With 2020 firmly behind us, let’s cast our minds forward into what our Diversity Equity & Inclusion journey might look like in 2021. If you are an employer thinking about what you can do to take your DE&I goals to the next level in 2021, you are not alone.
Archives for January 2021
Temporary Flexibility for I-9 Compliance Extended Again
Once again, ICE has announced a further extension of flexibility in its rules related to I-9 compliance. The extension will continue through March 31, 2021.
This means that:
Employers may continue to inspect Section 2 Form I-9 documents virtually (e.g., over video link, by fax, or by email). The
California Counties of Los Angeles and Sonoma Vote on Extending, Expanding Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Ordinances
On January 26, 2021, Los Angeles County and Sonoma County, California voted on whether and how to expand and extend their supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) ordinances that expired at the end of 2020.
Littler Earns 13th Consecutive 100 Percent in 2021 Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Annual Scorecard on LGBTQ Workplace Equality
(January 28, 2021) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, received a perfect rating of 100% for the 13th consecutive year in the 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). Directed by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the index is a nationwide benchmarking survey and
Virginia Becomes the First State to Adopt a Permanent COVID-19 Standard
On January 27, 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that he had approved a Final Permanent Standard (Permanent Standard) for preventing COVID-19 in the workplace, making Virginia the first state in the nation to implement a permanent COVID-19 workplace safety and health standard. The Permanent Standard, which applies to
Proposed H-4 EAD Rule Withdrawn for Review
On January 25, 2021, the Biden administration withdrew from review the Trump administration’s proposed rule that would have rescinded the H-4 EAD program.
For close to five years, spouses of H-1B workers holding H-4 EADs have been living with uncertainty that their work authorization would be eliminated at any time.
Eleventh Circuit Affirms Validity of MSHA’s 2017 Workplace Examination Final Rule
In a challenge to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) 2017 final rule expanding the workplace examination requirements at 30 C.F.R. §§ 56.18002 (Surface) and 57.18002 (Underground), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit found that the final rule had been promulgated and
Seattle City Council Approves Legislation Requiring Grocery Businesses to Provide $4/Hour Hazard Pay
On January 25, 2021, the Seattle City Council approved Council Bill 119990 (also referred to as the “hazard pay ordinance”), which establishes $4 per hour COVID-19 hazard pay for grocery employees working in the City of Seattle. Below is a chart summarizing the key provisions of the hazard pay ordinance.
“Stimulus Bill Provides Expanded Opportunity for Employers to Take Tax Credit for Retaining Employees”
The CARES Act passed in March 2020 created an “employee retention tax credit,” which entitled eligible employers to a refundable tax credit for wages paid to employees during periods that the employer’s business was subject to a suspension, a shutdown, or a significant decline in revenues. The tax credit was
Changing Administrations, Changing Labor Policies, Part II: The 10 Most Prevalent Issues in Labor Law
Part one of this two-part series covered changes to U.S. labor law policies that employers can expect to see with the new administration. Part two is a brief summary of the most prevalent issues in current labor law and their likely disposition under a new Biden administration and National Labor
Top 10 for 2021 – Happy Data Privacy Day!
In honor of Data Privacy Day, we provide the following “Top 10 for 2021.” While the list is by no means exhaustive, it does provide some hot topics for organizations to consider in 2021.
COVID-19 privacy and security considerations.
During 2020, COVID-19 presented organizations large and small with
FFCRA FAQ: Answers to the Most Common Questions Employers are Asking Now That FFCRA Leave is Purely Voluntary
As we turn the page to a new year, employers covered by FFCRA face a host of questions now that FFCRA is purely voluntary.
For instance, employers are navigating questions such as: Should an employer voluntarily provide FFRCA leave to eligible employees now that leave is no longer mandatory? Is
Start Off 2021 on the Right Foot: Get the FMLA and ADA Help You Need
FMLA and ADA friends:
You’ve known me long enough to appreciate that I don’t engage in a whole lot of shameless self-promotion. Well, ok, some, but not so distasteful that you’ve given up on me, right?
So, can you indulge me one time?
Over the past several years, you are
Remember All that COVID-Related Leave Your Employees Took Last Year? It May Render Them Ineligible for FMLA Leave This Year
The questions have come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
Q: I furloughed several of my employees in 2020. Does the time on furlough count toward their FMLA eligibility?
Q: We forced an employee to take a leave of absence when they exhibited symptoms of COVID-19, which led to
Joe Biden Unveils his Plan for Paid Leave
Last night, President-elect Joe Biden unveiled his plan to provide much-needed relief from the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for a more aggressive vaccination rollout and additional cash payments to Americans to help the country recover.
Called the American Rescue Plan, Biden’s plan is expected to cost $1.9 trillion.
Along