News, Insights, and Strategies for Employers from Jackson Lewis
Its July. A time when in normal years, schools are closed and families are planning vacations. But in 2020, paid vacation is being replaced with paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), leaving employers asking, can they still do that?!
For public employers and employers with less than 500 employees, the FFCRA…
Since May, USCIS has been threatening furloughs of three-quarters of its workforce in August if it does not receive a $1.2 billion loan and an average 21% increase in fees to take care of its budget shortfall. Reportedly, more than 13,000 of the 20,000 USCIS employees who work on citizenship and visa processes will receive…
The Seattle City Council has enacted the Paid Sick and Safe Time for Gig Workers Ordinance, which temporarily provides paid sick and safe time (PSST) to “gig workers” for online-based food delivery network companies and drivers of transportation network companies with 250 or more gig workers worldwide. The ordinance takes effect July 13, 2020, and…
The New York District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently commented that it had received an increasing number of charges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which alleged violations of the reasonable accommodation mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While the number of filings was not disclosed, the New York…
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a new Proclamation that extends until 11:59 p.m. on August 1, 2020, the job protections in place for “high-risk” Washington employees. The job protections were to expire at 11:59 p.m. on June 12, 2020, under the previous Proclamation.
High-risk employees are (1) any individual 65 years or older,…
Chicago’s City Council has passed an ordinance to protect employees from retaliation by their employers if they obey public health orders or orders of a healthcare provider to stay at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ordinance was passed by the City Council on May 20, 2020. Read more.
The Puerto Rico Senate has approved unanimously Senate Bill No. 1577 (SB 1577), which seeks to amend Section 9 of Puerto Rico Act No. 44 of July 2, 1985, known as the “Law Prohibiting Discrimination Against Disabled Persons,” to expand its protection and confer certain types of employees the right to a reasonable accommodation in…
Despite significant legal obstacles, on May 4, 2020, a group of plaintiffs filed a class action complaint alleging the Queens Adult Care Center (QACC) violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Title III) and its precursor, Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), by failing to provide a level of care to safeguard…
New York State has joined the growing list of states and localities (including New York City and Westchester County) mandating that employers provide paid sick leave to employees.
The new obligation is separate and distinct from the New York State Quarantine Leave Law enacted in response to COVID-19.
The statewide sick leave law applies to…
The flurry of federal, state, and local laws hastily passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the workplace in ways employers have not seen before. Now, as employers seek to reopen their businesses, in-house counsel and Human Resources professionals tasked with navigating these uncharted waters should bear in mind which decisions could give…
