Tag Archives: covid-19

EEOC Issues Update Guidance on COVID-19 Testing

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has updated its guidance, entitled, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws”, concluding that U.S. employers are beyond the emergency stage of the pandemic, when mandatory testing for COVID-19 was automatically deemed to be “job-related” and “consistent with business necessity.” […]

Update on Status of Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate

Executive Order (EO) 14042 was issued under President Biden’s Path Out of the Pandemic Plan. The EO initially required that all “covered” federal contractors/subcontractors be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 18, 2022, except in cases of a medical or religious accommodation. However, on December 7, 2021, a judge in the Southern District of Georgia issued a […]

EEOC Adds New Section to Its Guidance, Clarifying When COVID-19 May Be A Disability

To assist the public, the EEOC has updated its guidance on employment and COVID-19 approximately 20 times throughout the pandemic. On December 14, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued another update to its’ guidance on COVID-19, entitled, What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws. This […]

EEOC Issues Updated COVID-19 Guidance, Twice In One Month

Since the start of the pandemic, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has periodically updated its guidance to address emerging topics related to COVID-19, including COVID-19 vaccination. On October 13 and October 25, 2021, the EEOC updated its guidance on “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO […]

The Biden Administration Announces a Plan to Control the Spread of COVID-19

In a press conference, on September 9, 2021, the White House issued Path Out of the Pandemic: President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan (Plan). The Plan outlines a six-pronged, comprehensive national strategy to successfully combat COVID-19. Portions of the Plan will impose new obligations on employers, including federal contractors and subcontractors, healthcare settings and private employers. Federal Employees. Previously, […]

Special Alert: It’s Time to Take Those HERO Act Plans Off the Shelf

On Monday, September 6, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the designation of COVID-19 as an airborne infectious disease under New York State’s HERO Act (Act).  As a result of this designation, all covered employers are now required to implement their workplace safety plans. The NY Department of Health (DOH) issued an order to reflect this […]

CDC Issues Updated Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated Individuals

On July 27, 2021, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued updated Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People due to new evidence on the Delta variant currently circulating in the United States. The updated recommendations include the following: A recommendation for fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or […]

Special Alert: New York’s COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted for Most Industries

Today, Governor Cuomo announced that the state has reach its goal of 70% of New York residents (age 18 and older) having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination. Per the announcement, effective today, complying with the industry specific reopening guidelines established by New York Forward will be optional for most businesses. However, […]

Strategies to Re-engage Your Workforce After COVID-19

The pandemic has brought a significant amount of change to the workplace, resulting in employers needing to actively re-engage their workforce using effective change management strategies and crisis communication principles. Below we have outlined a few ways you can apply these strategies to address the impacts the past year has had on your organization and […]

EEOC Permits Incentives for COVID-19 Vaccinations

On May 28, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance, entitled, What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act and other EEO Laws to include, among other things, guidance regarding the use of incentives to encourage vaccination. The EEOC’s guidance provides that employers may offer incentives to employees to be […]