Unless you’ve been living under a rock (no pun intended), you saw Will Smith slap Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony. Today, the Academy's Board of Governors issued a statement that "for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be...
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EEOC Issues Guidance on Vaccine Incentives, But Questions Remain
As we previously blogged, some employers have considered offering cash incentives in order to encourage their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. However, such incentives raise thorny issues regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil...
What Do the CDC’s New Mask Guidelines Mean for Employers?
Last week, the CDC announced that people who have been fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or socially distance themselves. Although these guidelines are welcome news, they are nonetheless still only guidelines. They do not have the effect of law, and they...
Is Time Spent Putting on PPE Compensable Under the Fair Labor Standards Act?
We previously blogged about the dangers of not paying hourly employees for time spent waiting in line to have their temperatures taken. Employees are now facing similar issues related to time spent putting on, and taking off, mandatory PPE. Recently, two former...
Federal Court Rules That Professor Not Required to Address Students by Their Preferred Pronouns
The 6th Circuit recently ruled in favor of a professor who violated his university’s policy by refusing to use a transgender student’s preferred pronouns. The case serves as an important reminder that government employees retain their First Amendment rights and there...
PPP Loan Forgiveness Simplified for Loans of $50,000 or Less
The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently issued a new rule that simplifies the loan forgiveness procedure for Paycheck Protection Program loans of $50,000 or less. The new simplified procedure will apply to roughly 3.57 million individual loans, amounting to...
DOL Updates FFCRA Regulations in Light of NY Federal Court Decision
As we blogged last month, a New York federal court invalidated four key provisions of the Department of Labor’s regulations on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Under the FFCRA, employers must provide employees up to two weeks (80 hours) of paid...
Do Not Panic – You Have Protections During COVID-19
Maryland provides employees with some protections. According to the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law, employers may not decrease an employee's wages or change their regular paydays without giving the employee at least 1 full pay period's notice. Employees in...