By Tessa Cranfield, Paul Cutrone, Julia Gorham, and Daniel E. Waldman
Seyfarth Synopsis: With the announcement of the roll out of the Pfizer/BioNTec COVID-19 vaccine commencing in the UK last week (week of December 7, 2020) and vaccination roll out to commence in the US in due course, international employers are considering their options to mandate
Continue Reading Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination – The International Employment Landscape
By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just released revised guidance on quarantine time allowing for two quarantine options in addition to the standard 14 day quarantine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just released revised
Continue Reading CDC Revises Guidance to Reduce COVID-19 Quarantine Time
By Brent I. Clark, Mark A. Lies, II, Benjamin D. Briggs, James L. Curtis, A. Scott Hecker, Patrick D. Joyce, and Adam R. Young
Seyfarth Synopsis: As the prospects of a likely Biden administration develop a key question becomes what should employers expect from OSHA under Biden? A COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard, aggressive enforcement,
Continue Reading What to Expect from OSHA in a Biden Administration
By Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: A new report from the National Safety Council (NSC), State of the Response: Employer Actions to Address the Pandemic, provides an overview of how employers have been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NSC survey sought to understand which COVID-19-related safety practices were
By Brent I. Clark, Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The CDC continues to expand its guidance on the potential routes of COVID-19 transmission, changing its definition of “close contact” of 15 minutes or more within 6 feet, to now mean 15 minutes aggregated across an
Continue Reading CDC Expands Definition of “Close Contact” to Include Contact Within Six Feet for 15 Minutes or More, With Minutes Aggregated Over the Course of 24 Hours
By John Ayers-Mann and Daniel B. Klein,
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 29, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued an Executive Order outlining the process for “lower risk communities” to advance to Step Two of Phase Three of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan. On September 30 and October 1, Massachusetts published updated guidance for businesses in several sectors across the State
Continue Reading Massachusetts Publishes Updated Reopening Guidance for Step 2 of Phase 3
Seyfarth Synopsis: Here is quick review and summary of our employment law blogs posted over the last two months, as a way to keep you connected and aware of our latest thought leadership. As always, readers are encouraged to reach out to our authors with any comments or questions raised from the blog.
Mental Health Awareness and Innovation
Continue Reading Roundup of August and September Employment Law Lookout Blogs
By Matthew Graffigna and Robert E. Buch
Seyfarth Synopsis: Senate Bill 1159 was signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 17, 2020, and went into effect immediately. Under the new law, if employees test positive for COVID-19 under specific circumstances, there is a rebuttable presumption that their exposure occurred at the workplace. Unless rebutted, this presumption creates a compensable
Continue Reading Workers’ Compensation Liability Is Catching In California
By Ilana R. Morady and Elizabeth M. Levy
Seyfarth Synopsis: As California’s legislative session comes to an end, a wave of new COVID-19 related laws that impact employers are being signed into law. On September 17, 2020, Governor Newsom signed AB 685, which will require employers to provide specific notices to employees exposed to COVID-19 within one business day
Continue Reading CalPecs – COVID-19 Exposure Notification Requirements Coming To A Workplace Near You
By Benjamin D. Briggs, Brent I. Clark, Mark A. Lies, II, Adam R. Young, Ilana R. Morady, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: Cal/OSHA, in a press release, noted that it recently issued citations to a food manufacturer and its temporary employment agency, with over $200,000 in proposed penalties to each employer for
Continue Reading Cal/OSHA Cites Food Manufacturer and its Staffing Firm for Failing to Protect Hundreds of Workers from COVID-19 Exposure