Insights on Labor, Employment & OSHA

Turf magazine

Under California’s Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), an employee may sue his or her employer to recover civil penalties for the alleged violation of Labor Code provisions.

Complying with California’s wage and hour rules can be hard in ordinary times. Now, along with the many challenges that the COVID-19 emergency poses, California employers may face new situations and issues. 

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) employers with 499 or fewer employees are responsible for providing employees with paid sick leave and paid expanded family and medical leave under certain circumstances related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).  

On Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a temporary final rule providing further clarity on how the agency will be implementing the paid emergency family and medical leave and emergency paid sick leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have published more information on refundable tax credits that reimburse small and mid-size employers, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, for the cost of providing their employees paid sick and family leave related to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create disruption around the globe, raising obvious questions about our health and wellbeing, and presenting significant business and economic challenges.

On March 27 and 28, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released additional question-and-answer style guidance on the emergency paid sick and family leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which we first reported here.

To address COVID-19’s rapid spread in Washington, DC and across the region and the nation, Mayor Muriel Bowser has issued a stay-at-home order for the District of Columbia. The Order, which goes into effect on April 1, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., parallels orders that Maryland and Virginia issued yesterday.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, dealers are handling complicated health and business issues. We talked with Aaron Jacoby about the impact of FMLA amendments and how they are designed to provide relief for employees and employers. 

Governor Ralph Northam, like his Maryland counterpart, today issued an Order that requires people in Virginia to remain at home. 

Today, Governor Larry Hogan has taken his most aggressive measure yet to protect public safety and prevent COVID-19’s spread. Effective at 8:00 p.m., today, he has ordered everyone who resides in Maryland to remain at home.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact employers’ business operations, employers with unionized workforces are faced with making business decisions while fulfilling their obligation to bargain with their employees’ collective bargaining representatives.   

With consumers attempting to navigate quarantine and “shelter-in-place” orders, businesses that sell basic necessities are facing overwhelming demand.

On March 24th, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued its first round of guidance regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

On March 24 and 25, the U.S. Department of Labor released guidance on the implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which we wrote about here when it passed last week.

Since last week when we wrote about the “shelter in place” and “stay at home” orders issued in California, New York, and Illinois, many more states have issued similar orders. The general discussion from our prior alert still applies, but below is an up-to-date list of the states that have adopted the stay-at-home approach to fighting the spread of COVID-19.

Like some other states, California has its own state version of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. 

Yesterday, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an order aimed at significantly slowing the community transmission of COVID-19. 

On March 20, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed the “New York State on PAUSE” Executive Order (“PAUSE Order”) to ensure safety for residents across New York State. Effective 8PM Sunday, March 22, 2020, all statewide non-essential businesses must close all in-person operations.

As more and more states order businesses to close their physical locations because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, employers are being encouraged by the federal and state governments to work remotely and not have their employees report to worksites unless they fit into the definition of essential

On March 18, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law Senate 8091 providing for paid sick leave, family leave, and certain disability leave for employees affected by mandatory or precautionary orders to quarantine or isolate due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

Yesterday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued a state-wide order aimed at promoting health and safety and reducing COVID-19’s spread. The order, which goes into effect today at 11:59 p.m., bans all gatherings of more than 10 people and mandates that certain non-essential businesses close. 

With COVID-19 diagnosed in 21 of Maryland’s 24 counties and the disease’s death toll increasing, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has issued another order designed to stem the virus’s spread. Effective at 5:00 on Monday evening, all “non-essential businesses” closed until the state of emergency ends.

The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment (DUA) has taken steps to streamline the process for securing unemployment benefits in light of increased demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.