It has been almost exactly four years since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the American working landscape. Many of us followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through multiple changes and guidance,...more
On May 15, 2023, in response to the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration, the EEOC updated its COVID-19 technical assistance: “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and...more
The U.S. COVID-19 Public Health Emergency will end on May 11, 2023, one week after the World Health Organization determined that COVID-19 is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern....more
In an effort to streamline its guidance and reflect the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated guidance that focuses on individual responsibility and is...more
Monkeypox (MPV) is the latest virus to catch wide attention. But it is important for employers to keep in mind that MPV is not COVID-19. Nevertheless, there are steps employers can take....more
As the pandemic continues to evolve, so does the EEOC’s guidance. On July 12, 2022, the EEOC once again updated its COVID-19 guidance: What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO...more
7/21/2022
/ ADEA ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Documentation ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Guidance Update ,
High Risk Covid Employees ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
In response to requests across the country, and following a number of states who have relaxed or removed their mask requirements, CDC has relaxed its mask recommendations. ...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it is withdrawing most of the Emergency Temporary Standard for healthcare employers (Healthcare ETS) it promulgated more than six months ago...more
The CDC announced today that it is updating its quarantine and isolation guidance. For people with COVID-19, the isolation period was reduced from ten days to five days as long as the individual has no symptoms or their...more
Less than two months after receiving direction from President Joe Biden, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) covering employers with at least 100...more
11/4/2021
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Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Documentation ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Employees ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Joe Biden ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retaliation ,
Subcontractors ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies
Federal contractors and subcontractors were left with a lot to consider last Friday (September 24, 2021), when the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidance implementing President Joe...more
9/30/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Documentation ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Employees ,
Joe Biden ,
OSHA ,
Religious Exemption ,
Service Contract Act ,
Subcontractors ,
Vaccinations
In its latest guidance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone — including individuals fully vaccinated with one of the available COVID-19 vaccines — wear masks in indoor public settings...more
The CDC is now recommending that everyone – including fully vaccinated individuals – wear masks in indoor public settings in all areas with substantial and high transmission of the COVID-19 virus and get tested following...more
After releasing an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID-19 for healthcare employers on June 10, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it is publishing the ETS in the Federal...more
Fifteen months after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has promulgated an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for healthcare employers. OSHA has published voluntary guidance...more
6/11/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Register ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Joe Biden ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Social Distancing ,
Ventilation Systems
In its latest update to informal guidance on COVID-19 vaccination issues, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) addressed vaccination mandates, incentives, and confidentiality, among other topics...more
6/1/2021
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Confidential Information ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employer Mandates ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Incentives ,
New Guidance ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Remote Working ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations
In a surprise move today, CDC followed the lead of the various states that have lifted their masking and physical distancing recommendations. However, CDC’s new recommendations come with a twist. The CDC’s recommendations...more
The Biden administration has called for all people at least 18 to be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by April 19, 2021. Most states have already done so.
A BenefitsPro article cites a 2017 survey from the Society for...more
4/14/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Incentives ,
Labor Relations ,
Liability ,
Local Health Departments (LHDs) ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Vaccinations
As employers continue to grapple with a safe return to the workplace, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance for businesses and employers on SARS-CoV-2 testing of employees, as part of a...more
1/28/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Informed Consent ,
New Guidance ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
By now, employers likely have heard the news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reduced the length of time that individuals should quarantine after an exposure to COVID-19. The old adage “Don’t...more
12/8/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Just when you thought you had your contact tracing protocol down for dealing with COVID-19 exposures, CDC guidance has changed again.
The CDC has now expanded the definition of close contact to be “Someone who was within...more
When can employees who may have been exposed to COVID-19 return to work? Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that “critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue work...more
The EEOC published a recorded webinar on March 27. The EEOC uses a Q and A format to address 22 common questions from employers covering a broad range of topics including among other things, taking employees temperatures,...more
News of an outbreak of a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China raises issues for employers and employees about the appropriate workplace responses.
Reported cases are expanding quickly to other...more