December 2020

In mid-November, as cases continued to rise, the California Department of Public Health issued a “travel advisory” which recommended quarantining for those who returned to the state from other states or countries. The advisory distinguished between “non-essential travel” such as tourism and “essential travel” such as for work, study, economic services, immediate medical…

Major League Soccer (MLS) has informed the MLS Players Association that it intends to exercise the force majeure clause that was recently added to the parties’ collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to negotiate additional contract modifications in good faith for 30 days. If a new agreement is not reached during the 30 day period, the league…

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, generally provides the annual funding for the federal government and, in almost 5,600 pages, contains several important rules giving further COVID-19 relief, including the expansion of eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Employee Retention Tax Credit.

The Act also relaxes several health, welfare, and retirement plan rules…

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 generally provides the annual funding for the federal government and also contains several important rules giving further COVID-19 relief. The comprehensive relief package funds certain hard-hit industries, expands eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and extends and expands the Employee Retention Tax Credit.

The Act also relaxes several normally…

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Act) generally provides the annual funding for the federal government and contains several important rules giving further COVID-19 relief. These include, among other things, revisions to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), expansion of the employee retention tax credit, and changes to other employer-related tax provisions.

The Act was passed by…

Since it was issued in September 2020, Executive Order 13950 – Combatting Race and Sex Stereotyping has been a source of controversy and criticism.  Speculation as to the fate of the Executive Order in the future Biden/Harris administration has accelerated in recent weeks with talks of rescission and legal challenges.  While we await the ultimate…

In April of this year, which seems far longer than eight months ago, we posted about an alert from federal agencies warning that cyber threat actors were exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to fuel phishing and other attacks. Those efforts have continued throughout the year with attackers now retooling their messaging around the COVID-19 vaccine. Criminal…

On July 15, 2020, Virginia became the first state in the nation to promulgate an Emergency Temporary Standard to address COVID-19 in workplaces. Even with vaccine deliveries on the way, Virginia has proposed a Permanent Standard for consideration by the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (which includes author Courtney Malveaux).

To read the article…

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have allowed some flexibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some of the changes in effect:

  • Virtual Inspection

Since March 2020, employers may inspect Section 2 documents virtually, e.g., over video link, by fax, or by email. This policy applies only…

Most of California is currently subject to the state’s Regional Stay at Home Order and  COVID-19 cases surging around the state. Meanwhile, federal and state supplemental paid sick leave benefits available to employees in California will soon expire.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), which includes paid sick leave obligations for employers with less…