Responding to the latest spike in COVID-19 cases in the Garden State, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed another executive order last week that became effective yesterday, November 5, 2020. The new order applies to all employers that allow or require that their employees be physically present in the workplace during their shift. Executive Order…
Restaurant owners out in California have initiated formal requests for rebates on funds they’ve paid to the state, county or municipality for permits, liquor fees, etc. since they have not been legally able to operate. Currently, most restaurants in the state are limited to 25% of capacity, and even under the best of COVID circumstances,…
In other venues, similar court actions have taken place over the past couple of weeks. We advised you just over one month ago about the federal court in Pittsburgh invalidating a statewide shutdown and stay-at-home order by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. Well, last Friday Governor Wolf made good on his promise to veto HB 2513,…
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has again extended the expiration date of a statewide commercial eviction and foreclosure moratorium until the New Year 2021. This latest extension – now valid until January 1 at the earliest – is the fourth that Cuomo has authorized since the moratorium was first imposed back on March 20 when…
Or is it the other way around? Either way, as they wrestle with their competing God complexes, it’s the private business owners in the Big Apple that are suffering. Just a few days after New York City restaurants were allowed to begin a (very) limited reopening process (25% indoor capacity), New York Mayor de Blasio…
After the success of its initial funding round ($25.7 million distributed to 741 businesses), the state of Delaware opened up a second round of its popular DE Relief Grant program on October 1. The program, which is a joint initiative of the state and New Castle County, was funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and…
Winning exemption from Pennsylvania overtime requirements recently became that much more difficult when the Pennsylvania Department of Labor (PDOL) published its latest guidance. Effective October 3, 2020, the new guidance increases the minimum weekly salary threshold to be exempt under the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act (PMWA) white-collar exemption to $684 per week (the same as…
It would appear that Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio are finally prepared to let New York City open – to some extent. Wednesday, NYC restaurants were allowed to open indoor dining to 25 percent of capacity. That said, there are plenty of new regulations they must perform to comply with the city…
Another worker protection idea that is being replicated around the country is different state and municipal versions of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN Act). We told you a few weeks ago about the Maryland mini-WARN taking effect yesterday. Well, there’s plenty of action elsewhere on similar laws. In New Jersey, the state’s…
In many, albeit not all states, the employment application process prohibits a potential employer from inquiring into a job applicant’s salary history, ostensibly to avoid perpetuating gender bias in employee compensation. Maryland joined the ranks of states that “banned the box” back in February as relates questions about an applicant’s criminal history, but the provisions…