In a press conference on December 1, 2021, Governor Ned Lamont, along with Connecticut Paid Leave Authority Chief Executive Officer Andrea Barton Reeves, announced that the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority is now accepting applications for Connecticut residents who want to participate in the state’s new paid family and medical leave
Archives for December 3, 2021
Beltway Buzz, December 3, 2021
The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C. could impact your business.
Major Immigration Law Changes in House’s Build Back Better Act
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) (H.R. 5376) by a vote of 220–213. Supported by the Biden Administration and congressional Democrats, the controversial bill heads to the Senate with key immigration reform provisions.
Lawful Permanent Residence
Section 60001 of the BBBA includes language
CMS Vaccine Mandate Blocked Nationwide
On November 29 and 30, 2021, two separate federal district courts—the Western District of Louisiana and Eastern District of Missouri—issued injunctions blocking enforcement of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) interim final rule (“vaccine mandate”) requiring healthcare worker vaccinations. In combination, these rulings result in a nationwide
Kansas Governor Signs Bill Limiting Workplace Vaccine Mandates
Seeking “compromise” and following in the footsteps of other governors, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed House Bill (HB) No. 2001 into law on November 23, 2021, broadening exemptions from employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates, permitting the imposition of civil penalties against noncomplying Kansas employers, and providing unemployment benefits to individuals who
Holiday Season, Pandemic Add Stress For Retail Employers
JoAnna Brooks discusses the challenges of the holiday season for retailers this year, including labor shortages and vaccination requirements.
Law360 Employment Authority
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Firms face tough call on vaccine exemptions
Barry Hartstein talks about employees who are abusing religious objections to vaccine mandates.
Business Insider
Mandatory Confusion: The State of Florida and Vaccine Mandates
Kimberly J. Doud and Nancy Johnson walk through the status of current federal vaccine mandates, the new Florida legislation, interplay between the federal and state laws, and provide thoughts on how to navigate through these confusing times.
ACC North Florida
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Vaccine Exemption Bids for Health-Care Workers to Spark Lawsuits
Devjani Mishra talks about granting accommodations to healthcare workers who don’t want to get the COVID-19 vaccination.
Bloomberg Law
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Arbitrator upholds mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy
Rhonda B. Levy, Barry Kuretzky and George Vassos write about a case in Canada where the arbitrator dismissed a union’s policy grievance and upheld a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Human Resources Director Canada
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Watch the recording of “OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard Mandating Vaccination for Employers with 100+ Employees”
HRW’s Janette Ekanem, Pete Moser, Catherine Reuben, Scott Roberts, Dave Wilson discussed the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). They reviewed the requirements of the law, the status of pending legal challenges, and issues related to reasonable accommodations of religion and disability. Full recording available
Littler Launches New Affinity Group for Individuals with Disabilities
(December 3, 2021) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, is pleased to announce the official launch of its affinity group for individuals with disabilities. This group, co-chaired by Associate Lauren Clements and Littler CaseSmart Program Director Anna Gualano, welcomes attorneys and staff with
New York City Council Passes Paid COVID-19 Child Vaccination Leave
On November 23, 2021, the New York City Council passed a bill amending its Earned Safe and Sick Time Act requiring all private-sector employers to provide their employees with four hours of paid COVID-19 child vaccination leave for each of their children, per vaccine injection, retroactive to November 2,
USCIS Reaches Settlement Agreement for H-1B Petitions in Madkudu v. USCIS
USCIS entered into a settlement agreement in Madkudu v. USCIS that may signal changes in how USCIS will determine which positions qualify as a “specialty occupation” for H-1B purposes. During the Trump Administration, USCIS often denied cases because more than one degree would meet the requirements for the position. The
Louisiana Workforce Commission Publishes Posters on Expanded Employee Pregnancy Accommodation Rights
Effective August 1, 2021, the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law was amended to expressly require Louisiana employers with more than 25 employees to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with limitations arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, provided that such limitations are known to the employers.