As Congress debated the new COVID-19 relief package in the weeks since the election, there was a great deal of speculation as to whether the legislation would extend the leave mandates of the Families First Coronavirus...more
Sometimes, crisis brings out the best in people. Unfortunately, it also often brings out the worst. That has certainly been the case with the ongoing pandemic. While not an entirely new phenomenon, fraudulent unemployment...more
As previously reported, the Illinois Human Rights Act was amended to require employers to report adverse judgments and administrative rulings in cases involving sexual harassment or unlawful discrimination to the Illinois...more
On September 8, 2020, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York struck down portions of a January 2020 Final Rule issued by the Department of Labor. The Final Rule provided a new test for...more
On August 27, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor added to its list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding leave under the FFCRA, tackling questions related to FFCRA leave for children’s remote learning programs....more
Earlier yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York struck down four key provisions of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) regulation implementing the paid leave provisions of the Families...more
Recently (on July 20, 2020), the CDC updated its guidance on returning from home isolation, shortening the required time that an individual who has tested positive for or is suspected of having COVID-19 must be fever free...more
On July 16, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor released an updated suite of FMLA forms for employers. According to the Department, the forms are designed to be simpler and easier to understand and complete, substituting check...more
On July 2, 2020, the City of Chicago issued Public Health Order 2020-10, which requires persons entering the City of Chicago from certain states to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days. Additional details are included in a...more
7/7/2020
/ City of Chicago ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Essential Workers ,
Exceptions ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Homeland Security Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) ,
Local Ordinance ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Quarantine ,
Traveling Employee
Last week, the Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 2455, which amends the Workers Compensation Act to create a rebuttable presumption that a first-responder or essential worker who contracts COVID-19 did so in the...more
City Council approved an amendment to the Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance to temporarily protect employers from lawsuits. Although the substantive requirements of the Ordinance will still go into effect on July 1, 2020 as...more
This week, the Chicago City Council approved an Ordinance ensuring that “Covered Employees” can remain at home for COVID-19 related reasons without fear of being fired, even if they have exhausted any legally-mandated or...more
In what some are calling a “bombshell” decision, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals recently held in Bryant v. Compass Group USA, Inc. that federal courts can now hear cases involving alleged violations of the Illinois...more
5/20/2020
/ Article III ,
Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Fingerprints ,
Injury-in-Fact ,
Personal Data ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Standing
Last summer, the Illinois General Assembly enacted SB 7, which introduced sweeping changes to Illinois law intended to combat sexual harassment. One of the new mandates included in that legislation was a requirement that all...more
On Friday, the President signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which provided an addition $310 billion into the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. The program goes live again on April...more
On April 14, 2020, the State of New York filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor challenging the DOL’s regulations, governing implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)....more
To clear up some uncertainty in the language of the CARES Act’s Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) and the subsequent interim final rules, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) issued Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”)...more
On April 13, 2020, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) issued an emergency rule creating a rebuttable presumption that first responders and other essential workers identified in Governor Pritzker’s March 20...more
Over the past two weeks, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new poster, safety tips specific to retail workers, and updated guidance for employers that have mandatory respirator programs....more
The SBA issued Interim Final Rules and additional guidance regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). Generally, the PPP provides forgivable loans to small business and nonprofits to cover payroll costs, rent,...more
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law on March 27, 2020. Among other things, the Act provides relief programs for employers, including loans, grants and tax incentives.
...more
The FFCRA requires private employers with fewer than 500 employees and government employers to provide emergency paid sick and FMLA leave benefits to employees for reasons related to COVID-19....more
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) requires employers with fewer than 500 employees and government employers to provide emergency sick and FMLA leave benefits to employees for reasons related to COVID-19....more
The Paycheck Protection Program is one of the key relief provisions included in the $2 trillion relief package under the CARES Act. This program provides forgivable loans to small businesses and nonprofit organizations to...more
4/2/2020
/ Business Interruption ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Federal Loans ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Relief Measures ,
SBA ,
SBA Lending Programs ,
Small Business ,
Tax Relief
Over the weekend (March 28 and 29, 2020), the United States Department of Labor updated its Question and Answers webpage providing guidance regarding implementation of the paid sick and FMLA leave provisions of the Families...more
4/1/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Quarantine ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Small Business ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration