Many employers were left with more questions than answers after President Biden discussed the private employer requirement of his COVID-19 Action Plan, the “Path out of the Pandemic Plan,” on September 9, 2021. Chris...more
WREN assists employers in tackling gender diversity issues to improve the business of the employer as well as address gender inequalities in the workforce. WREN developed a resource for employers to address their workforce...more
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Chris Gantt Sorenson and Perry MacLennan recently discussed “Marijuana in the Workplace: To Test or Not to Test” on the Survive HR podcast. In the podcast, Chris, Perry, Kelly Schieb and Steve Nail...more
On June 10, 2021, OSHA issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) applicable to employers of employees who perform healthcare services and support, and revised guidance for all other employers. OSHA expressly acknowledges...more
6/11/2021
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Federal Register ,
Guidance Update ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Vaccinations ,
Ventilation Systems ,
Workplace Safety
Employers considering mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for their employee population may decide the practical issues giving rise to such a mandate would not be worth it, at least at this time. Many reasons justify a mandatory...more
4/26/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Gross Negligence ,
Joe Biden ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Popular ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Remote Working ,
Tax Credits ,
Title VII ,
Undue Hardship ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
The Biden Administration has directed a number of changes that impact employers under Administrative Agency action as well as the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). We are highlighting a few of those here to...more
3/16/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Economic Realities Test ,
Emergency Sick Leave Laws ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Independent Contractors ,
Indicia of Control ,
Joint Employers ,
Layoffs ,
Misclassification ,
Premiums ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations
Vaccines and health screenings are medical examinations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). An employer requiring a vaccine must do so for a legitimate business reason or as required to protect the workplace...more
Employers and human resource professionals find themselves increasingly dealing with workplace strife caused by political and societal differences. When society is polarized on politics, so too are employees.
Many...more
An accepting workplace reflects diversity and honors differences. Intolerance of minorities and differences continues to be evident in society and, thus, will also be present in workplaces. Businesses remain behind societal...more
On August 3, a New York federal judge struck down several provisions of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Final Rule applicable to both types of leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) – the Emergency...more
On Monday, June 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court momentously ruled that federal law designed to prevent discrimination in the workplace protects gay, lesbian and transgender employees. In Bostock v. Clayton County,...more
6/16/2020
/ Altitude Express Inc v Zarda ,
Bostock v Clayton County Georgia ,
Civil Rights Act ,
EEOC v RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
SCOTUS ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Orientation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title VII ,
Transgender
Those who were not directly affected by illness or loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic may now be more focused on the consequences of what COVID-19 has done to our financial health.
Businesses facing dismal projections and...more
Intolerance of minorities and differences continues to be evident in society and, thus, will also be present in workplaces. While it is true employers have a legal obligation to prohibit adverse employment actions or...more
Pertinent COVID-19 updates were recently issued by the CDC, DOL OSHA, EEOC and IRS. Employers are also reminded of the importance in fighting unemployment claims that are unwarranted and this blog provides the resources...more
South Carolina businesses have either continued to operate or are reopening in a confusing and uncertain environment with COVID-19 remaining a real threat for the foreseeable future based on the infection data provided by...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued numerous directives in March and April 2020 related to COVID-19.
These include Interim Guidances about protections that should be used for employees that...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Final Rule regarding the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) effective April 6, 2020, through December 31, 2020, although operational April...more
On March 31, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launched the Employee Retention Credit for employers who have been impacted by COVID-19. Below are details about the credit:
ELIGIBILITY-
•Designed to keep employees on...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued two Model Notice Posters and additional FFCRA enforcement guidance on March 25, 2020.
The Model Notices as well as Fact Sheets, and Questions and Answers for Employers on Fair...more
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued an update to its 2009 pandemic guidance, “Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the ADA,” originally detailed in our blog issued the day COVID-19 was declared a...more
3/23/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Job Applicants ,
New Guidance ,
Sick Employees ,
State of Emergency ,
Workplace Safety
HSB's Employment Law team has been closely monitoring developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and answering employers' questions on how to respond. Chris Gantt-Sorenson and Perry MacLennan will host a webinar to address...more
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced March 11, 2020, that the WHO has officially declared COVID-19 (Coronavirus) a pandemic.
Employers should follow the Equal...more
The Coronavirus has progressed to the point that Employers should communicate about it with their employees and also prepare for an infection in their area. Employers are encouraged to communicate with their employees about...more
Only the most notable legislation is addressed in this blog as it would otherwise be entirely too long. Both Congress and South Carolina are entertaining bills pertaining to fair pay and minimum wage. Congress is additionally...more
BBC published an interesting article recently that challenges how many of us view work. Jill Duffy, in her article, “What wartime ‘munitionettes’ can teach us about burnout,” asserts continuous overworking hurts employees and...more