With so much of the nation’s focus these past three months on the COVID-19 pandemic – and more recently, protests over the tragic killing of George Floyd, state and local issues that can impact your business could easily be overlooked. In the hope of keeping you informed of some of those possible oversights, we advise you that: Effective last Friday May 29, the Commonwealth of Virginia began mandating that all employers (essential retail as well) in the state require their employees working in customer-facing areas to wear facemasks over their nose and mouth. Also, the Old Dominion has expanded its Ban the Box law (prohibiting an employer from inquiring into an applicant’s criminal history until a job offer is made) to now include marijuana possession. Ohio has delayed the June, July and August due dates for business premiums on workers compensation until September 1 to help businesses recover from the stress of the pandemic shutdowns. And speaking of workers compensation, just one month ago, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-62-20, which expands workers compensation eligibility for employees who contract COVID-19. The Executive Order creates a rebuttable presumption that an employee testing positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of working are presumed to have contracted the disease at work. And at the local level, passed just about one year ago in July 2019, the Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance was scheduled to become effective at the end of this month, July 1, 2020. However, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the City Council 2 weeks ago amended the ordinance to delay the private right of action provision until January 1, 2021 thereby delaying private employee lawsuits by six months. That will be a small consolation however as the provision requiring that the employee receive his/her work schedule at least 10 days in advance and a 10 day notice of schedule changes is still set to take effect on July 1. The Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department (BACP) has the power to exact fines and penalties for violations at the rate of $300 – $500 per day per employee! Costs will add up very quickly for violations! To err on the side of caution, employers should be fully prepared to comply with the new mandates on July 1.