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As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, one guideline that is likely to last beyond this year is social distancing. Employers have a responsibility to keep employees healthy and safe, and that duty is informing their return-to-work strategies. For instance, some organizations are keeping employees at home to work remotely for the foreseeable future. Other…

Open enrollment following the COVID-19 pandemic will be unlike any other in recent memory. Many organizations are still trying to recover from extended closures and maintain safe working environments—open enrollment is the last thing on their minds. Yet, procrastinating on enrollment planning can actually cause more issues than it solves. This article explains what employers…

Due to concerns about public health and safety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) postponed its annual International Roadcheck back in March. While it was previously scheduled for May 5-7, the CVSA recently announced that the event has been officially rescheduled for Sept. 9-11, 2020. The International Roadcheck…

As we move into the second half of 2020, our battle with COVID-19 continues. Businesses are rightfully focused on this challenge and may not be prepared for another obstacle they are facing – the hardening commercial insurance marketplace. The “hard” market is causing premiums to rise and coverages to become more restrictive. We haven’t experienced…

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order and three memorandums to address pandemic relief in response to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. After negotiations for a relief package between the White House and lawmakers collapsed, the executive actions extend pandemic unemployment benefits, student loan payment deferrals, eviction protections for renters and…

On July 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the agency’s publication of additional guidance on applying federal employment laws in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance is in the form of questions and answers added to sets of Q&As the agency issued earlier in the year about the operation of…

The stigma around working from home has mostly been lifted as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic abruptly shifted many employees into a remote work setting. Many organizations are expecting and planning more remote work for the foreseeable future. Before the pandemic, common office perks included remote work opportunities and work schedule flexibility. Now, employees are starting…

Even as businesses reopen and employees return to their new normal, the risk of becoming exposed to and ill with COVID-19 is still present. When an employee reports they have COVID-19, employers are faced with the difficult task of determining whether the employee’s illness is work-related. As is the case with all inherently legal issues,…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has upended the entire world, it seems. With fluctuating infection rates and conflicting official guidance, organizations will need to adapt quickly if they want to succeed in the post-coronavirus landscape. HR teams stand at the forefront of these efforts. For years, HR departments have been tasked with ushering in fundamental workplace…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking information from the public about the effectiveness of paid employee family and medical leave. In a Request for Information (RFI) issued July 15, 2020, the DOL said it intends to gather information about the effectiveness of current state- and employer-provided paid leave programs, and how access (or…