The Israel-Hamas war. Antisemitism and Islamophobia. Ukraine vs. Russia. Black Lives Matter. #MeToo. Mass Shootings and “Well Regulated” vs. “Shall Not Be Infringed.” Vaccination and Mask Mandates. Politicians and Presidents....more
On December 28, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Senate Bill 9450, which added new enforcement provisions to the New York Health And Essential Rights Act’s (NY HERO Act) workplace safety committee...more
For more than two and a half years, employers across the country have navigated a nuanced web of legal requirements and guidance to safely operate during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Recent updates to the legal landscape at...more
On July 12, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) yet again updated its COVID-19 FAQs, revising earlier guidance about worksite screening through viral testing for COVID-19, modifying some Q&As, and...more
In the United States, the federal government has faced challenges in imposing vaccination mandates for large private employers, federal contractors, and certain health care employees. Because of that, choices around...more
2/8/2022
/ Complaint Procedures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Entities ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The New York State Acting Commissioner of Health has extended the designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to public health under the NY HERO Act until February...more
On December 22, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor (NY DOL) issued the long-awaited proposed rule (Proposed Rule) regarding the workplace safety committees that are required by the New York HERO Act (HERO Act)....more
On December 17, 2021, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit lifted the nationwide injunction against the COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) issued by...more
12/21/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On December 15, 2021, New York City followed up on the recently announced vaccine mandate for private employers by releasing further details, including several guidance documents and mandatory signage. The New York City...more
The Commissioner of the New York Department of Health has extended the designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to public health under the NY HERO Act until...more
On Friday, November 12, 2021, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a strongly worded decision granting a motion to prevent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from...more
As we previously reported, effective November 5, 2021, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that covered...more
On November 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released the long-awaited COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for employers with 100 or more employees. At the...more
On September 23, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor (“NYSDOL”) released an update to its general model airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan (“model plan”) for employers’ use in complying with the NY...more
On September 6, 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she has designated COVID-19 a serious public health risk under the NY HERO Act (“HERO Act”). As we have previously reported, the HERO Act, which was signed...more
This is Part II of a three-part series called, “The Future of Work.” The Three sessions of the series address many of the issues attendant to returning to the workplace. Panelists explore:
- the implications of mandatory...more
8/17/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports ,
Webinars ,
Workplace Safety
This is Part II of a three-part series called, “The Future of Work.” The Three sessions of the series address many of the issues attendant to returning to the workplace. Panelists explore:
- the implications of mandatory...more
8/16/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Retailers ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports ,
Webinars ,
Workplace Safety
The clock is now running: New York employers have until August 5, 2021, to adopt workplace safety plans, in accordance with the NY HERO Act (“Act”). As we previously reported, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Act into law on...more
7/12/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state disaster emergency he declared on March 7, 2020, due to COVID-19 would officially end after June 24, 2021. He then signed Executive Order No. 210, which...more
7/1/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Safety Precautions ,
State and Local Government ,
State of Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
At long last, on June 8, 2021, the New York State Department of Health (“DOH”) released an update to Interim Guidance previously issued on May 15, 2021, containing current recommendations for employers that operate in an...more
6/11/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Popular ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, on May 5, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Health and Essential Rights Act (the “HERO Act” or “Act”) into law, permanently codifying COVID-19-related health and safety protocols. In a...more
On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) announced the release of updated guidance regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, providing welcome clarity around a number of vaccine-related issues for...more
Welcome to #WorkforceWednesday. This week, we focus on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) new guidance for vaccinated individuals and what it means for accommodations.
Employers Navigate New CDC...more
5/19/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Public Accommodation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Taking the lead on permanently enshrining COVID-19-related health and safety protocols into law, on May 5, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed A2681B/S1034—the Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act” or “Act”)....more
5/14/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New York ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Workplace Safety
The New York City Council is planning to evaluate how effectively both the City, as an employer, and private employers disseminated and implemented COVID-19 workplace guidance over the past year with the goal of strengthening...more