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JoJo Adams

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COVID-19 has caused many challenges in the workplace. Employees are working from home, working hybrid schedules, and conducting meetings by Zoom and other “not in person” methods.

While things in today’s workplace range from fluid to uncertain to sometimes chaotic, employers are not relieved from complying with federal and state employment laws and requirements. There is no “COVID-19” exception to Title VII. Employers must still comply with federal and state employment rules that existed prior to COVID-19. With this in mind, employers need to make sure they are operating their businesses in a manner that allows them to defend the types of claims and allegations that often occur in the workplace.…

Continue Reading The COVID-19 Workplace is Not a Time to Forget Your Normal Workplace Rules and Policies

The Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (the Act) was passed on March 18, 2020 and imposes paid leave obligations on most employers throughout the country. The bill contains special and often overlooked provisions affecting public agencies. Those provisions could provide a “trap” for public agencies that do not carefully review the bill.

Definition of “public agency.” A “public agency” is defined broadly to include the government of the United States; the government of a state or political subdivision of a state; or an agency of the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state, or any interstate governmental agency.

Application of employee threshold. For purposes of the law’s paid leave obligations, a covered employer in the private sector includes any employer with fewer than 500 employees. This threshold does not apply to public agency employers. Public employers with only one employee are covered by the bill’s paid leave provisions, meaning large public employers with more than 500 employees are covered by the paid leave provisions.…

Continue Reading Families First Bill Contains Special Provisions Affecting Public Agencies