On December 14, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance to affirm that workers who contract COVID-19 can be protected from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Depending on an individual employee’s specific circumstances, COVID-19 may constitute a protected physical or mental disability, may serve as the basis for an employer’s perception that an employee has a disability, and/or may contribute to a record of employee impairment. Continue Reading EEOC Updates Its COVID-19 Related Guidance

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued its long-awaited emergency temporary standard requiring all employers with a total of 100 or more employees at any time to mandate vaccination and/or weekly COVID-19 testing (the “vaccination/testing ETS”). As expected, the text of the vaccination/testing ETS requires that employees either become fully vaccinated or produce a negative test result at least every seven days before going in to work. In addition, the vaccination/testing ETS requires masks or other face coverings for unvaccinated employees working indoors. The new measure also requires employers to provide up to four hours of paid leave, including travel time, to employees to get vaccinated and recover from any ill effects of the vaccine. If employees experience side effects from vaccination, employers must also provide reasonable time and paid sick leave for recovery from each dose. However, under the federal mandate, employers are not required to shoulder the costs of weekly testing of employees or of providing face coverings for employees. Continue Reading OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS: What Employers Must Know

Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved use of three COVID-19 vaccines under emergency use authorizations in April 2021, many public and private employers have announced and/or implemented mandatory vaccination policies. In addition, on September 9, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order requiring that certain federal contractors mandate vaccinations for their workers and directed OSHA to implement a rule that would require employers with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccination and/or COVID-19 testing. For more information, see our previous blog post.

Employers implementing mandatory vaccination policies (either by the company’s decision or pursuant to government requirements) have been left with questions on how to properly address employee requests for accommodations to such policies due to religious beliefs, practices, and observances. Continue Reading EEOC Updates COVID-19 Technical Guidance to Address Religious Objections to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

On September 17, 2021, the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health issued a new Public Health Order, effective at midnight on October 7, 2021, and continuing until further notice.

The Health Order emphasizes that “[t]he best way to reduce the current level of community transmission and to prevent future surges is for everyone who is eligible, including those who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection, to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible.” To promote its goal and reduce community transmission of the virus, the Health Order requires: Continue Reading LA County Issues New Health Order Affecting Bars, Breweries, Wineries, Distilleries, Restaurants, and Outdoor Mega Events

On March 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-31-20 (“EO N-31-20”) regarding the California WARN Act (Lab. Code §§ 1400, et seq.).  EO N-31-20 is often inaccurately described as suspension of the entire California WARN Act.  However, the Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and the Employment Development Department clarified that EO N-31-20 only suspended the sixty (60) day notice requirement if an employer still provides written notice and satisfies other conditions. Importantly, EO N-31-20’s suspension of the sixty (60) day notice requirement expired on June 30, 2021 pursuant to paragraph 6 of Governor Newsom’s June 11, 2021 Executive Order N-08-21.  This means that the 60-day notice requirement will once again be effective for the California WARN Act.  Companies with questions about the applicability of the California WARN Act should contact experienced counsel.

On May 28, 2021 the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its What You Should Know about COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws. The EEOC also issued a new resource titled Federal Laws Protect You Against Employment Discrimination During the COVID-19 Pandemic which “explain[s] how federal employment discrimination laws protect workers during the pandemic.” These two publications were prepared before the CDC updated its guidance for fully vaccinated individuals on May 13, 2021 and “do not specifically address that new guidance.” As set forth by the EEOC in its press release, “the key updates to the technical assistance” are: Continue Reading EEOC Issues Updated COVID-19 Materials

By Jill L. Ripke, Brittany Sachs and Lauren Kulpa

We have updated and added to our frequently asked questions (FAQs) for U.S. employers relating to COVID-19 and developments in employment law. The additional FAQs focus on transitioning employees who have been working remotely back to a physical office location. These new Q&As address topics such as how to transition employees back to work, whether employees are required to return, and concerns related to employees that relocated to a different city or state while working remotely.

These FAQs provide general guidance based on the current understanding of COVID-19 and federal law. Different conclusions may be reached based on different circumstances, changes to the pandemic, and/or variations in state or local law. Moreover, because the laws, regulations, and guidance pertaining to COVID-19 are constantly in flux and continue to evolve, there may be new or different information not addressed or referenced in these FAQs. Employers should contact experienced counsel for guidance specific to their business.

On March 19, 2021, Governor Newsom approved SB 95, which requires COVID-19 supplemental sick leave through September 30, 2021 and creates new COVID-19 vaccine–related paid sick leave obligations for covered employers. The new law, which adds Sections 248.2 and 248.3 to California’s Labor Code, is effective immediately, but the employer obligation to provide COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave does not take effect until March 29 (10 days after the date of enactment). It is important to note that the obligation to provide supplemental paid sick leave is retroactive to January 1, 2021, which means employers may owe back pay to employees who took covered leave on a previously unpaid basis, following the December 31, 2020 expiration of California’s previous supplemental sick leave legislation, discussed here.

The requirement is in addition to California’s mandated paid sick leave and may be used by covered employees upon oral or written request. An employee cannot be required to use any other paid or unpaid leave, time off, or vacation before the supplemental sick leave. The Labor Commissioner has developed a poster that employers are required to display or disseminate regarding the new requirements.

Continue Reading California Requires COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Through September 30, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released long-awaited Guidance this morning regarding permissible activities and relaxed precautions for individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. An individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second shot of a two-dose vaccine (e.g., Pfizer or Moderna), or two weeks after receiving the single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson).

Specifically, today’s CDC Guidance states that fully vaccinated individuals may:

  • Gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask;
  • Gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19; and
  • Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure to COVID-19 if asymptomatic.

Continue Reading CDC Releases Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Persons

With multiple states rolling out phased access to COVID-19 vaccines, many employers are considering whether they want to require employees to be vaccinated, how to encourage employee vaccinations, and the implications of vaccine policies for their businesses. Below are a few of the top questions that Perkins Coie has received from its clients:

  • May I make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for my employees?
  • If I have a mandatory vaccination policy, what do I do if an employee objects? May I fire the employee?
  • May I offer COVID-19 vaccines at the worksite?

View the responses and additional FAQs here.