Coronavirus Update 8-7-2020: Errata — CDC changes guidance on when someone can break COVID-19 isolation

Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, "I love being wrong because that means in that instant, I learned something new that day." Earlier this week, I learned something new.

In discussing who pays for employment-related COVID-19 tests, I noted that CDC guidelines recommend that a positive employee not return to work for either of: 1) it's been at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared; three days with improved respiratory symptoms; and three days fever free (without fever reducing medication); or 2) the receipt of two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

As several of my readers pointed out, however, those guidelines recently changed.

Coronavirus Update 8-6-2020: Congress must pass the Save Our Stages Act #saveourstages

Today I'm taking a brief detour from the employment-law implications of COVID-19 to discuss an issue near and dear to my heart—the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on independent music venues. I am urging you to contact your Representative and Senators to implore them to pass the Save Our Stages Act. 

Coronavirus Update 8-5-2020: Who pays for employer mandated COVID-19 tests?

The inevitable has happened. One of your employees has tested positive for COVID-19. You do what you're supposed to do. You clean and sanitize your workplace. You communicate with your other employees to let them know that you've had someone test positive. You reinforce all of your coronavirus safety rules, protocols, and procedures. And you require the COVID-positive employee to isolate and not return to work per CDC guidelines.

Those guidelines recommend that a positive employee not return to work for either of: 1) being three days fever-free, respiratory symptoms have improved, and it's been at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared; or 2) the receipt of two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. You opt for the latter, believing that negative tests will provide you and your employees better confidence that COVID-19 will not reenter your workplace when that employee returns.

Who pays for these coronavirus tests?

We have several of federal statutes, old and new, that guide the answer.

Coronavirus Update 8-4-2020: NY federal judge invalidates key parts of FFCRA regulations

Yesterday, a New York federal judge issued an order invalidating several key aspects of the Department of Labor's regulations interpreting the paid sick leave and expanded FMLA provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Judge J. Paul Oetken of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York found that the DOL exceeded its authority in enacting each of the following of the DOL's regulatory interpretations of the FFCRA:

Coronavirus Update 8-3-2020: How have employers responded to COVID-19?

A recent survey of businesses reveals a variety of trends about COVID-19 in the workplace.

• Nearly 6 out of every 10 employers has had an employee test positive for COVID-19 (double the number from April).


• 92 percent require on-site employees to wear masks in common areas and mandate physical distancing.

Coronavirus Update 7-31-2020: 41,214 reasons not to fire employees who request FFCRA leave

A San Jose, California, manufacturer has reached an agreement with the Department of Labor's Wage & Hour Division to pay 17 employees $41,214 for wrongly denying their requests for paid coronavirus sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Specifically (and much worse than that description sounds), the employer terminated each of the 17 employees after they requested paid leave under the FFCRA. 

According to the DOL, "The employer's action resulted in a violation of the FFCRA."

No kidding!

Coronavirus Update 7-30-2020: Ohio needs to fix its unemployment system, 𝗻𝗼𝘄

The State of Ohio has temporarily frozen its Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits, as the Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services investigates what it believes are more than 275,000 fraudulent claims that have flooded the system.

The CARES Act created Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) for individuals who are self-employed, seeking part-time employment, or who otherwise would not qualify for regular unemployment benefits because of a coronavirus related reason.