Employer Liability Archives - Page 2 of 12

Ready or Not, Colorado’s FAMLI Program is Here and With New Year Requirements

Colorado’s long-anticipated Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program is right around the corner for employee use — but employer requirements are already here. Effective January 1, 2023, employers have certain obligations under the FAMLI program, including notice requirements and upcoming premium payments. Below is a refresh on FAMLI program basics, an outline of current FAMLI program requirements, considerations for the upcoming months in preparation for 2024, and some additional information regarding private FAMLI programs.

Continue reading “Ready or Not, Colorado’s FAMLI Program is Here and With New Year Requirements”

Summary of Cal/OSHA’s Non-Emergency COVID-19 Prevention Regulations

On December 31, 2022, the Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS), as previously summarized, expire after being in place since November 2020. On December 15, 2022, the California Occupational Safety & Health Standards (Cal/OSHA) Board voted to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 regulations to replace the ETS.

The new regulations are set to take effect in January 2023 after the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) completes its review. Once finalized, the new regulations will remain in effect for two years (but the recordkeeping requirements will remain in effect for three years).

The non-emergency regulations contain some of the same requirements as the ETS, but they also include new provisions. According to Cal/OSHA’s updated Fact Sheet, the new provisions are intended to be easier for employers to follow and allow for greater flexibility if changes are made pursuant to California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance.

Continue reading “Summary of Cal/OSHA’s Non-Emergency COVID-19 Prevention Regulations”

Employers, There is a New EEOC Workplace Poster and You Should Post it Immediately

On October 20, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a new “Know Your Rights” poster, which replaces the former “EEOC is the Law” poster.

EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows described the new poster as a “win-win for employers and workers… making it easier for employers to understand their legal responsibilities and for workers to understand their legal rights.”

Similar to the old poster, the new poster summarizes the federal anti-discrimination laws enforced by the EEOC:

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act;
The Americans with Disabilities Act;
The Equal Pay Act;
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act; and
The Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act.

Continue reading “Employers, There is a New EEOC Workplace Poster and You Should Post it Immediately”

NLRB General Counsel Encourages Increased Scrutiny of Electronic Employee Monitoring

On October 31, 2022, the General Counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Jennifer Abruzzo, issued a memorandum instructing regional offices to closely scrutinize employer use of certain electronic monitoring, data collection and automated management technologies. This memorandum further evidences the NLRB’s commitment to effectuating a strong national labor policy which includes protecting employees’ organizational rights and encouraging collective bargaining as described in our November 2020 client alert. Abruzzo reiterated these policy objectives in her February 2022 memorandum issued in support of the Biden administration’s Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment’s February 2022 labor report.

Continue reading “NLRB General Counsel Encourages Increased Scrutiny of Electronic Employee Monitoring”

U.K. Employment Law Update: Whistleblower Dismissal, Belief Discrimination and Long COVID

U.K. courts have faced novel employment questions regarding whistleblowers, discrimination over personal beliefs and whether long COVID can be a disability. Employers in the United Kingdom should keep a note of these recent rulings to inform their own policies.

Continue reading “U.K. Employment Law Update: Whistleblower Dismissal, Belief Discrimination and Long COVID”

Maryland Court of Appeals Holds State Law Wage Claims Despite Federal Wage Law

On July 13, 2022, Maryland’s Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, held that state wage law claims for certain travel pay survive summary judgment despite the fact that such payments are not required under the federal Portal-To-Portal Act (PPA or the Act). The Court of Appeals interprets Maryland law as requiring wage payments for time spent waiting and traveling to a worksite if the waiting site is considered a prescribed workplace.

Continue reading “Maryland Court of Appeals Holds State Law Wage Claims Despite Federal Wage Law”