Law and the Workplace

Category Archives: Workplace Safety

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Florida Expands Ban on Vaccination, Testing and Masking Mandates

By Jurate Schwartz, Evandro Gigante, Laura M. Fant and Margo Richard on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
On May 11, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a “medical freedom” bill (SB 252), which amends and expands the existing Florida statute Section 381.00316, prohibiting businesses from requiring their customers and patrons to provide documentation of COVID-19 vaccination status. Under the amended law, businesses in Florida will be prohibited from discriminating in any … Continue Reading

$22 Million FLSA Verdict Illustrates the Significance of Brief Unpaid Work Tasks

By Allan Bloom, Philippe A. Lebel, Jonathan Slowik and Morgan Peterson on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour, Workplace Safety
On May 9, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) secured its largest Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) jury verdict in history, when a jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania awarded $22 million to a class of approximately 7,500 workers for unpaid time spent on pre- and post-shift activities.  The case is Su v. East … Continue Reading

COVID-19 and the Workplace: Where Do We Stand?

By Evandro Gigante, Jurate Schwartz, Laura Fant, Arielle E. Kobetz and Raymond Arroyo on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
CoronovirusAs we have reported previously, on April 10, 2023 President Biden signed legislation ending the COVID-19 National Emergency.  However, the rollback of COVID-19 workplace requirements was already underway in many state and municipal legislatures, with some requirements having previously been repealed or with others scheduled to (or already having) sunset.  With this transition, employers are … Continue Reading

U.S. Supreme Court Stays OSHA Vaccine/Testing Mandate for Employers with 100 or More Employees

By Evandro Gigante, Mark Harris, Lexie Reynolds and Raymond Arroyo on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
UPDATE: On January 25, 2022, OSHA filed a notice withdrawing the Emergency Temporary Standard apart from the extent it serves as a proposed rule under the OSH Act.  For more details, click here. On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a per curiam opinion, stayed OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) mandating that employers … Continue Reading

Sixth Circuit Panel Dissolves Stay of OSHA Vaccine/Testing Mandate

By Evandro Gigante, Guy Brenner, Laura M. Fant, Lexie Reynolds and Raymond Arroyo on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
UPDATE: On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court granted applications to stay OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard pending review on the merits by the Sixth Circuit, and if writs of certiorari are subsequently sought to the U.S. Supreme Court, pending the Court’s disposition of such writs.  Click here to read more about the Court’s decision.  On … Continue Reading

OSHA Releases Emergency Temporary Standard Requiring Mandatory Vaccination or Weekly Testing for Employers with 100 or More Employees

By Evandro Gigante, Guy Brenner, Steven Hurd, Laura M. Fant and Lexie Reynolds on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
UPDATE: On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court granted applications to stay OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard pending review on the merits by the Sixth Circuit, and if writs of certiorari are subsequently sought to the U.S. Supreme Court, pending the Court’s disposition of such writs.  Click here to read more about the Court’s decision.  On … Continue Reading

New Federal Vaccine Rule:  Wage and Hour Implications

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, FLSA, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
UPDATE: On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court granted applications to stay OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard pending review on the merits by the Sixth Circuit, and if writs of certiorari are subsequently sought to the U.S. Supreme Court, pending the Court’s disposition of such writs.  Click here to read more about the Court’s decision.  On … Continue Reading

Designation of COVID-19 Under New York HERO Act Extended Once Again

By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
***UPDATE: On February 15, 2022, the New York State Commissioner of Health continued the designation of COVID-19 as a “highly contagious communicable disease” pursuant to the HERO Act until March 17, 2022. According to the designation, on  March 17, the Commissioner “will review the level of transmission of COVID-19 in New York State and determine … Continue Reading

New York State Issues Updated Model Workplace Safety Plans and FAQ Guidance Under the HERO Act

By Evandro Gigante, Laura Fant and Alex Downie on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
***UPDATE: On September 30, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor released updated FAQs regarding the HERO Act. Our blog post on this development is available here.*** On September 23, 2021, New York State issued updated model airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans for employer use pursuant to the HERO Act. As we previously … Continue Reading

OSHA To Issue Emergency Temporary Standard Requiring Large Employers to Mandate Vaccination or Weekly Testing for Employees

By Guy Brenner, Evandro Gigante, Lexie Reynolds, Arielle E. Kobetz and Laura M. Fant on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
On September 9, 2021, the Biden Administration announced that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing an Emergency Temporary Standard that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require unvaccinated workers to provide a negative COVID-19 test result at least … Continue Reading

OSHA Releases First Coronavirus Emergency Temporary Standard and Updates Non-Mandatory Guidance

By Guy Brenner and Lexie Reynolds on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
On June 21, 2021, OSHA’s first emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace went into effect.  The mandatory standards apply only to the health-care sector.  OSHA also released several Fact Sheets and almost 100 FAQs regarding the ETS. In addition, OSHA released updated non-mandatory guidance for industries outside … Continue Reading

New Maryland COVID-19 Workplace Safety Law

By Guy Brenner, Lexie Reynolds and Shanice Z. Smith-Banks on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
UPDATE:  As of July 1, 2021, the state of emergency in Maryland has ended, which, per the terms of the law, means the employer requirements in the Maryland Essential Workers’ Protection Act should no longer be in effect.  If Maryland’s Governor reinstates the state of emergency order, the requirements may again apply. Quick Hit:  Maryland … Continue Reading

EEOC Issues Additional Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccines

By Evandro Gigante, Harris Mufson, Abigail Rosenblum, Alex Downie and Julia Hollreiser on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
On May 28, the EEOC issued updated and expanded guidance for employers, addressing many unanswered questions regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. The updates supplement prior EEOC guidance and focus on four topics: (1) mandatory vaccination policies; (2) accommodations; (3) information about employee vaccination status; and (4) vaccine incentives. Below, we highlight the key guidance on each topic. … Continue Reading

New York State Announces New COVID-19 Quarantine Guidelines

By Evandro Gigante, Harris Mufson, Alex Downie and Rebecca Fishbein on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
On March 10, 2021, New York State updated its quarantine guidance for individuals exposed to COVID-19. Under this new guidance, individuals who are fully vaccinated or have recently recovered from COVID-19 are no longer required to quarantine after being exposed to someone with COVID-19, provided that certain conditions are met. This announcement brings New York … Continue Reading

OSHA Launches New Workplace Safety Initiative and Updated Enforcement Guidance Regarding COVID-19

By Harris Mufson, Lexie Reynolds and Julia Hollreiser on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, on January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order aimed at increasing COVID-19 workplace safety measures at the federal level. In response to President Biden’s directive, OSHA announced on March 12, 2021 the launch of a national emphasis program (“NEP”) to focus its enforcement efforts on employers that put the … Continue Reading

Congress Passes American Rescue Plan: What Employers Need to Know

By Evandro Gigante, Harris Mufson, Allison Martin, Jacob P. Tucker, Alex Downie and Julia Hollreiser on Posted in Coronavirus, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Safety
Congressional SealOn March 10, 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“Rescue Plan”), a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package intended to provide continued economic relief to individuals, businesses, and state and local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law. The following is a summary of … Continue Reading

OSHA Issues New Workplace Safety Guidance Regarding COVID-19

By Harris Mufson, Lexie Reynolds and Heylee Bernstein on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, last week President Biden directed the Secretary of Labor to issue revised guidance to employers on workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to that directive, OSHA issued what the DOL described as “stronger” worker safety guidance to advise employers during the COVID-19 pandemic. OSHA’s newest guidance, titled “Protecting Workers: … Continue Reading

Virginia Becomes First State To Pass Permanent Workplace Coronavirus Rules

By Lexie Reynolds, Guy Brenner and Makenzie D. Way on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
Quick Hit As we previously reported, Virginia became the first state to issue mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety rules via an emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) executed on July 15, 2020. The temporary standard expired on January 26, 2021 but the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Safety and Health Codes Board (the “Board”) has recently taken … Continue Reading

Biden Directs OSHA To Issue New Workplace Safety Guidance Regarding COVID-19

By Harris Mufson and Lexie Reynolds on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
Quick Hit On January 21, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order aimed at increasing COVID-19 workplace safety measures at the federal level.  As a result, employers should expect new OSHA guidance within the next two weeks and new emergency temporary standards by mid-March. Key Takeaways President Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and … Continue Reading

[Podcast]: Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations

By Evandro Gigante and Harris Mufson on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief, partners Harris Mufson and Evandro Gigante discuss the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recent guidance for employers regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. On December 16th, 2020, the EEOC issued updated guidance for employers in light of the FDA’s recent authorization of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. Widespread vaccinations have been largely … Continue Reading

New York Court Dismisses Amazon Workers’ COVID-19 Health and Safety Claims

By Arielle E. Kobetz, Evandro Gigante and Heylee Bernstein on Posted in Coronavirus, Litigation and Arbitration, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
*** UPDATE: On November 24, 2020, the Plaintiffs in Palmer, et al. v. Amazon.Com, Inc., et al. filed a notice of appeal. The Plaintiffs appealed Judge Cogan’s order dismissing the case to the Second Circuit. We will continue to monitor this case and provide updates. *** On November 2, 2020, the Eastern District of New … Continue Reading

Virginia COVID-19 Workplace Safety Rules Now In Effect

By Lexie Reynolds and Guy Brenner on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
Quick Hit As we previously reported, Virginia became the first state to issue mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety rules when the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (“VSHCB”) approved an emergency temporary standard on July 15, 2020.  The final text has now been released and the new rules, which apply to most private employers, went into … Continue Reading

OSHA Issues Second Set of Coronavirus-Related Citations

By Lexie Reynolds and Harris Mufson on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has now issued its second set of coronavirus-related citations, this time against an Ohio health-care company.  OSHA inspected three of the company’s nursing facilities from April to June after the company reported the coronavirus-related hospitalization of seven employees.  On July 21, 2020, OSHA announced … Continue Reading

Virginia Becomes First State to Adopt Mandatory COVID-19 Workplace Safety Requirements

By Lexie Reynolds, Caroline Guensberg and Guy Brenner on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
Quick Hit Virginia became the first state to issue mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety rules when the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (“VSHCB”) approved an emergency temporary standard on July 15, 2020 by a 9-2 vote.  The final text has not yet been published but the mandatory requirements are expected to include obligations surrounding flexible … Continue Reading
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