Tag: COVID-19

April 11, 2024

Four years ago, the world of work underwent a tectonic transformation with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conventional norms of work, entrenched in commutes and linear office hours, were suddenly upended as the virus rendered the physical aspect […]

May 24, 2023

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) has become a cornerstone of corporate attitudes. Throughout the last decade, companies have ramped up their sustainability initiatives and concentrated on creating diverse and equitable teams. However, employee well-being tends to get overlooked. Following nearly […]

May 15, 2023

The Americans with Disabilities Act protects workers who have “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity” from discrimination in hiring, firing, job assignments and other activities related to employment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission […]

February 6, 2023

Once the COVID-19 omicron wave died down after exploding during the 2021-22 holiday season, mask mandates quickly went by the wayside. Fewer mandates were seen in public places, cities and workplaces, and in April 2022, the U.S. stopped enforcing mask-wearing […]

December 1, 2022

As everyone knows, the sequel is almost always messier than the original. Guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is no exception. On July 12, the EEOC updated its COVID-19 guidance, taking already complicated guidance that had no clear […]

November 29, 2022

The proliferation of boot camps for coding and other in-demand skills has prompted people of all backgrounds to make a career jump — and that includes recruiters. Max Nash — now a graduating student of General Assembly’s coding boot camp […]

November 9, 2022

Although arbitrators in Canada have considered whether an employer in a unionized workplace can place an employee on unpaid leave for failing to comply with its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, the British Columbia Supreme Court in Parmar v. Tribe Management […]

October 28, 2022

Last fall, we were furiously drafting mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policies for a variety of employers, including healthcare facilities, employers with more than 100 employees, and federal contractors. With the back and forth of whether a court would block implementation of […]

October 4, 2022

During July 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its COVID-19 workplace guidance. The new standards set forth important updates and clarifications regarding COVID-19 testing, vaccine mandates, and disability and religious accommodations in the workplace. Employers should familiarize themselves […]

August 18, 2022

As we enter the third year of a pandemic, the ongoing disruption caused by COVID-19 and its variants often leaves employers juggling legal and business considerations regarding their workforce. Specifically, many employees are also caregivers, whether they are caring for […]

August 10, 2022

On Sept. 15, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board will continue the long and arduous journey to establish COVID-19 safety measures in the workplace. Since the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s (Cal/OSHA) initial emergency temporary standards […]

August 8, 2022

A world exhausted from fighting COVID-19 for more than two years is now facing another potential hazard after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern” on July 23 and the U.S. declared a […]

July 25, 2022

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Texas employers) has determined that the COVID-19 pandemic is not considered a natural disaster, thus it is not an exception to the federal law that requires businesses to […]

July 21, 2022

One of the most sweeping economic changes arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is the shift from in-person to remote working. Although many employees have returned to working on location again, factors indicate the labor market has evolved […]

July 18, 2022

Burnout is a syndrome that can develop as a result of chronic workplace stress and can affect an employee’s health and wellbeing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people experience burnout on three levels: feeling tired or exhausted, needing […]

July 12, 2022

Aggressive regulatory action and an increase in workplace safety claims, including many related to the COVID-19 pandemic, have fueled a rise in labor and employment (L&E) collective claims, including “follow-on” class actions, according to Carlton Fields’ 2022 class action survey. […]

June 30, 2022

Remote work has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic began with some employers hiring employees to work remotely anywhere in the United States. With the recent economic downturn, layoffs are beginning to occur, and for the first time a significant number […]

June 28, 2022

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) hosted its annual conference and expo in New Orleans June 12–15. HR professionals, executives, managers, and students gathered from all over the country to connect and learn together. Over 200 sessions provided expert […]

April 14, 2022

It’s no surprise that HR professionals are reeling after two years of workplace disruption, but a new report indicates how widespread and severe the burnout truly is. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Resignation, 98% of […]

April 8, 2022

During these difficult times, when the world is recovering from a global healthcare crisis while facing new geopolitical issues, concerns about the future are also growing. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic alone triggered a 25% rise in the prevalence of […]