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
Practice Areas
Phishing Attack Messaging Targets COVID-19 Vaccine
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…
Will Virginia’s COVID-19 Pandemic Standard Become Permanent?
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…
Six Changes in DHS, ICE Created by COVID-19 Pandemic
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…
Will Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Continue in 2021?
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…
Updated COVID-19 Quarantine Guidance for the Golden State
At the beginning of December, the CDC issued new guidance regarding the length of quarantine. Although the new CDC guidance was not definitive in shortening the quarantine period, it did provide options to local health departments to shorten the quarantine period, if they determined it appropriate.
On December 14th, the California…
New Virginia Executive Order Expands Face Covering Requirements, Restricts Gatherings
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has issued Executive Order Number Seventy-Two, expanding face covering requirements, reducing allowable social gatherings, and directing Virginians to remain at home after midnight. The Order also states that individuals who decline to wear a face covering due to a medical condition are not required to produce medical documentation verifying their…
CDC Issues Post Vaccine-Considerations for Healthcare Personnel
As employers in healthcare settings prepare to administer the vaccine to healthcare personnel, they are likely grappling with new practical considerations. Undoubtedly, one of the most widespread challenges is how to manage employees with potential post-vaccination systemic signs and symptoms (“signs and symptoms”), without unnecessarily imposing work restrictions to the detriment of patient care demands. …
COVID-19 Leave Arrives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
On December 9, 2020, Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto signed a new ordinance granting COVID-19 Sick Time to certain employees working within the City.
Interaction with Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act
This ordinance supplements the Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act (“PSDA”), which took effect earlier this year in March. The ordinance also amends the PSDA by expressly…
Has the COVID-19 14-Day Quarantine Period Been Shortened?
By now, employers likely have heard the news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reduced the length of time that individuals should quarantine after an exposure to COVID-19. The old adage “Don’t believe everything you read” turns out to be true in this case. Although the CDC has stated that shortened…