Still trying to figure out the newly issued large employer Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing issued last week? Well, a federal appeals court temporarily blocked its enforcement, at least in Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana, causing many employers to ask “what next”? The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a…

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…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its much-anticipated COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which will be effective November 5. The ETS requires all employers with 100 or more employees to either (1) mandate COVID-19 vaccinations; or (2) require unvaccinated employees to wear masks and test for COVID-19 on at least…

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…

Did you know… The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it is withdrawing the “Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act” (FLSA) final rule issued under the previous administration on January 6, 2021. As anticipated, the new administration re-examined the previous rule and has withdrawn it after receiving approximately 1,000 comments in…

Did you know . . . In our last post, we informed you that President Biden recently signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”), which included a host of provisions affecting employers.  One significant mandate of the ARPA is the requirement for employers to offer 100% subsidized COBRA continuation coverage to…

Did you know . . .  On March 10, Congress approved the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (signed into law by President Biden on March 11). The Act contains several items of interest for employers, including: An extension of the tax credits for voluntarily providing paid sick and family leave under the Families First…

Did you know… The North Dakota Legislature reconvened last week after its mid-session break better known as “crossover.” House bills are now being considered by the Senate and Senate bills by the House. The House and Senate heard a number of employment related bills in the days leading up to the February 24 deadline to…