Employment Law Blog

Long-Term COVID Effects May Qualify as a Disability under the ADA—What Employers Need to Know

For more on this subject, view our webinar, Myths, Masks, and Mandates: More Advice for the Continuing Workplace Challenges of COVID-19.

We are still learning more about the virus, including its long-term effects on those who have been infected. Because of the severity of these long-lasting symptoms, both the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently released guidance stating that “long COVID” may qualify as a disability under anti-discrimination laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). An employer must remain aware of the long-term effects that COVID can have on its workforce and potential accommodations that its employees may need.  More >

Webinar: Vaccinations and Regulations and Misinformation, Oh My!

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Employers, Take Note: EEOC Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance

Throughout the course of 2020, employers have had to stay abreast of a myriad of COVID-19 regulations in the workplace. This includes understanding the ways that CDC guidelines, local and federal regulations, and public health recommendations intersect with the Americans with Disabilities Act (‘ADA’), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (‘GINA’), and more. In addition to the existing recommendations, the EEOC has released guidance for employers to stay compliant when managing the distribution of the newly approved coronavirus vaccines in the workplace. More >

FFCRA Ends December 31; Employers Must Act Now

Among the myriad of updates recently released in the relief bill approved by Congress last week and signed by President Donald Trump late on Sunday night is an important decision for employers. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), which was created to stymie the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, will sunset as initially planned on December 31, 2020. More >

ALERT: New CDC Guidance Redefines “Close Contact” and Employers Must Take Notice

On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, the CDC again revised its guidance on the definition of “close contact” for purposes of reducing the transmission of COVID-19.  Recently, the United States has seen a concerning increase in the number of daily cases and hospitalizations due to the coronavirus.  Ten states, including Kentucky, recorded their highest number of hospitalizations this week.  Experts are worried about a “rapid acceleration” in the upcoming fall and winter months where there are fewer opportunities to gather in open, outdoor spaces. More >

WARNING: DOL Moves the Goalposts on FFCRA for Healthcare Providers

When the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) was passed, healthcare providers breathed a sigh of relief to see that an exception had been carved out for them regarding the mandatory leave provisions of the law. This exclusion permitted entities with less than 500 employees to exclude “health care providers” from mandatory leave provisions. The first rules to interpret this provision defined “health care providers” in such a manner that all employees of a healthcare provider that itself met the definition would also meet the exclusion. This interpretation is no more. More >

OSHA Updates Investigation Guidelines During New Pandemic Phase

New Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance for Area Offices and compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) on handling the reporting of illnesses, complaints, and referrals related to COVID-19 took effect on May 26, 2020. This guidance supersedes previous OSHA memorandums regarding temporary processes during the pandemic. More >

Phased Reopening Guidelines: How to Stay Safe and Compliant

Over the weekend, the Governor’s office revised certain portions of Kentucky’s Healthy-at-Work phased reopening minimum guidelines for all businesses,  outlining the affirmative duties of both employers and employees upon returning to work on-site. All businesses – even those that have remained open – will have to adhere to these fourteen requirements in order to remain open:  More >

Employee Temperature Checks and Confidentiality: Separating Fact from Fiction

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent employers scrambling for answers to questions regarding health, safety, and confidentiality in the workplace they may have never envisioned dealing with. Recently there have been questions concerning the regulatory requirements that an employer encounters when the employer performs temperature checks for employees to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus among its employees and possible customers. More >

Department of Labor Issues Guidance for Employers – Paid Leave Provisions Take Effect April 1st

On March 24th, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance for employers and employees as to how they will be affected by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when it takes effect on April 1, 2020. The guidance came in the form of an introductory statement, a fact sheet for employers, a fact sheet for employees, and a Q&A sheet that covers a wide variety of situations.   More >