General – Page 4 – Coronavirus (COVID-19)

June 15, 2021 by Duane Morris

Massachusetts Enacts Temporary COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Law

On May 28, 2021, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law “An Act providing for Massachusetts COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave,” which requires employers to provide paid sick leave benefits to employees who are unable to work for a qualifying reason related to COVID-19. The act establishes an Emergency Paid Sick Leave Fund from which qualifying employers can receive reimbursement for covered leave, subject to certain restrictions.

The act went into effect immediately and will remain in effect until September 30, 2021 (or until the exhaustion of the $75 million in program funds, whichever occurs first).

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

June 14, 2021 by Duane Morris

OSHA Issues Comprehensive COVID-19 Guidance Differentiating Between Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Employees

On June 10, 2021, OSHA updated its Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace for employers in nonhealthcare settings. The guidance provides employers with a road map of key approaches for addressing COVID-19 workplace risks in a manner that is consistent with current CDC guidance, and with different standards for fully vaccinated versus unvaccinated employees.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

June 10, 2021 by Duane Morris

EEOC’s Updated Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccines in the Workplace Impacts Employer Approaches for Compliance with CDC Guidance and State and Local Requirements

On May 28, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its guidance on workplace COVID-19 vaccination issues under the federal EEO laws. The updated guidance is important for employers to consider in light of the recent CDC guidance relaxing restrictions for vaccinated persons, but not unvaccinated persons, and state and local workplace safety requirements that make a similar distinction.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

June 5, 2021June 10, 2021 by Duane Morris

New Jersey Ends COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration

On Friday, June 4, Governor Murphy signed legislation that effectively ends the New Jersey COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Order that has been in place since March 9, 2020.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Brad Molotsky, please visit the Duane Morris Project Development/Infrastructure/P3 Blog.

June 1, 2021 by Duane Morris

CDC’s Newest Safety Guidance for the Fully Vaccinated Will Impact Employer and Business Policies

On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People, applicable to nonhealthcare settings, providing significant freedom to the fully vaccinated to move around and interact with each other with few restrictions.

However, before employers make any changes to their health and safety protocols, they must heed the CDC’s warning to consider applicable state and local laws, including local business and workplace guidance, to determine whether they differ from the CDC’s new guidance.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

May 28, 2021 by Duane Morris

Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Announce Dates for Lifting Most COVID-19 Restrictions for Employers

Pennsylvania and Philadelphia have each announced prospective dates for lifting a majority of the mandatory COVID-19 requirements applicable to employers. At the same time, these announcements create a new conundrum for Pennsylvania and Philadelphia employers: In the absence of state and local mandates, what health and safety policies should employers implement to mitigate the ongoing threat of COVID-19? There is no easy answer.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

May 27, 2021 by Duane Morris

As COVID Retreats, Why You Should Require Students to Get Vaccinated

We no longer wake up every day to increasing numbers of deaths, infections, and reminders about social distancing and vaccine shortages. Instead, we now read about record low numbers of infections, limited fatalities, and a domestic surplus of vaccine so large that we are now vaccinating children as young as 12 and may be exporting it by June.

And, just last week, the CDC dispensed with mask guidance for vaccinated people. This prompted President Biden to host his first “maskless” appearance of his presidency. For college leaders planning the summer and fall semesters, it’s a 180-degree turnaround that we were afraid to hope for just last year.

Yet here we are. The question now vexing colleges is how to safely reopen on-ground learning with a pandemic in retreat. It’s a nice problem to have, but it still has to be solved.

To read the full text of this article by Duane Morris partner Edward M. Cramp, please visit the University Business website.

May 24, 2021May 24, 2021 by Duane Morris

Webinar Replay: State of the Workplace in 2021: Reopening in a Partially Vaccinated Environment and the New Administration

Video replays of the webinar, “State of the Workplace in 2021: Reopening in a Partially Vaccinated Environment and the New Administration,” are available.

Reopening the Workplace

The Biden Administration

Benefits Update

Immigration Update

May 21, 2021 by Duane Morris

Webinar Replay: Major Stories in Media Law Over the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Recovery

A video replay of the COVID-19: Navigating Forward Webinar Series session, “Major Stories in Media Law Over the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Recovery,” is available.

May 18, 2021 by Duane Morris

Issues for Higher Education Institutions to Consider When Implementing a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

As states have opened COVID-19 vaccinations to all individuals 16 and older (and are expanding to age 12 and older, based on the CDC advisory committee’s recent recommendation), institutions of higher education, like many other employers, are considering whether to encourage or possibly mandate their employees to receive a vaccination. Unlike other organizations, institutions of higher education have the added quandary of whether to encourage or mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for students in an effort to return to full in-person instruction.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.