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Please Click HerePosted on February 1, 2021 by Ruder Ware Alumni
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a new, “stronger” Guidance on identifying and preventing coronavirus exposure risks in the workplace. Although this is labeled a “Guidance” and OSHA says that it is advisory, employers are cautioned that they can be at risk for standard OSHA penalties under the General Duty Clause if […]
Posted on January 25, 2021 by Nicole L. Stangl and Ruder Ware Alumni
On January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order (“Order”) which directs the Secretary of Labor, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to: Issue revised guidance to employers on workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic within two weeks of the Order; Consider whether an emergency temporary standard on COVID-19, including whether masks […]
Posted on January 21, 2021 by Sara J. Ackermann, Mary Ellen Schill and Nicole L. Stangl
Today the CDC issued its “COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkit for Essential Workers: Getting Started”, which includes posters, FAQs, and templates to use when communicating with your workforce about the vaccine. In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ webpage on the vaccine has a great deal of information specific to our state. As always, as you […]
Posted on January 4, 2021 by Nicole L. Stangl and Sara J. Ackermann
Happy New Year! As we move into 2021, we know that many of you are considering whether to require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccination. The current COVID-19 vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization (“EUA”) from the Food and Drug Administration. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) governs the conditions of emergency use […]
Posted on December 23, 2020 by Mary Ellen Schill
The Internal Revenue Service has announced the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business, medical, and moving expenses for 2021, and the decrease in rates reflect the decrease in the fixed and variable costs of operating a vehicle. Effective January 1, 2021, the optional standard mileage rates […]
Posted on December 22, 2020 by Mary Ellen Schill and Amy E. Ebeling
On the evening of December 21, 2020 the House and Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “Act”), a 5,593 page bill that funds the federal government for the next fiscal year and provides long anticipated COVID-19 pandemic relief to individuals and businesses. President Trump is expected to sign the legislation shortly. It is […]
Posted on December 22, 2020 by Sara J. Ackermann and Nicole L. Stangl
On December 21, 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which President Trump is expected to sign. The Act does not extend the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The FFCRA mandated leave is still set to expire on December 31, 2020. In 2021, covered employers (less than 500 employees) can choose to continue […]
Posted on December 16, 2020 by Nicole L. Stangl and Sara J. Ackermann
Today the EEOC updated its guidance surrounding COVID-19 and vaccinations in the publication titled “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.” In its most recent update, the EEOC has added questions and answers to help employers navigate the new COVID-19 vaccine. The questions are added as a new section, Section K. Vaccinations, and include […]
Posted on December 7, 2020 by Nicole L. Stangl
On December 2, the CDC updated its guidance for quarantining after exposure to COVID-19. The CDC still recommends a 14-day quarantine as the safest option, however, it has provided two acceptable alternatives to shorten the quarantine period depending on local circumstances and resources. Quarantine can end after 10 days without testing if no symptoms have […]
Posted on November 30, 2020 by Ruder Ware Alumni
As Autumn began to descend upon us, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) demonstrated that it will indeed use the General Duty Clause (GDC) to cite employers for health and safety conditions related to COVID-19. This is a good time to revisit employers’ obligations under the GDC and how a lack of compliance can […]