A few weeks ago, the Federal Trade Commission held a public forum examining the FTC’s proposed rule to prohibit employers from imposing noncompetes on their workers, providing an opportunity for people to directly share their experiences with noncompetes. According to the FTC, the forum was meant to “supplement the FTC’s request for members of the public to submit written comments on the…
Employment law includes thousands of major federal and state statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions, all concerning the employer/employee relationship. Here’s a breakdown of some of the significant federal employment-related statutes you need to know as an employer. Title VII 1963 in America saw a major push for institutional changes that would bring about a society with equal outcomes. Following…
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently updated its COVID-19 technical assistance guidance to include more information about employer retaliation in pandemic-related employment situations. The updated guidelines provide clarification on the rights of employees and job applicants who believe they were retaliated against for engaging in protected activities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights…
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recently released its highly anticipated guidance for employers concerning Covid-19. The guidance from OSHA primarily focuses on healthcare workers, but it also addresses recommendations geared toward all types of employers. These recommendations come at a pivotal time as many employers have implemented back to work in-person strategies, or a hybrid thereof. As an…
Recently, the EEOC (US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) updated its ongoing COVID-19 guidance with questions and answers that specifically address mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies within the workplace. In short, the guidance provided suggests that employers can implement and enforce mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for employees. However, there are certain exceptions and caveats to be aware of. What to know about…
During Monday night’s coronavirus briefing, County Judge Nelson Wolff said there have been more than 700 compliance checks around the county to ensure that businesses are requiring masks within their establishments – a mandate that went into effect early last week without opposition from Texas Governor, Greg Abbott. The governor had previously issued an executive order that banned local governments…
On Monday, in a ground-breaking decision, the Supreme Court ruled that federal law protects LGBT workers from discrimination. With this ruling, employers who fire workers for being gay or transgender will be violating civil rights laws. This decision comes just days after the Trump administration announced it was going to remove nondiscriminatory health-insurance and health-care protections for LGBTQ people. The…
On Wednesday evening, the Senate passed by voice vote a House-passed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) reform bill. This brings Congress one step closer to enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, which will give small businesses owners more flexibility in using PPP loan money. The PPP was enacted in order to help small businesses with an emergency loan as…
Today, the United States House of Representatives passed new legislation which would make it easier for businesses to have their Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven by relaxing restrictions on how the loan money can be used and extending the period that businesses have to use the funds. The bill would extend the forgiveness period for PPP loans from eight to…
With the rise in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the United States, employers are understandably concerned about what this means for their business. As an employer, the main focus that should be emphasized is safety of employees. In addition, now would also be a good time to review policies and procedures that are in place regarding sick leave to reduce legal…
