A trio of new laws took effect on July 1 in the state of Tennessee of which employers in the Volunteer State need to be aware. The laws address race-based discrimination, Veteran’s Day and the physical or mental deficiencies of workers. First off, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act…
Read More »Early last month, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed HB 1853 into law and when he did, the threshold for mandatory use of the E-Verify system by private employers in the Volunteer State dropped from 50 to 35 employees. Effective on January 1, 2023, all employers in Tennessee with 35 or more employees will be required…
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For two years, Dunkin’ franchisees have had to operate under unprecedented regulatory conditions due to the pandemic – from mandatory store shutdowns to proof-of-vaccination orders. But could the regulatory nightmare finally be coming to an end? It sure looks like it, based on political and coronavirus-immunity trends of late. Still, there will be no shortage…
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At one time, omicron was known by most people as a Greek letter. The word literally means “little O.” But today, the word has followed the virus it is named for as a phenomenon that swept the planet. In many ways, governments and business have responded the way they did nearly two years ago, when…
Read More »In the chaos that results from conflicting vaccine mandates (federal, state & local) and some prohibitions thereof, the business community is left with little direction as to how to operate. As an case in point, at least four states – currently Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Tennessee – have enacted laws in recent weeks that allow…
Read More »Similarly, the Biden vaccine mandate for federal contractors was also enjoined this week when a U.S District Court Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove in the Eastern District of Kentucky, granted a preliminary injunction early this week covering the states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. Initially thought to only apply to contracts for services, it had been…
Read More »Whether Governor Bill Lee signs the proposal into law or it survives federal pre-emption contained in the Biden administration OSHA ETS (above) remains to be seen, but Tennessee lawmakers plowed onward and passed a statewide ban on masks and vaccine mandates. The legislature concluded its special COVID-19 session by sending the ban on to the…
Read More »With many small businesses continuing to struggle to get the workers it needs to get their business – and state economies – back on track, some states are trying to recreate a work-favorable environment again. Montana governor Greg Gianforte is leading the way with a most creative approach to addressing the current labor shortage in…
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought small business numerous challenges. We can now add another to the list: Employees filing increasing numbers of COVID-19 related lawsuits. In fact, according to the Fisher Phillips Employment Litigation Tracker, as of November 1, COVID-19 related lawsuits have been filed against 950 employers. The highest number of lawsuits were filed…
Read More »The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation a few weeks ago that mandates businesses provide further accommodations for the convenience of pregnant employees. Although the Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act (H.R. 2694) has yet to pass the Senate and may never, in fact become law, it was passed by the House with overwhelming bipartisan support in…
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