Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 25, 2022, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed “The Rhode Island Cannabis Act,” which grants adults aged 21 and older the right to possess and grow certain amounts of cannabis for recreational use. Retail sales are expected to begin as early as December 1, 2022. The new law, which is effective
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UPDATED: New York Lifts Mask-or-Vax Mandate and HERO Act Masking Requirement
By Daniel I.Small and Robert S.Whitman
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week, Governor Hochul announced that she will lift the mask-or-vaccinate mandate for nearly all public places of business on February 10, 2022. The New York Department of Labor has now revised its model safety plan under the HERO Act to eliminate the mask requirement in most settings. Other HERO Act
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Three OSHA State Plans Under Fire for Failure to Adopt COVID Emergency Temporary Standard for Health Care
By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, Scott Hecker, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: Federal OSHA is warning Arizona, South Carolina, and Utah that they risk a federal takeover of their worker safety programs unless they adopt a federal emergency temporary standard (ETS) protecting health-care workers from COVID -19.
OSHA published its
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NSC Publishes Benchmarking Report on COVID-19 Safety Practices Implemented in Business and Industry
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
CDC and OSHA Issue COVID-19 Guidance for the Nursing Home Industry
By Chris DeMeo, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: CDC and OSHA issues specific guidance related to COVID-19 policies, administrative controls, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and face masks for the nursing home industry.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes and care facilities have instituted significant precautions and protocols to address employee and resident
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Three Ways COVID-19 Is Changing How We Will Work In The Future
By Christina Jaremus and Katherine Mendez
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governors are already discussing lifting stay-at-home restrictions. However, certain changes to the workplace that were implemented during the shelter-in-place period may persist. As Steven Hawking said, intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. No one knows this better than businesses whose success often relies on quickly adapting to change.
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N.Y. Appellate Court Scopes Out Liability: Using Criminal Convictions in Employment
Seyfarth Synopsis: The New York Court of Appeals’ ruling on questions regarding the use of criminal convictions in hiring will impact employers and may impact the background screening industry, the temporary staffing industry, and other businesses requiring its affiliates or contractors to adhere to certain criminal history guidelines.
In Griffin v. Sirva, Inc., 835
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