All but one of Mexico’s 32 states have been cleared by the federal government to open for business and social affairs without restrictions under the nation’s COVID-19 traffic light monitoring system—the largest number of states in green-light status since
Continue Reading Mexico’s COVID-19 Traffic Light Monitoring System: News for November 15–28, 2021
On November 18, 2021, Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, approved a renewed amendment to the Infection Protection Act that has important implications for employers and employees. The following day, the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house of parliament, gave its
Continue Reading Germany’s Bundestag Plans to Implement 3G Rule (Vaccinated, Recovered, or Tested) for Workplaces and Home Offices
In a move not seen since the introduction of the electronic H-1B registration process, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a third round of lottery selections for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B cap season. In a press release
Continue Reading USCIS Conducts Third H-1B Lottery for FY 2022
On November 4, 2021, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) that requires employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that their employees are either fully vaccinated or subject to COVID-19
Continue Reading Oregon OSHA Anticipates Delay in Adopting COVID-19 Vaccine or Test Standard
House Builds Back Better. After months of starts, restarts, delays, and negotiations, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed the Build Back Better Act on November 19, 2021, by a vote of 220–213. The bill would invest approximately $1.7 trillion,
Continue Reading Beltway Buzz, November 19, 2021
On November 18, 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law measures that immediately prohibit workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private and public employers and begin the process for Florida establishing a state occupational safety and health plan.
Florida employers now
Continue Reading New Florida Laws Restrict Workplace Vaccine Mandates and Begin State OSH Plan Process
Although the fate of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) rules remains in limbo, many employers are moving ahead with efforts to comply with the OSHA emergency temporary standard (ETS) that requires employers with 100 or more employees
Continue Reading Employer-Provided COVID-19 Testing: An Employee Benefits Q&A
On November 12, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued policy guidance addressing the automatic extension of employment authorization for H-4, L-2, and E dependent spouses in response to a class action lawsuit.
The new guidance, published in
Continue Reading USCIS Revises Policy Regarding Employment Authorization for H-4, L-2, and E Dependent Spouses
A new California law, Assembly Bill (AB) No. 701, provides new regulatory scrutiny of job performance quotas at warehouse distribution centers. The stated purpose of the law is to ensure that the use of production quotas do not penalize
Continue Reading New California Law Targets Warehouses—and Perhaps All Employers That Use Performance Metrics
President Biden’s signing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) on November 15, 2021, retroactively eliminates an employer’s ability to claim employee retention credits (ERC) for eligible wages paid after September 30, 2021. This means the maximum ERC per
Continue Reading Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Repeals Employee Retention Credits as of September 30, 2021
