CDC Issues New COVID-19 Recommendations and What it Means for Employers

On July 27, 2021, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (“CDC”) issued updated COVID-19 guidance given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant currently circulating in the United States. The CDC now recommends that fully vaccinated people wear a mask in public indoor settings if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission. […]
President Biden Issues Executive Order Calling on the Federal Trade Commission to Ban or Limit Non-Compete Agreements

On July 9, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order outlining 72 initiatives addressing competition in the workplace and targeting non-compete clauses and agreements. According to a White House statement, the President signed the Order “to promote competition in the American economy, which will lower prices for families, increase wages for workers, and promote innovation […]
Department of Labor Publishes Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Standard and a Model Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan

As previously reported, the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act”), which was enacted on May 5, 2021, mandated new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One section of the law requires employers to implement an airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan based on the model plan provided […]
U.S. DOL Proposes New Tip Credit Rule

On June 23, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (“U.S. DOL”) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which would impose a limit on when an employer can pay a tipped worker the “tipped minimum wage.” The new rule would reinstate the “80/20” rule under federal law and would clarify that an employer may only take […]
OSHA Issues Updated Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace

On June 10, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) released an Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) that outlines new requirements for healthcare settings. In addition, OSHA issued updated guidance for non-healthcare employers regarding protocols for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 among unvaccinated or at-risk employees in the workplace. We have summarized the pertinent portions […]
NY COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that all COVID-19 restrictions are lifted immediately in New York State, as 70 percent of New Yorkers aged 18 or older have received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccination. The State’s health guidance and New York Forward industry specific guidelines—including social gathering limits, capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning […]
HERO Act Amendments Signed into Law

The New York Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act”) Amendments have been signed into law, which may come as welcome news to employers who might have been scrambling to understand and implement its requirements. As we previously reported, the HERO Act was enacted on May 5, 2021, mandating new workplace health and safety protections […]
NYS DOL to Release Guidance Confirming that New York’s Paid Sick Leave Law Covers Recovery Time from COVID-19 Vaccination

The New York State Department of Labor (“NY DOL”) has recently issued guidance to all employers that any necessary recovery period from the COVID-19 vaccine is covered under the New York State Paid Sick Leave Law. Citing studies that found workers were avoiding the COVID-19 vaccine due to fear of missing a day of work due to […]
OSHA Revises Guidance: Employers Do Not Need to Record Adverse COVID-19 Vaccine Reactions

Earlier this year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) issued guidance to clarify the recordability of employees suffering adverse side effects from a COVID-19 vaccination. That guidance provided that an adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is recordable if the reaction is: (1) work-related, (2) a new case, (3) meets one or more of […]
Pop Up Webinar on May 27th to Understand the Importance of New York’s HERO Act

Get a sneak peak into our @work with ALG subscription service with this complimentary webinar. During it, you’ll learn about the newly enacted HERO Act, which requires New York employers to take certain steps to ensure a safe workplace. By June 4, 2021, employers must publish an “Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Standard Policy.” The […]
CDC Announces New Mask Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals and What It Means for Employers

In its most recently released guidance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) has announced that individuals who are fully-vaccinated for COVID-19 are no longer required to wear a mask or practice social distancing in most indoor and outdoor settings. According to the CDC, this includes attending indoor gatherings, shopping, dining at restaurants, and […]
Webinar on June 17th: Drug and Alcohol Screening in the Age of Legalization of Marijuana

Employers have been grappling with confusing marijuana laws for years—and the rules are getting tougher to navigate as more states add employment protections. There are so many new developments with drug-testing and marijuana laws, it’s hard for employers to keep up. This webinar will cover what employers need to know about the changing landscape in […]