Staying abreast of the plethora of issues facing the small businessman and woman in the normal course of business is enough of a challenge, but in light of coronavirus regulations, mandates and guidance, it is practically full-time. To help keep you aware, we note that New York, which just announced a mandatory self-quarantine for visitors…
Read More »Speaking of sexual harassment, the Minnesota Supreme Court early this month upheld the standard of “severe and pervasive” as applies to a threshold determination of sexual harassment claims, but it also whittled away some of the standard’s foundation. The court pronounced the Minnesota Human Rights Act more expansive and protective than federal Title VII protections…
Read More »The Department of Labor (DOL) has published revisions to its regulations on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), Phase II of the COVID-19 economic recovery legislation. As revised, the regulations allow employers to require employees to use employer-provided paid leave (paid time off, vacation, etc.) and expanded family and medical leave concurrently, except in…
Read More »As you will recall, the PPP is a major part of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Recovery Act) which was Phase 3 of the federal legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was preceded by the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA), which provided paid sick leave nationally through the end of…
Read More »Notwithstanding the adoption of the FFCRA and its expanded paid leave for all employees across the country, the New York state legislature passed its own permanent paid leave benefits for all employees in the Empire State. Just a few weeks after passing a COVID-19 specific paid leave law, legislators approved a state budget that also…
Read More »With the CARES Act being signed into law last week, one could mistakenly look past the requirements contained in the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) passed and signed into law the previous week, but you do not want to do that! The FFCRA became effective on Wednesday of this week, April 1, and mandates…
Read More »As the COVID-19 crisis continues to wreak havoc with the American business landscape, several states and cities have put laws and executive orders on the books to address different issues arising in their communities. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Tuesday of this week signed an Executive Order prohibiting utilities in the Tar Heel State…
Read More »As of this writing, COVID-19 has caused 48 of the 50 United States to declare public emergencies at the state level to some degree or another. Only Oklahoma and West Virginia have yet to make such a declaration. In each of the states, the public emergency declaration gives the governments additional tools, flexibility and power…
Read More »US House leadership has introduced legislation that was to be voted yesterday that in the face of the coronavirus, would mandate paid sick leave for all Americans, among other provisions. As to the sick leave mandate, the initial draft of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act would mandate up to 14 days of paid sick…
Read More »The old adage that ‘it depends on whose ox is being gored’ sprung to mind when we read the position of the AFL-CIO relating the coronavirus economic recovery steps floated by the Trump administration this week. True to form, the national federation of organized labor was totally supportive of proposed emergency paid leave benefits for…
Read More »