Yes, CBD Registers On a Drug Screen as THC and, Yes, You Can Be Terminated for It

There is a lot to unpack in the Lehenky v. Toshiba America Energy Systems Corporation, Case No. 20-4573 (E.D. PA, February 22, 2022) case as it answers two very interesting questions. First, does CBD register on a drug screen as THC, and can employees be terminated for using it? Second, is an employer test for …

The Employment Malpractices at the Yellowstone – Dutton Ranch: “Damn Right I Did It!”

With Season 4 of Yellowstone in the books, and having time to fully process the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s OSHA vaccine mandate decisions, we thought we would kick off the 2022 All Things HR Blog by taking a deeper dive into some of the eye-raising employment practices at the Yellowstone – Dutton Ranch. …

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.” …

Why President Biden’s Plan to Vaccinate the Unvaccinated in Private Employment is a Lot of Buzz, but Likely Little Sting

The entire country has been abuzz about President Biden’s Plan for “Vaccinating the Unvaccinated.” The Plan would require private employers with 100 or more employees (“Covered Employers”) to ensure their workers are vaccinated from COVID-19 or tested weekly and to provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated.[1] To execute this Plan, the Department …

What Employers Can Do Regarding Fake Vaccine Cards so They Have “No Ragrets”

With the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine obtaining full FDA approval and President Biden’s sweeping announcement that he will be requiring federal employees, employers with over 100 employees, and many others to require vaccines or frequent testing, there has been a steady rise in the number of employers requiring their employees to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine as …

Verdict Requiring Employer to Accommodate Employee’s Request for Service Dog Leaves Employers Scratching Their Ears…I Mean Heads

It all began when the Union Pacific Railroad told employee Perry Hopman, a combat veteran, on two separate occasions that he could not allow his service dog – a 125-pound Rottweiler named Atlas – to accompany him to work to help him with his PTSD. Hopman received his diagnosis after an 18-month tour of duty …

The Bankruptcy Code’s Automatic Stay Is Not So Automatic for DOL Wage and Hour FLSA Enforcement Actions

The U.S. Bankruptcy Code (the “Code”) § 11 U.S.C. § 362(a)(1) provides that when a party files for bankruptcy, an automatic stay is triggered. However, it turns out that there are limitations to the type of cases that these automatic stays extends, and in the employment context, this may not necessarily include wage and hour …

What the American Rescue Plan Means for Employers

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) provides $1.9 trillion dollars in economic stimulus for individuals, certain companies, and municipalities. This blog focuses specifically on what the ARP means for employers. First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) As of January 1, 2021, employers who were originally covered under the FFCRA (employers with fewer than 500 employees) were no …