On March 3, 2022, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed into law House Bill 1001, which restricts COVID-19 vaccination requirements in the workplace. Restrictions An employer may not impose a requirement that employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination unless the employer provides individual exemptions that allow an employee to opt out of the requirement on the basis...Read More
This post was updated on September 14, 2021. On September 8, 2021, President Biden issued a COVID-19 Action Plan concerning new vaccine mandates that may affect 100 million Americans. Large Private Employers and Paid Time Off to Get Vaccinated According to the Plan, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing...Read More
The recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) provides temporary premium assistance under the COBRA to help Assistance Eligible Individuals (AEI) continue their health benefits. The premium assistance applies to periods of health coverage on or after April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. AEI are not required to pay their COBRA continuation...Read More
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill known as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This law contains key provisions and makes related changes to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) that may impact employers. The FFCRA expired on December 31, 2020, but shortly before...Read More
On February 18, 2021, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed into law Senate Bill 1 that provides employers’ civil tort immunity related to COVID-19. The immunity applies to causes of action that accrue from March 1, 2020 through December 31, 2024. The law specifically provides a person is immune from civil tort liability for damages arising...Read More
On January 14, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden announced his American Rescue Plan through which he plans to provide much-needed economic relief from the COVID-19 pandemic. His plan includes expansion of the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) as detailed below. Expansion of Covered Employers The plan covers all employers. This...Read More
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 that was signed into law by President Trump on December 27, 2020, extends the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) unemployment insurance programs passed earlier this year. The CARES Act expanded unemployment insurance benefits to individuals through three programs: (1) Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (“FPUC”); (2) Pandemic...Read More
This article is an update of an article posted on December 22, 2020. On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 in order to fund the government through September 30, 2021 and provide economic relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This law does not extend the Families First...Read More
U.S. Department of Labor issues first guidance on Trump Executive Order 13950 prohibiting federal contractors from promoting race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating or implementing workplace diversity and inclusion trainings.Read More
Revisions and clarifications to the FFCRA’s paid leave regulations take effect September 16, 2020. DOL revises definition of health care provider, revises employee notice and documentation requirements, reaffirms that leave may be taken only if the employee has work from which to take leave, and reaffirms that an employee must obtain the employer’s approval to...Read More