Fargo Over Pledges to Hire More Black Employees
Agency letters ask if diversity initiatives constitute discriminaton; companies say they comply with employment law
EEOC September Job Bias Suits Fall in Year of Covid-19, Election
The EEOC’s annual fiscal-year-end litigation push fell hardest on health-care providers, retailers, and restaurants in a September that saw the number of new suits against employers by the agency drop significantly for the second straight year.
Man fired for being ‘too American,’ old, wearing khakis: EEOC complaint
A former marketing executive was chastised by his bosses for being “too American,” wearing khaki pants to work and being too old, according to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint.
Be the boss working parents need now: 6 tips
Working parents face unprecedented stress in the age of COVID-19. Consider this advice to help ease their burden
Women’s Career Trajectories Can Be a Model for an Aging Workforce
The two-phase career is taking on a new shape.
Don’t Let Election Passions Roil Your Workplace
Research-based advice on how to help employees engage in productive discourse.
OSHA Clarifies Reporting Requirement for COVID-19-Related Hospitalizations and Fatalities With New FAQs
On September 30, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a new series of answers to its “COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQs) guidance relating to an employer’s obligation to report work-related hospitalizations and fatalities that occur as a result of COVID-19. The new FAQs
Michigan Agency Steps Up Mask Mandate and Other Requirements to Fill Void Created by Nullification of COVID-19 Executive Orders
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued an emergency order prohibiting certain gatherings and mandating masks, partially filling the gap created by the Michigan Supreme Court’s October 2, 2020 opinion nullifying the governor’s post-April 30, 2020 COVID-19 executive order
Puerto Rico–Qualified Retirement Plans: 2020 Year-End Amendments Deadline Coming Soon
All of the recent changes to the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules of Section 401(a)(9) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, except for provisions related to the handling of tax-free rollovers, may be applied to Puerto Rico participants in dual-qualified plans (i.e., U.S.-qualified retirement plans that cover both U.S. and
Washington Raises Income Thresholds for Workers Subject to Noncompetition Covenants
In May 2019, Washington enacted restrictions on noncompetition covenants, which we wrote about in our article, “Washington State Governor Signs Legislation Restricting Noncompetition Covenants,” and which took effect on January 1, 2020.