The City of Chicago City Council committee with responsibility for employer-related issues has advanced two separate ordinances intended to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The full City Council is expected to vote on both of these proposed ordinances on May 20, 2020. Watch for our follow up report after the City Council vote for further developments and additional compliance tips. Continue reading “Employment Law and COVID-19: Things to Watch”
Analysing UK Government’s Back-To-Work Guidance
Following on from the Prime Ministers statement on Sunday evening, May 10th, setting out the next phase -Stay Alert- there was a general reaction of uncertainty about how this will translate for employers and employees in practical terms.
To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Nic Hart, please visit the Duane Morris London Blog.
EEOC Revisits – and Revises – COVID-19 Return to Work Guidance on Accommodating Employees with Underlying Medical Conditions
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission continues to update its guidance regarding the interplay between COVID-19, the Americans with Disabilities Act and other EEO laws. Divided into seven sections, What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws addresses employers’ frequently asked questions on disability-related inquiries and medical exams, hiring and onboarding, reasonable accommodations and returning to work in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
California Executive Order Presumes Employees Who Contract COVID-19 Are Eligible for Workers’ Compensation Benefits
On May 6, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order No. N-62-20. The order states that employees will be presumed to have contracted COVID-19 in the course and scope of employment for purposes of workers’ compensation benefits if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
- The employee contracts it within 14 days of performing labor at the employer’s direction and at the employer’s worksite;
- If such work occurred on or after March 19, 2020;
- The worksite was not the employee’s home; and
- The positive test is confirmed by a physician within 30 days.
How to Respond to Employee Refusal To Return To Work in Face of COVID-19 in UK
The effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on the workplace continue. It is undeniable that the potential litigation arising out of COVID-19 will be far-reaching and there will be several areas that employers need to consider now and when the return to work phase commences in earnest.
In a matter of months the Coronavirus pandemic has not only changed the way millions of employees work but also the way they may now view the workplace, particularly how safe they feel within their workplace.
To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Nic Hart, please visit the Duane Morris London Blog.
Summary of Updates to UK Government Guidance and COVID-19 Job Retention Scheme
There have been further updates to the Government Guidance on The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – both How to Claim (short form and long form) and the Guidance. None of these have substantively changed but there are points to note in each.
To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Nic Hart, please visit the Duane Morris London Blog.
Illinois Withdraws Emergency COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Rule
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission has withdrawn its April 16, 2020, emergency rule that would have established that all first responders and front-line workers asserting a workers’ compensation claim before the commission based on exposure to COVID-19 would be rebuttably presumed to have been exposed to the virus through their work.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
San Francisco’s COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Takes Effect
In our April 9, 2020, Alert, we analyzed the San Francisco Public Health Emergency Leave ordinance (PHELO), approved unanimously by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on April 7, which requires private employers with 500 or more employees to provide up to 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave consistent with the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
On April 17, 2020, Mayor Breed signed an amended version of the PHELO. In addition, the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) published a workplace poster, detailed guidance for employers in the form of FAQs (updated April 24, 2020) and a complaint form to be used by employees to address violations of the PHELO. The PHELO became effective on April 17, 2020, and will expire on June 17, 2020, or upon the termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency, whichever occurs first.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
Georgia Allows Most Businesses to Reopen to the Public: What Employers Need to Know
Georgia was one of the last states to order nonessential businesses to close in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 24, 2020, the state became one of the first to allow many nonessential businesses to reopen, including gyms and salons. Starting April 27, the state is allowing most other businesses to reopen to the public.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
Updated COVID-19 Updates for Singapore Employers
Update to our post of 7 April 2020
As of 27 April 2020, Singapore has reported more than 13,000 cases and 12 deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the number of new cases in the local communities have started to level off, many of the new cases are unlinked, pointing to a larger, as-yet undetected reservoir of cases in Singapore. As such, there is the continued need to be vigilant in enforcing social distancing and isolation measures.
To read the full text, please visit the Duane Morris & Selvam COVID-19 Resource Blog.