On August 7, 2020, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Hon. Wanda Vázquez Garced, signed into law the “Act to Prohibit and Prevent Workplace Harassment in Puerto Rico,” previously known as House Bill No. 306....more
Act No. 45 of April 18, 1935, known as the Puerto Rico Compensation System for Work-Related Accidents Act (Act 45), establishes that every employer must secure compulsory insurance to cover their employees’ work-related...more
On June 1, 2020, Puerto Rico Governor Hon. Wanda Vázquez-Garced signed into law Act No. 56-2020, amending the Puerto Rico Workers' Accident Compensation Act (Act No. 45-1935) to extend workers’ compensation insurance coverage...more
As Puerto Rico starts to reopen, the government is placing much of the burden to stop the spread of COVID-19 on employers. On May 1, 2020, Puerto Rico Secretary of Labor Hon. Briseida Torres Reyes issued Opinion Letter...more
Puerto Rico’s Department of Labor and Human Resources has issued Circular Letter 2020-02 (CC 2020-02) providing that, effective immediately, any private employer that lays off or reduces employees’ regular working hours is...more
On April 15, 2020, Puerto Rico’s Secretary of the Department of Labor and Human Resources issued guidance discussing the basic elements employers are required to include in their plans to limit employee exposure to COVID-19...more
On March 30, 2020, following the recommendations of the Medical Task Force convened to address the COVID-19 pandemic, Puerto Rico Governor Hon. Wanda Vazquez-Garced issued two additional executive orders to help contain the...more
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources issued guidance that specifically allows employers to take an employee’s body temperature provided they secure the...more
On March 18, 2020, the president signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Among other things, the new law provides for paid sick leave and expanded FMLA provisions. The FFCRA takes effect on April...more
On March 23, 2020, the Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources issued Opinion No. 2020-02 (Opinion 2020-02) discussing provisions applicable to both exempt and non-exempt private-sector employees...more
In the wake of Governor Wanda Vázquez-Garced’s March 15, 2020 Executive Order (EO 2020-023) enacted to facilitate the private and public closings necessary to combat the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and control the...more
To help limit the spread of COVID-19, governments have implemented strict and serious measures on social distancing, population curfews and even total lockdowns. In Puerto Rico, Governor Hon. Wanda Vázquez-Garced issued a...more
On March 15, 2020, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Hon. Wanda Vázquez Garced, issued an Executive Order to facilitate the private and public closings necessary to combat the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and control the...more
3/16/2020
/ Best Practices ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health ,
Puerto Rico ,
Quarantine ,
Workplace Safety
An Employee’s Felony Indictment Constitutes Just Cause for Termination -
Precedential Decision by Judiciary or Regulatory Agency -
On April 25, 2019, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court held that a felony indictment...more
7/17/2019
/ Caregivers ,
Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Felonies ,
Gender Identity ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Regulations ,
Puerto Rico ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour
The Puerto Rico Supreme Court (PRSC) recently issued an opinion in José Méndez et al v. Carso Construction, 2019 TSPR 19 (May 22, 2019), validating an arbitration clause that covers a claim under the Puerto Rico Unjust...more
6/11/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Contract Terms ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Enforceability ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Puerto Rico ,
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico ,
Unfair Dismissal
The Puerto Rico Supreme Court (PRSC) recently held that that a felony indictment constitutes just cause for termination under Puerto Rico’s Unjust Dismissal statute, Act No. 80 of May 30, 1976 (Act 80)....more
5/8/2019
/ Appeals ,
Burden of Proof ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Felonies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Just Cause ,
Puerto Rico ,
Summary Judgment ,
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico