Employment & Labor

July 6, 2020

Since early May, New York State has published – across multiple platforms – a slew of materials related to business reopenings and workplace-related health and safety. We developed a FAQs based on some of the more common New York-specific questions that clients have posed to us since May. The FAQs touch on a host of issues, ranging from regional reopening status to employee screening requirements to the particulars of the State-required written health and safety…

Labor & Employment Law Blog

California Places More COVID-19 Related Restrictions on Businesses and Employers

By Greg Labate & Rachel Patta Howard

July 6, 2020

On July 1, 2020, as a result of rapid increases in the number of COVID-19 cases throughout California, and on the heels of the Fourth of July long weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom instructed businesses in 19 counties across the state to roll back their reopenings for at least the next three weeks. The Governor’s instructions require the closure of: All indoor, in-person dining at restaurants (outdoor dining and takeout are still permitted, so long as…

Take Stock: Federal Policy Watch

Washington Healthcare Update | July 6, 2020

By Stephanie Kennan & Mariam Eatedali

July 6, 2020

Hearings Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP): “COVID-19: Update on Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School” Tuesday, June 30, 2020: The Senate HELP committee held hearing in its continuing series on Americans returning to work and school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find more details on the hearing here. Why this is important: Senate HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) suggested during the hearing that either states or Congress…

Hiring To Firing Law Blog

Troutman Pepper Officially Launches

By Tracey Diamond

July 6, 2020

Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton officially became Troutman Pepper (Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP), a national law firm of 1,100 attorneys in 23 U.S. offices. Our new firm offers clients greater resources and bench strength, enhanced practices, and expanded geographical reach. We are now one of the 50 largest law firms in the country, with offices in eight of the 10 largest U.S. markets. Our attorneys support some of the country’s biggest industry sectors, including…

California License Law Blog

Changes to California Medical Board Postgraduate Training and Licensing Requirements

By Fredrick Ray

July 6, 2020

Senate Bill (SB) 798 has made changes to postgraduate training and licensing requirements for all residents applying for a Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate with the Medical Board of California, effective January 1, 2020. Previously, the Medical Board of California (MBC) only required international medical graduates (IMGs) to obtain a Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) to apply for residency and to train in California. SB 798 revisions no longer require international applicants to obtain a PTAL.…

Affirmative Action & OFCCP Law Advisor

OFCCP Director Leen Announces VEVRAA Focused Reviews to Begin Soon

By Laura A. Mitchell

July 6, 2020

During the opening remarks of the 2020 NILG Annual Conference – this year being held virtually as the NILG 2020 Webinar Series – OFCCP Director Craig Leen announced the Agency will initiate VEVRAA Focused Reviews in as little as two weeks. Prefacing that the Agency will be giving consideration for the COVID-19 pandemic, Director Leen announced OFCCP will soon start sending out scheduling letters to those companies previously identified by the Agency in the VEVRAA…

OSHA Law Blog

OSHA Reminds Employers of Duty to Protect Employees from Heat Exposure

By Stephanie M. Mavromatis

July 6, 2020

The arrival of the hot summer season brings the risks and dangers of heat exposure for many employees throughout the United States. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a reminder to employers of their duty to protect employees, along with some guidance on ways to recognize and mitigate the risks of heat exposure. How Hot Does it Need to Be? Serious heat-related illnesses can occur on normal summer days, when temperatures are…

The Employer Report

Order Restored, No Duty to Bargain Before Employee Disciplined

By Douglas A. Darch, William F. Dugan & Stephanie Priel

July 6, 2020

On June 23, 2020, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) ruled that newly-represented employees can be disciplined under existing disciplinary policies even if no bargaining has occurred. 800 River Road Operating Company, Inc., 369 NLRB No. 109 (2020). For the first eighty years of the National Labor Relation Act’s existence, this had been the law of the land. A surprise decision four years ago in Total Security Management Illinois, 364 NLRB No. 106 (2016), upended…

Canadian Labour and Employment Law

Many Municipalities Make Masks Mandatory

By Jordan Kirkness & Matthew De Lio

July 6, 2020

Starting July 7, 2020, the City of Toronto will require businesses to ensure masks or face coverings are worn by the public in their enclosed public spaces. Key Takeaways The City of Toronto’s bylaw will come into force on July 7, 2020. It is currently set to expire on or about October 1, 2020, but may be extended. The new bylaw will generally apply to all indoor spaces within the City of Toronto that are…

Cohen & Buckmann Insights

IRS Guidance on Waived RMDs and a New Rollover Deadline

By Carol Buckmann

July 6, 2020

Carol Buckmann’s latest column for PLANSPONSOR discusses new IRS relief and an extended window through August 31 to roll over distributions that would otherwise have been required minimum distributions (RMDs). https://www.plansponsor.com/covid-19-compliance-corner-irs-clarification-rmd-waivers-extension-rollover-deadline/…