ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: What California’s June 15th Reopening Means for Employers – More of the Same…for Now
For months, Californians have been waiting for the State to reopen and it has finally arrived! The official reopening will include moving away from the color-coded tier system, lifting capacity limits, loosening travel restrictions, no longer requiring physical distancing in most settings, and consistency with the CDC’s mask guidance (you can read about the CDC’s […]
ATTENTION ALL EMPLOYERS: EEOC Issues Updated Guidance on Vaccinations (Mandatory Vaccine Policies, Vaccine Status Inquiries, Accommodations, and Vaccine Incentives)
On May 28, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provided updated COVID-19 guidance to its frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) regarding COVID-19, focusing on vaccinations. Set forth are the highlights of the guidance HERE, in Section K. Note that NFC provided information previously on the EEOC FAQs HERE. Mandatory Vaccine Policies: The EEOC confirmed that […]
ATTENTION NEW JERSEY EMPLOYERS: New Jersey (Finally!) Modifies COVID-19 Guidance for Office Workers
In a much anticipated Executive Order issued yesterday, New Jersey finally addressed what many employers in the state were waiting for: guidance on when and how they can bring their office workers back to the office. A full copy of the Executive Order can be found HERE. Effective June 4th, New Jersey businesses and non-profits: […]
ATTENTION ALL EMPLOYERS: 2021’s COBRA Subsidy Is Effective Immediately and DOL Model Notices Are Now Available
As highlighted in NFC’s eAlert last month, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) – President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package – includes a subsidy for the full cost of continuing health insurance under COBRA for certain qualified individuals.The following are key points for employers to keep in mind regarding the new mandatory […]
ATTENTION NEW YORK EMPLOYERS: New York Enacts Employment Protections for Off-Duty Adult Cannabis Use
Following closely on the heels of New Jersey [CLICK HERE for our February 24, 2021 eAlert], New York has now legalized adult recreational cannabis use. On March 31, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed the “Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act” (“MRTA”), which creates a new Cannabis Law and establishes a Cannabis Control Board and Office of Cannabis […]
ATTENTION ALL EMPLOYERS: EEOC ANNOUNCES APRIL 26, 2021 OPENING DATE FOR THE COLLECTION OF 2019 AND 2020 EEO-1 COMPONENT 1 DATA
After a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, the EEOC announced yesterday that submission of 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component Data for qualifying employers must be submitted between April 26, 2021 and July 19, 2021. As a reminder, The EEO-1 Component 1 collects workforce data from employers with 100 or more employees (and federal contractors […]
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: DFEH WEIGHS IN ON VACCINES & GOVERNOR REINSTITUTES COVID-19 RELATED PAID SICK LEAVE STARTING MARCH 29, 2021
On March 4, 2021, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) updated the COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions section of its website (“FAQs”) to provide additional guidance to employers on issues related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Importantly, although the DFEH stated that employers may require their employees to be vaccinated, employers must provide reasonable accommodations […]
ATTENTION NEW YORK EMPLOYERS: New York State Mandates Paid Time Off for COVID-19 Vaccinations
Update: New York State’s COVID-19 vaccination paid leave requirement has been extended through December 31, 2023. Effective immediately, all New York employers, regardless of size, are required to provide employees with up to 4 hours of paid time off to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees may receive a greater amount under a collectively bargained agreement […]
ATTENTION EMPLOYERS: American Rescue Plan Further Extends FFCRA Tax Credits and Other Employment-Related Benefits
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021”, a $1.9 trillion omnibus COVID-19 relief package covering a wide range of economic matters from agriculture food supply chains to school funding to vaccine distribution. Like the stimulus package enacted in December 2020 [Click here to see our 12.29.20 […]
ATTENTION EMPLOYERS: The CDC Issues Interim Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
On Monday, March 8, 2021, the CDC issued long-awaited guidelines for “fully vaccinated” people, which are available HERE. For the purposes of this guidance, people are considered “fully vaccinated” two or more weeks after they have received the second dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single-dose of the Johnson & Johnson/ […]