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Employer Will Pay $160K to Settle Suit Over Telework Denial to Accommodate Disability
A Georgia-based health services provider has agreed to pay $160,000 to settle allegations that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by unilaterally placing an employee on unpaid leave instead of accommodating her disability. The employee initially...
Employers with Remote Workers Should Consider State Leave Laws and Handbook Policies
Many employers now have employees residing and working in states other than where the employer may have its corporate headquarters or other brick and mortal locations. Remote employees pose unique challenges for employers. For example, a remote employee may be...
Virginia Enacts Permanent Workplace Standard for COVID-19
Last summer, we reported on Virginia’s adoption of an Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 (the “Temporary Standard”), which made Virginia the first state to implement workplace safety and health standards for COVID-19. The Temporary Standard...
Democrats Propose Legislation to Boost Federal Minimum Wage to $15 by 2025
U.S. House and Senate Democrats have introduced legislation to gradually boost the federal minimum wage until it reaches $15.00 per hour by 2025. TheRaise the Wage Act of 2021would gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 across five years and thereafter be...
President Biden Signs Executive Order Regarding Employers and COVID-19
President Biden has signed an Executive Order (EO) directing the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to issue revised guidance to employers on pandemic-related workplace safety no later than February 4, 2021. The President also directed the DOL to consider and, if...
D.C. Creates Rights for Workers Displaced by COVID-19 or Affected by Certain Business Changes
As a result of the passage of a new Washington, D.C. law, certain D.C. employees displaced during the COVID-19 pandemic will gain reinstatement rights as their former positions become available. The law also gives certain employees job protections when their employer...
President Biden Issues Executive Orders Impacting Federal Contractors
President Biden has moved quickly to issue a number of executive orders (EO) impacting federal contractors. First, federal employees and contractors are now required to wear face masks. Second, President Biden announced his goal to increase the minimum wage to $15 per...
D.C. Passes Sweeping Ban on Non-Compete Agreements and Policies
The District of Columbia (D.C.) has enacted legislation which bans the use of nearly all noncompete provisions in employment agreements and workplace policies. The Act is effective on February 11, 2021. Importantly, the Act does not have a retroactive effect on...
Virginia To Enact Permanent COVID-19 Employee Health and Safety Requirements
The Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board has voted to approve a Final Permanent Standard (Final Standard) related to COVID-19. It is anticipated that Governor Northam will approve the Final Standard very soon. The Final Standard sets forth health and safety...
Average Hourly Earnings Increase 0.8%, CPI Increases 0.4% in December
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that average hourly earnings increased 0.4 percent from November to December 2020. This result stems from an increase of 0.8 percent in average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.4 percent in the Consumer...