Executive Summary: On March 23, 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law Illinois Senate Bill 1480 which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003, and the Illinois Business Corporation Act, and imposes new obligations on employers.
DOL Publishes FAQ Guidance and Model Notices Regarding the COBRA Subsidy Available Under the American Rescue Plan Act
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed into law on March 11, 2021, requires employers to provide subsidized COBRA coverage to employees (and family members) who qualify for COBRA due to an involuntary termination of employment or reduction in hours.
FordHarrison Accolades & Additions: First Quarter 2021
FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that the firm is the recipient of McDonald’s Legal EMPOWER Award for mid-size firms. McDonald’s selected one firm from each of the large and mid-size categories to receive this inaugural honor. This award was created to highlight McDonald’s external legal suppliers who demonstrate an innovative and genuine commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Monumental Shift to Florida’s Summary Judgment Standard
In a monumental shift for state-court litigators and litigants, the Florida Supreme Court recently decided to forego the established state law standard for summary judgment in favor of adopting the more lenient, and more defense-friendly, federal standard articulated by the United States Supreme Court in the trilogy of cases of Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986), Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242 (1986), and Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574 (1986). Florida now joins 38 other states in adopting the federal standard.
Nine FordHarrison Attorneys Listed in the 2021 Best Lawyers Ones To Watch
FordHarrison LLP is pleased to announce that nine lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2021 Best Lawyers Ones To Watch. The list includes attorneys from five offices nationwide, recognized in two specialties: Labor Law – Management and Litigation – Labor & Employment. Some attorneys are named in both categories. The recognition is given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Ones to Watch recipients typically have been in practice for five to nine years.
New California DFEH App Regarding Baby Bonding and Pregnancy-Related Disability Leave
On March 24, 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) issued a press release introducing the new app it developed in partnership with technology company Neota Logic and students from the University of California, Irvine. The free and interactive app is designed to guide California employees on how to obtain job-protected leave to bond with a new child or for a pregnancy-related disability.
“Companies can require employees get vaccinated, with exceptions,” Atlanta Business Chronicle
Atlanta partner Jeff Mokotoff was featured in the Atlanta Business Chronicle article, “Companies can require employees get vaccinated, with exceptions”. Mokotoff weighs in on whether companies can require employees to be vaccinated.
Voluntary FFCRA Leave Expanded and Extended Until September 30, 2021
As part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021, employers with fewer than 500 employees may continue receiving tax credits for voluntarily offering employees paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
OSHA’s COVID-19 National Emphasis Program and Enforcement Response Plan – Targeted Inspections to Begin by March 26, 2021
On January 21, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order directing the Department of Labor’s launch of a national program to focus OSHA enforcement efforts related to COVID-19 on hazardous conditions that put the largest number of workers at serious risk and on employers that engage in retaliation against employees who complain about unsafe conditions.
New California Legislation Expands COVID-19 Related Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Beginning March 29, 2021
On March 19, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 95 (SB 95) which retroactively extends and expands COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (CSPSL) through September 30, 2021. SB 95 creates new Labor Code sections 248.2 and 248.3, which require public and private employers with more than 25 employees to provide an addition of up to 80 hours of employer-paid CSPSL to covered employees and in-home supportive service providers on a retroactive basis to January 1, 2021— taking effect March 29, 2021.
Notice Requirements for California’s New Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Law
As discussed in our March 24, 2021 Alert, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill No. 95 (SB 95) which retroactively extends and expands COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (CSPSL) through September 30, 2021. SB 95 creates new Labor Code sections 248.2 and 248.3, which require public and private employers with more than 25 employees to provide an addition of up to 80 hours of employer-paid CSPSL to covered employees and in-home supportive service providers on a retroactive basis to January 1, 2021— taking effect March 29, 2021.
Two FordHarrison Partners Listed as 2021 New Jersey Super Lawyers
FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that Mark A. Saloman and Salvador (Sal) P. Simao, Partners, were named to the 2021 New Jersey Super Lawyers List.
New York Enacts Vaccine Leave Law
Executive Summary: On March 12, 2021, New York State enacted an amendment to the New York Labor Law and the New York Civil Service Law, which provides for four hours of paid leave time, per injection, to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination. The amendment states that both public and private employers must provide employees with a “sufficient period of time, not to exceed four hours per vaccine injection” to obtain the vaccine.
FordHarrison Receives McDonald’s Inaugural Legal EMPOWER Award
FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that the firm is the recipient of McDonald’s Legal EMPOWER Award for mid-size firms. McDonald’s selected one firm from each of the large and mid-size categories to receive this inaugural honor. This award was created to highlight McDonald’s external legal suppliers who demonstrate an innovative and genuine commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
EEO-1 Data Collection to Open at the End of April 2021
On March 12, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that the EEO-1 Component 1 data collection will open at the end of April 2021 and close in July 2021. The agency has not announced an exact closing date, but stated it will do so when data collection launches. The EEOC will collect EEO-1 data for 2019 and 2020. Employers will be notified of additional details and how to access online filing in April 2021. Information regarding EEO-1 Component 1 filing is available on the EEOC’s website at https://eeocdata.org/.
Social Profiles