This fall, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the “EEOC”) filed a lawsuit against a San Antonio-based workplace experience and facility management company, alleging that the defendant company unlawfully denied its employee’s request to work from home to protect herself from COVID-19. This suit, which is the EEOC’s first of its kind, is a reminder to …
AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER: RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS AND VACCINE MANDATES UNDER TITLE VII
On September 26, 2021, the NBA denied Andrew Wiggins’ religious accommodation request to be exempt from taking the COVID-19 vaccine. After being denied, Wiggins stated his “[b]ack is up against the wall, but I’m just going to keep fighting for what I believe. . . I’m going to keep fighting for what I believe is …
COVID-19 Surge Medical Leave Refresher for Employers
In 2020, as COVID-19 cases were mounting, many employers were tasked with following the brand-new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), which provided a framework and tax credits for paid leave, including paid sick leave, for certain reasons pertaining to COVID-19. In 2021, as COVID-19 cases declined, this paid leave became voluntary, and employers who …
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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 …
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Recent Developments in Ontario Employment Law
On August 20, 2021 the Medical Officer of Health for Toronto issued a “strong recommendation” that every local business implements a COVID-19 vaccination policy. The City of Toronto has also provided guidance on the key components of such a policy. On August 24, 2021, O. Reg 364/20, Rules for Areas at Step 3 and at …
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You Said Non-compete Agreements Are Enforceable in Michigan; What Is This Federal Government Announcement I Heard Recently?
A few weeks ago, our All Things HR Blog took time to tackle frequently asked questions about the enforceability of restrictive covenants in Michigan, including employee non-compete restrictions. We decided this would be a good week to expand on that topic. Many readers likely noticed recent headlines blaring out that on July 9, 2021, President …
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 …
Are Mandatory Vaccinations Included in Back to “Normal”?
As life begins to return to some semblance of “normal” (i.e., what it was like before terms like “aerosol droplets,” “fomite,” “herd immunity,” and “PCR tests” were part of our daily lexicon) employers are faced with difficult questions about what a return to “in-person” work looks like. Atop the list is vaccinations, and whether as …
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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 …