In our previous blog (Supreme Court Blocks OSHA ETS But Upholds CMS Vaccine Mandate), we updated you on the United States Supreme Court’s upholding of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (“CMS”) rule, requiring all staff for certain Medicare-certified providers to be vaccinated. Prior to this decision, the CMS rule was temporarily enforceable in…

On January 7, 2022, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments on two COVID-19 related federal vaccine or test mandates. Those arguments centered on whether the Court should enjoin the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) on COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (“CMS”)…

On December 17, 2021, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion, dissolving the stay on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency temporary standard (ETS) for large employers. What does this mean?   This means OSHA’s ETS rule, requiring COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing, is back on and in effect for employers with 100+…

On December 7, 2021, a third COVID-19 vaccine directive from the Biden administration has been placed on hold. Previously in September, the Biden administration issued Executive Order 14042 (“Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors”), which directed covered contracts to include a clause that federal contractors and any subcontractor (at any tier) must incorporate…

On November 29, 2021, a federal judge in Missouri temporarily ordered that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stay implementation and enforcement of its interim rule requiring health care settings that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations. The temporary stay is applicable to healthcare settings in ten states, including…

OSHA Vaccine-or-Testing ETS On November 12, 2021, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that OSHA stay implementation and enforcement of its COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”), which requires private employers with 100+ employees to have vaccine-or-testing policies. The ETS is stayed until an appellate court further reviews the pending ETS to…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new rule, requiring health care settings that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for most of its employees.  The rule is effective today, November 5, 2021. Here are a few key takeaways from the rule: The staff vaccination requirement applies to…

Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, there was speculation of a baby boom in the coming months due to couples spending virtually all their time at home together, perhaps with too much “downtime.”  An immediate baby boom ended up not occurring, according to a recent study by University of Michigan researchers.  The slight pause in…

The Mandates On September 9, 2021, the Biden administration instructed OSHA to develop an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring employers who are subject to OSHA regulations, with more than 100 workers, to either mandate vaccination that employees receive the COVID-19 vaccination or be subjected to weekly testing for the virus. The administration has also mandated…

Did you know . . . There have been several recent employment law developments on the federal level. On June 10, 2021, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) issued revised guidance to employers related to minimizing and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.  As part of this guidance, OSHA finally has aligned…