U.S. Supreme Court Splits the Baby as It Stays the Private Employer Vaccine or Test Mandate but Keeps the Healthcare Vaccine Mandate in Place

On January 13, 2022, the United States Supreme Court (“Court”) issued two critical decisions: one staying the OSHA ETS vaccine or test mandate, the second allowing the OSHA CMS vaccine mandate for healthcare facilities to move forward. THE OSHA ETS IS STAYED By way of background, the OSHA ETS requires all employers with more than …

Private Employer Vaccine Mandate Moves Forward as Sixth Circuit Dissolves Fifth Circuit’s OSHA ETS Stay

On December 17, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which was chosen via lottery as the federal appellate court to decide whether the OSHA ETS, i.e., the private employer vaccine mandate, would go into effect, dissolved the stay that the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit had issued, allowing …

The Private Employer COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate is Here: What Employers Need to Know

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) rolled out temporary emergency standards (“ETS”) implementing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which are expected to become effective November 5, 2021. These emergency rules are intended to address the “grave danger of COVID-19 in the workplace.” …

The Sixth Circuit Rules on What Constitutes “Similarly Situated”

On November 13, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a recommended for full-text publication opinion that analyzed and decided the concept of what it means to be “similarly situated” in the context of proving a prima facie case of discrimination.  In Johnson v. Ohio Department of Public Safety, the …

Four Things Employers do to Make the Holidays (or Any Time of Year) Happier for Plaintiffs’ Attorneys

Employers want a happy workforce; that’s a given. But there are certain things that employers do to further that goal that might as well be a present tied with a bow for a plaintiff’s attorney after an employment relationship sours. Below are some tips to help avoid making a potential plaintiff’s attorney’s day merrier and …