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DOL Issues Revised FFCRA Regulations

Eric Paltell
Eric Paltell
09/15/2020
Agency Activity, COVID-19
On September 11th, the U.S. Department of Labor issued revised regulations on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The new regulations are a response to an  August 3, 2020 decision from a New York federal court finding that DOL's interpretation of the FFCRA   excluded too many health care workers from the Act's coverage. The court also  struck down a provision that allows employers to deny leave when they don't have work...
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DOL Issues Guidance For Tracking Employee Telework Hours

Bernadette Hunton
Bernadette Hunton
08/27/2020
COVID-19, Wage & Hour
In response to the increase in pandemic-generated remote work, the DOL has issued a Field Assistance Bulletin (No. 2020-5) that offers guidance (applicable to both COVID and non-COVID telework arrangements) on how businesses should manage pay for such work. The guidance emphasizes that remote workers must be paid for all work that an employer knows or “has reason to believe” was performed, and applies a “reasonable diligence” standard to...
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CDC Issues New Guidance On Wearing Masks

Garrett Wozniak
Garrett Wozniak
08/13/2020
COVID-19
In the ever-evolving world that is COVID-19 guidance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its “Considerations for Wearing Masks.”  In the August 7 update, the CDC says that people should wear masks in public and when around people who do not live in their household.  Wearing masks is particularly important when social distancing is not feasible. The CDC recommends that we wear masks because “[m]asks...
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CDC Updates Guidance On Returning From Isolation

Garrett Wozniak
Garrett Wozniak
08/10/2020
COVID-19
The CDC recently updated its guidance on when someone may stop isolating in a number of COVID-19 related scenarios.  If you have been around someone with COVID-19, the CDC recommends that you remain home for 14 days after your last exposure to that person.  However, if you developed COVID-19 illness within the previous three (3) months and recovered and remain without COVID-19 symptoms, you do not, according to the CDC, need to stay...
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Georgia Joins The Growing List Of States With A COVID-19 Liability Shield In Place

Randi Klein Hyatt
Randi Klein Hyatt
08/07/2020
COVID-19
Late Wednesday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation that adds Georgia to the list of states limiting liability as to claims brought against businesses by customers, employees, and members of the public who contract or allege exposure to COVID-19.  The new law became effective immediately and will expire July 2021.  Georgia joins Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming in enacting virus-related...
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Federal Judge Expands Coronavirus Leave Availability

Garrett Wozniak
Garrett Wozniak
08/04/2020
COVID-19
This past April, the Department of Labor issued temporary regulations regarding paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  The regulations addressed many issues raised by the FFCRA and answered or provided clarification on a number of COVID-leave-related topics.  On August 3, 2020, a federal judge in New York invalidated some of the DOL’s regulations and as a result has expanded FFCRA leave.  New York v. United...
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OSHA Updates and Removes Guidance From Its COVID-19 FAQs

Randi Klein Hyatt
Randi Klein Hyatt
08/04/2020
Agency Activity, COVID-19, Workplace Safety
As an increasing number of states, local governments, and private employers are mandating that employees, particularly those who work indoors and in close proximity to other employees, wear masks covering the mouth and nose to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, last Friday, OSHA updated its frequently asked COVID-19 questions and answers.  As to wearing cloth masks, OSHA stated unequivocally that workers who wear cloth masks to prevent...
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Virginia COVID-19 Worker Protection Rule Takes Effect

Eric Paltell
Eric Paltell
07/27/2020
COVID-19, Virginia Employment Law, Workplace Safety
On July 27, Virginia became the first state in the United States to implement a COVID-19 workplace safety rule.  The new rules require employers covered by the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) program to immediately comply with guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state-issued regulations. The standard applies to most Virginia workplaces, including retail employees, office workers, and persons...
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CDC Issues New Guidance On Cloth Face Coverings and Face Shields

Eric Paltell
Eric Paltell
07/14/2020
COVID-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") has issued new guidance on the use of cloth face coverings, including recommendations for when face coverings may not be appropriate in the workplace.   The CDC guidance supplements  OSHA's 'Frequently Asked Questions" on the use of cloth face masks that were published in early June. According to the CDC, cloth face coverings "are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory...
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OSHA Publishes Faqs For Workplace Safety During Covid-19 Pandemic

Jeffrey Maylor
Jeffrey Maylor
07/07/2020
COVID-19, Workplace Safety
Before the July 4th weekend, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published frequently asked questions  and answers about best practices for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.  The FAQs cover topics from cleaning and disinfecting to personal protective equipment.  The answers include links to relevant OSHA publications like OSHA’s Guidance on Returning to Work and an OSHA Alert...
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