Employees hired on or after Jun. 1, 2021 and work exclusively in a remote setting due to COVID-19-related precautions are temporarily exempt from the physical inspection requirements associated with the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) until they undertake non-remote employment on a regular, consistent, or predictable basis. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will extend […]

On April 27th, President Biden issued an executive order seeking to have the Department of Labor implement regulations that will raise the minimum wage for certain federal contractors by March 2022.  Jones Day Insight:White House Seeks to Raise Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors White House Briefing:FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Issues an Executive Order to Raise the Minimum Wage […]

The CDC has published guidance that fully vaccinated people will no longer need to wear masks or physically distance in any setting, except when required by federal, state or local law.  CDC Briefing:Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People

On May 5th, Governor Cuomo signed the NY Hero Act which requires the New York State Department of Labor to develop an industry-specific model for airborne infectious disease exposure prevention. This standard sets forth minimum requirements for preventing exposure to airborne infectious diseases in the workplace.  Employers will need to adopt this plan or implement […]

On May 5th, the DOL withdrew the previous administration’s Independent Contractor Final Rule. The DOL has determined this withdrawal to take effect immediately.  Jackson Lewis Insight:U.S. Department of Labor Withdraws FLSA Independent Contractor Final Rule DOL News Release:US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO WITHDRAW INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR RULE

The EEOC has announced that the delayed 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component Data collection would open on April 26th, 2021. This means that federal contractors with 50 or more employees and private employers with over 100 employees must file their 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component 1 data by July 19th, 2021. Ogletree Legal Insight:EEOC’s Long-Awaited […]

The DOL has issued guidance on how to implement the 6 month COBRA subsidy for certain eligible individuals as mandated in the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act). The guidance includes model notices and frequently asked questions. DOL News Release:US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ISSUES GUIDANCE, MODEL NOTICES IMPLEMENTING AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN’S COBRA PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROVISIONS Littler […]

President Biden is calling on every employer in America to offer full pay for any time off taken to get vaccinated. Under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), President Biden has introduced a paid leave tax credit to fully offset the costs for employers with less than 500 employees who provide this paid time off. […]

As of March 23rd, 2021, Illinois state now requires that any private employer with more than 100 employees in Illinois must obtain an “equal pay registration certificate” from the Illinois Department of Labor by March 23rd, 2024 and then every two years thereafter. Blank Rome LLP Blog Post:With an Eye Towards Pay Equity Illinois Enters […]

California has enacted a new Supplemental Paid Leave act for various COVID related absences that requires employers with more than 25 employees to comply. The new leave is retroactively applied from January 1st, 2021 and must be provided in addition to PTO benefits employees receive by law or company policy.  CA State FAQ: 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick […]