COVID-19 FAQs for Employers – Answers to Frequently Asked Employment Law and OSHA Regulatory Questions

Theresa Green Leave a comment

As employers around the country grapple with the employment law and workplace safety regulatory implications of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus – now called “COVID-19,” the Labor & Employment Law and OSHA specialist attorneys at Conn Maciel Carey LLP have been fielding countless questions and helping our clients and friends in industry manage this pandemic.

To aid employers, we have created an extensive index of frequently asked questions with our answers about HR, employment law, and OSHA regulatory related developments and guidance.  Here are the categories addressed in the FAQs tool:

COVID FAQs Image

As this situation continues to evolve, we will Continue reading →

[BONUS WEBINAR] HR and Workplace Safety Implications of COVID-19 for Brewers, Distillers, and Winemakers

Daniel C. Deacon Leave a comment

On Monday, March 30, 2020 at 1 PM Eastern, join Eric J. Conn, Kara M. Maciel, and Daniel C. Deacon of the law firm Conn Maciel Carey for a complimentary webinar: “HR and Workplace Safety Implications of COVID-19 for Brewers, Distillers, and Winemakers.”

There have been a number of significant developments related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus – now officially called “COVID-19.” The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, President Trump initiated a National Emergency Order, and state and local officials have been ordering shutdowns of non-essential businesses and mandatory shelter-in-place orders. Furthermore, Congress passed emergency legislation that temporarily requires employers to provide paid sick and family leave and the Department of Labor has issued guidance on how employers should comply with employment and workplace safety laws.

Local craft breweries, distilleries, and wineries have been deemed essential businesses under current federal and state directives, such as the Virginia and Maryland governors March 23, 2020 orders, but the traditional way of doing business has changed considerably. These changes have raised numerous questions regarding how small businesses can successfully operate while complying with these new requirements.

During this webinar, participants will learn about recent developments, new federal legislation, EEOC, CDC and OSHA guidance, including:

  • Federally required Paid Family Leave and Paid Sick Leave;
  • Strategies for employers to prevent workplace exposures while complying with Federal and State labor and employment laws;
  • OSHA’s guidance about preventing workers from exposure to COVID-19 and related regulatory risks;
  • FAQs for employers about managing the Coronavirus crisis in the workplace;
  • Federal and state orders concerning essential businesses and financial assistance; and
  • Tips to maintain a thriving brewery, distillery, or winery while shifting business models.

​Click here to register for this webinar.

For additional employer resources on issues related to COVID-19, please visit the Employer Defense Report and OSHA Defense Report.  Conn Maciel Carey’s COVID-19 Task Force is monitoring federal, state, and local developments closely and is continuously updating these blogs with the latest news and resources for employers.

What Do State and Local Stay-At-Home/Shelter-In-Place Orders Mean For Employers?

Megan Shaked Leave a comment

By Conn Maciel Carey’s COVID-19 Task Force

COVIDGovernors across the nation have signed various “stay-at-home” or “shelter-in-place” orders in an increased effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.  Many cities and counties have also signed such orders as well, including in states with no statewide order in place.  These orders vary in their scope in the restricted activities and affected industries but they typically address: (1) the continued operations of critical businesses; (2) restrictions on non-essential businesses; (3) the activities individuals may continue to perform; and (4) other limitations on gatherings.

Continue reading →

COVID-19 Pandemic FAQs – OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting

Kara Maciel Leave a comment

By Eric J. Conn and Lindsay A. Disalvo

There are myriad workplace safety and health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, but one OSHA regulatory obligation about which we have received countless questions in recent days is the requirement to record and/or report work-related cases COVID-19.  Below are two FAQs that describe the relevant analysis in more detail.

  • Do I have to record a case of COVID-19 of an employee on my OSHA 300 Log?

By regulation, the common cold and flu are exempt from OSHA’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements (29 CFR Part 1904.5(b)(2)(viii)):CV19

“The illness is the common cold or flu (Note: contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, hepatitis A, or plague are considered work-related if the employee is infected at work).”

The rationale for the exemption is that the spread of the cold and flu are so pervasive that it is typically near impossible to identify the source of infection; i.e., there would be no reasonable way to determine whether it was more likely than not that the illness was caused by an exposure in the workplace.

Despite great sacrifice around the country, the scale of infection of COVID-19 is expected to soon spread like the flu and common cold, but OSHA has already expressed in guidance that COVID-19 is not subject to the cold/flu recordkeeping exemption:

“While 29 CFR 1904.5(b)(2)(viii) exempts recording of the common cold and flu, COVID-19 is a recordable illness when a worker is infected on the job.”

Industry has been advocating to OSHA to have the agency reconsider that initial declaration, but it does not appear OSHA will be exempting this novel strain of Coronavirus from the recordkeeping and reporting requirements any time soon.  OSHA has been maintaining a Safety and Health Topics page for COVID-19 and separate Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 that it updates periodically as more information becomes available.  In its most recent update to that page, OSHA appeared to double down on its decision that employers must spend time determining whether cases of COVID-19 are work-related.  The guidance has been updated to be more explicit, with OSHA explaining that COVID-19 can be a recordable illness if the worker becomes infected while performing his or her work-related duties. Continue reading →

New COVID-19 Federal Paid Leave Requirements Signed into Law

Jordan B. Schwartz Leave a comment

On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Act”) to provide some relief to employees as a result of the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”).  This law will go into effect on April 1, 2020 and will expire on December 31, 2020.

Paid family leaveThe Act includes many provisions which apply to employers, such as paid sick leave for employees impacted by COVID-19 and those serving as caregivers for individuals with COVID-19.  Indeed, there are two provisions providing leave to employees forced to miss work because of the COVID-19 outbreak: an emergency expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and a new federal paid sick leave law. The Act is the first federal law requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave to employees.  Importantly, not all private employers are covered, as the Act applies only to private employers with fewer than 500 employees.  A summary of the most relevant provisions of the emergency expansion of the FMLA and the paid sick law are as follows:

Continue reading →

[Webinar Recording] How Employers Can Respond to COVID-19 and Frequently Asked Questions

Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 2:30 PM Eastern, Eric J. Conn, Kara M. Maciel, Amanda R. Strainis-Walker, and Lindsay A. DiSalvo presented a complimentary webinar regardingOSHA Employment Crossover Webinar (Dec. 2019) “How Employers Can Respond to COVID-19 and Frequently Asked Questions.”
There have been a number of significant developments related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus – now officially called “COVID-19.”  Today, the world health organization declared a global pandemic and there are over 1000 confirmed cases in the United States.

Participants in this webinar learned about recent developments and federal legal guidance including: Continue reading →

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Provides Guidance on What Actions Employers May Take to Address the Impact of COVID-19

Andrew J. Sommer Leave a comment

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published guidance for employers on disability-related concerns in light of COVID-19.  The EEOC enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws including the requirements for COVIDreasonable accommodations and rules about medical examinations and inquiries under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  In a post What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act and the Coronavirus, the EEOC has made clear that while the ADA rules continue to apply, they “do not interfere with or prevent employers from following the guidelines and suggestions made by the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)] about steps employers should take regarding the Coronavirus.”

Specifically, the CDC has issued Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers, which provides various recommendations including that employers “actively encourage” sick employees to stay home, perform routine environmental cleaning, emphasize that employees use respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene, and advise employees before traveling to take certain steps.

Notably, the Interim Guidance provides the following recommendations, which Continue reading →