Related to: COVID-19

Recent EEOC Settlement Cautions Employers on Collecting GINA-Protected Information

Preventing and containing Covid-19 outbreaks in the workplace has become routine for employers over the course of the past two years. A recent settlement announcement from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides employers with a better understanding of whether information regarding employees’ family medical history may be inquired about or collected, as will…

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Updated EEOC Guidance Provides New Standard For Covid-19 Testing

Preventing and containing Covid-19 outbreaks in the workplace has become routine for employers over the course of the past two years. Updated guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides employers with a better understanding of when to test employees.  Previously, employers could require on-site Covid-19 testing of employees at their discretion. However,…

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Biden Administration Abandons Shot-or-Test Mandate For Large Businesses

The Biden Administration has withdrawn its Covid shot-or-test mandate for large businesses.  The mandate, issued by OSHA through an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), requires all employers with 100 or more employees to implement a policy requiring Covid vaccinations or masking and weekly testing for all employees.  That requirement went into effect on January 10, 2022. …

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Path Out of the Pandemic: President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan

On September 9, 2021, President Biden unveiled the “Path Out of the Pandemic: President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan.”  The Plan consists of six main components aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.  The Plan would impose new obligations on federal employees, healthcare facilities, school districts, and private employers with 100 or more…

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Department of Education Publishes Guidance on Mental Health Impact of COVID-19

On October 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (“OSERS”) released guidance regarding the ongoing effects of the pandemic on children’s psychological health. This new guidance, entitled, Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health, addresses seven key barriers to implementing mental health supports for children,…

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President Biden’s Vaccination Mandate to Go Into Effect Friday, November 5, 2021

Today, the Biden Administration, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) mandating vaccinations or weekly testing for workers of employers with 100 or more employees. Who is covered by the mandate? The ETS applies to businesses with 100 or more employees “firm or company-wide.” The 28 states and…

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By Reinstating the Stay of President Biden’s Shot-or-Test Mandate The Supreme Court Signals the End of the OSHA ETS; but, OSHA Enforcement of COVID Mitigation Measures Continues

On the afternoon of Thursday, January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the stay blocking implementation of President Biden’s Shot-or-Test Mandate.  The mandate, issued by OSHA through an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requires all employers with 100 or more employees to implement a policy requiring Covid vaccinations or masking and weekly testing for all…

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Supreme Court Halts President Biden’s Shot-or-Test Mandate

The U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated the stay blocking implementation of President Biden’s Shot-or-Test Mandate.  The decision came this morning, Thursday, January 13, 2022, nearly a week after the Court heard oral arguments from both sides on Friday, January 7, 2022. Six justices, led by Chief Justice John Roberts voted in favor of reinstating the…

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Janus v AFSCME

Fate of President Biden’s Shot-or-Test Mandate Rests with Supreme Court – Oral Argument Set for January 7, 2022

Covid-19 is a global pandemic and a societal health problem, not a workplace hazard.  This is the main argument advanced by a coalition of states and an alliance of business groups in their brief to the U.S. Supreme Court. Final briefs were filed on December 30, 2021 ahead of oral arguments set for January 7,…

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CDC Shortens Recommended COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Periods

On Monday, December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated guidance for the general public that shortens the recommended time for isolation for those with COVID-19 and the time for quarantine for those exposed to COVID-19.  The updated guidance does not apply to healthcare workers for whom the CDC has separately…

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