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
States
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…
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…
California Employers are now Grappling with Cal OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard
Shortly before Thanksgiving, California’s Department of Industrial Relations Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board (“Board”) adopted a general safety order that creates an emergency temporary standard specific to potential workplace COVID-19 exposures (“Rule”). The Rule was quietly approved by the Office of Administrative Law without detailed analysis on November 30th and went into effect…
California Employers Now Have an Emergency Temporary Standard To Contend With
On November 19, 2020, California’s Department of Industrial Relations Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board (“Board”) adopted a general safety order that, in effect, creates an emergency temporary standard specific to potential workplace coronavirus (“COVID-19”) exposures (“COVID-19 Prevention Rule” or “Rule”). While not the first state to adopt an emergency temporary standard (see our earlier…
California Issues Limited Shelter-In-Place Order Effective November 21st
Only a week ago Governor Newsom “pulled the brake” on California’s reopening, including issuing a travel advisory. However, as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, the California Department of Public Health (“the Department”) has issued a limited stay-at-home order that will go into effect Saturday, November 21, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. PST.…
Michigan’s Patchwork of COVID-19 Laws & Orders For Employers
As previously reported, on October 2, 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court invalidated post-April 30, 2020 Executive Orders that Governor Whitmer issued related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The opinion can be found here. As a result, a patchwork of laws and agency orders have stepped in to cover the gaps left by the invalidated Michigan…
Oregon OSHA Issues COVID-19 Temporary Rule
Stepping in line behind Virginia and Michigan, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“Oregon OSHA”) issued a Temporary Rule Addressing COVID-19 Workplace Risks (“Temporary Rule”) requiring Oregon employers to take certain actions in response to potential workplace exposures to coronavirus (“COVID-19”). Some provisions of Oregon OSHA’s temporary rule go into effect on November 16…
Guidance Provided from the California Department of Public Health on AB-685
On September 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 685 (“AB 685”) into law, and in doing so amended provisions of California’s Health and Safety and Labor Codes. AB 685 explicitly amended Labor Code section 6409.6 to grant California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (“DOSH” or “Cal OSHA”) authority to issue: (1) Orders…