News

Let’s talk about fog, shall we? Fogged up glasses, to be specific. If you wear eyeglasses and have to venture out into the world for anything, it’s likely that this is a problem that you’ve faced. That’s because these days, going out into the world safely, means wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth to help stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). 

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 that federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against applicants and employees because they are gay or transgender.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued updated guidance on recording occupational illnesses related to COVID-19. The guidance took effect May 26, 2020 and remains in effect until further notice.

To lower costs and avoid layoffs during difficult times, employers may consider reducing employees' regular work hours. Among other things, a reduction in hours can affect wage and hour law compliance, eligibility for unemployment and benefits, loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and employee morale. For those reasons, it's important to carefully consider a number of factors before reducing employees' hours.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a temporary policy regarding expired documents used for Form I-9 purposes. The Form I-9 is used to verify a new hire's identity and work authorization.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule for determining whether employers qualify as "retail or service" establishments for purposes of an overtime exemption for commission-based employees. The final rule takes effect immediately.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued updated guidance on recording occupational illnesses related to COVID-19. The guidance took effect May 26, 2020 and remains in effect until further notice.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that employers won't be required to file an EEO-1 Report in 2020 because of the impact of COVID-19. Instead, the EEOC will collect the EEO-1 data for both 2019 and 2020 in March 2021.

Some states have announced plans to ease restrictions that were placed on businesses and individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether or not your business is located in one of these states, you're probably starting to wonder what steps you’ll need to take to safely welcome your employees back into the workplace.