Devjani Mishra offers advice for employers in handling pandemic-related concerns as employers plan their return to the office.
CNN
Archives for August 13, 2021
How a rise in remote employment may impact post-pandemic work life
Devjani Mishra weighs in on what post-pandemic work life will look like – and how it may change permanently.
PBS NewsHour
Oregon Reinstates Mask Mandate
Effective August 13, 2021, Oregon Governor Kate Brown will implement a statewide mask mandate for all children and adults ages 5 and older in all indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status. This order will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. The existing requirement that all Oregonians ages
Forcing unionized workers to get vaccine is complicated
Robert Millman weighs in on the challenges unionized employers face in mandating vaccines for employers.
Daily Journal
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Texas Expands Protections for Employees Asserting Sexual-Harassment Claims
Michael Royal and Alyssa Peterson discuss two new laws that will bring changes for employers in Texas by expanding protections for employees who assert claims of sexual harassment under the Texas Labor Code.
SHRM Online
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Positive discrimination: the case for legal reform
Raoul Parekh and Natasha Adom write in support of updating laws to help give employers more freedom to create the real change that so many want and promote more diversity and equality in workplaces.
The Law Society Gazette
Illinois Makes Discrimination and Immigration Practices Based on Work Authorization Status a Civil Rights Violation
On August 2, 2021, Illinois enacted House Bill 0121 (Bill) that – effective immediately – adds a provision to the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) making it a civil rights violation for discriminating against employees and job applicants based on their “work authorization status[.]”1 Under the Bill, “work authorization
Pandemic ‘Recall’ Laws Give Nonunion Workers Union-Style Rights
Bruce Sarchet talks about “right-to-recall” rules spreading in response to layoffs forced by COVID-19.
Bloomberg Law
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Denver Mandates COVID-19 Vaccination for Certain Employees
David Gartenberg and Danielle Van Katwyk examine a new vaccine mandate in Denver and explain what it means for Colorado employers.
SHRM Online
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Texas: Mask On, Mask Off, Mask On…
In an apparent rebuttal to Governor Abbott’s July 29, 2021, Executive Order (GA-38), which was aimed at creating uniformity in the response to COVID-19 throughout the State of Texas and which prohibited local authorities from imposing their own mask, vaccine, or other COVID-related restrictions on businesses and schools (while
Mask On, Mask Off, Mask On…
In an apparent rebuttal to Governor Abbott’s July 29, 2021, Executive Order (GA-38), which was aimed at creating uniformity in the response to COVID-19 throughout the State of Texas and which prohibited local authorities from imposing their own mask, vaccine, or other COVID-related restrictions on businesses and schools (while
Ninth Circuit Holds TCPA Prohibits Pre-Recorded Recruiting Calls to Cell Phones Without Prior Express Consent
Staffing companies and employers using all tools at their disposal to recruit workers may face increased risk following the Ninth Circuit’s recent opinion in Loyhayem v. Fraser Financial. In Loyhayem, the court found that calling potential workers’ cell phones with pre-recorded voice messages could violate the Telephone Consumer Protection
Encouraging Employees to Get COVID-19 Vaccinations: Are Healthcare Surcharges the Answer?
The number of U.S. workers choosing to be vaccinated plateaued earlier this summer. As a result, employers, many of which hoped to return employees to the workplace in early fall, were left to debate whether to require employees to get vaccinated or to merely “strongly encourage” vaccination. Although many mandatory
COVID-19 Variants and Key Government Actions Accelerate Employer Vaccination Policy Implementation
With transmission of the Delta variant on the rise, many employers are revisiting plans to implement COVID-19 vaccination policies. As we have previously explained, employers may encourage and mandate vaccination against COVID-19, subject to exceptions for covered disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and sincerely held religious beliefs under
Pittsburgh Extends Temporary COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave but Confusion Over Employers’ Obligations Persists
On July 27, 2021, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto signed Section 626B of the City of Pittsburgh Code—also known as the Temporary COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance. Under the Ordinance, employers with over 50 employees must provide up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave for full-time employees, and