Public school teachers, firefighters, police officers, and most other local government employees will gain new rights next year. In May 2021, Virginia will permit local governing bodies to engage in collective bargaining with its employees…. Read more
Just as we were getting used to COVID-related paid sick and family medical leave under the FFCRA, the DOL announced its revised regulations. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires all public employers and… Read more
The Department of Labor (DOL) issued long-awaited guidance on paid family leave and jobless benefits when schools are open for in-person, virtual, or hybrid learning. Workers, DOL says, are ineligible for virus-related paid family leave… Read more
An employee said he’s not coming to work because COVID-19 makes him “feel unsafe.” Do Virginia’s workplace safety standards really say he can do that? There is good reason to take precautions to protect your… Read more
DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-5 (pdf) reiterating that pandemic or no, the FLSA requires employers to compensate employees for all hours worked remotely when the employer “knew or… Read more
State of New York v. United States Department of Labor On August 3rd, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an opinion invalidating some fundamental aspects of the Families First… Read more
The Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board formally adopted the Temporary Safety Standards and they are effective immediately. They expire at the end of the year unless repealed earlier or extended. The final version of… Read more
UPDATE July 21, 2020: The Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board has formally adopted the Temporary Safety Standards. The Board stated these standards “will take immediate effect” some time “during the week of July 27,… Read more
Originally published as a Roanoke Times Opinion Letter. The killing of George Floyd changed our nation overnight. The killing and subsequent protests coalesced with COVID-19 and the highest rate of unemployment since the Great Depression… Read more
Virginia passed some of the nation’s strongest worker protection laws in April and most will be effective July 1, 2020. Certain employment claims can proceed in Virginia’s courts for the first time, so expect more… Read more
