The novel coronavirus that broke out in the winter has caused immeasurable suffering, both physical and economic. For employers struggling to stay in business, this is a fraught time where mistakes in managing their workforces could lead to employee lawsuits. Here are 10 potential trouble spots to watch for. Workplace safety — Businesses that still have…
Since face-to-face meetings are out of the question when most non-essential workers are under stay-at-home orders, many companies have opted for the teleconferencing app Zoom. With the recent revelation that Zoom’s teleconferencing system is not always the most secure, it is still one of the least expensive and user-friendly options for holding meetings during the…
Federal OSHA announced on April 13 that it won’t be enforcing COVID-19 recordkeeping requirements. The announcement reverses an earlier decision requiring that transmission of the virus in the workplace, unlike the flu or common cold, would be considered a recordable injury for the sake of OSHA reporting. The agency said it would only require the…
California’s insurance commissioner has ordered insurers doing business in the state to refund some premium payments to policyholders for a number of commercial lines, as well as personal auto insurance policies, due to the reduced risk of claims in light of the COVID-19 outbreak and shelter-at-home orders. Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued the notice, which requires…
Emergency rules are being developed to guide workers’ compensation classification and claims for coronavirus-affected employers and their workers in California. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau is pursuing the temporary rules to ensure fairness for employers so that their workers’ comp rates and experience modifiers (X-Mods) are not adversely affected by COVID-19-related issues. The Rating Bureau’s…
The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act stimulus law to help American workers and businesses weather the outbreak has a number of provisions that employers and their workers need to know about and can take advantage of during this crisis. The CARES Act includes provision for: Extended unemployment benefits. Requiring health…
Employers that are still open at this time have been wondering if they may be violating their employees’ rights to medical privacy by scanning their temperatures before they enter the facility. In many countries in Europe and Asia, employers have been scanning every customer and employee that enters their premises, and if they are running…
With the sudden eruption of economic calamity, and more than 247 million Americans under stay-at-home orders, some 3.1 million individuals filed for unemployment in the last week of March. To counter the blow to their income, Congress passed and President Trump signed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which in…
There are several factors that may lead to a temporary business closure. Bad weather, floods, construction and other incidents can leave a business out of operation for days, weeks or even months. And now we have a new reality that has shut thousands of companies: the coronavirus outbreak. To prevent a complete shutdown of their…
Legislation signed into law by President Trump will extend sick leave benefits for workers who are sickened by the coronavirus, as well as provide for additional weeks of time off under the Family Medical Leave Act so they can be guaranteed of being able to return to their jobs afterwards. Public and private employers alike…