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
Recent Posts
What Happens When Employees Are Afraid of the Workplace? (Coronavirus and the Law)
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
A Safe Harbor for “Off-the-Clock” Telework Wage-Hour Claims? (Coronavirus and the Law)
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
Judge Strikes Down Some DOL Employee Leave Regulations Under FFCRA (Coronavirus and the Law)
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
Virginia’s COVID-19 Workplace Safety Standards Are Effective NOW! (Coronavirus and the Law)
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 They expire at the end of the year unless repealed earlier or extended.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
Virginia Adopts COVID-19 Workplace Safety Standards (Coronavirus and the Law)
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
Life happens at work. Are your employees discussing the George Floyd tragedy?
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’s New Workplace Laws: Prepare Now or Risk Lawsuits Later
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
Cafeteria Plan Relief in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic (Coronavirus and the Law)
On May 12, 2020, the IRS issued optional relief for participants in cafeteria plans, health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plans, and Dependent Care Assistance FSA plans. Less than two weeks ago, the IRS and the… Read more
How to Reopen Your Business in 12 Steps (Coronavirus and the Law)
We’re several months into the COVID-19 pandemic and demand is mounting to reopen workplaces. No modern employer has faced quite this situation, so you’re not alone. Rates of infection, hospitalization, and deaths vary from place… Read more