Let's suppose you're a health care organization that terminates an employee after the employee refuses to wear a shared isolation gown and after the employee starts a group discussion with co-workers about the risks and dangers of shared gowns.
Monday, August 17, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-17-2020: COVID-19 and protected concerted activity
Let's suppose you're a health care organization that terminates an employee after the employee refuses to wear a shared isolation gown and after the employee starts a group discussion with co-workers about the risks and dangers of shared gowns.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, August 14, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-14-2020: Just call me Bob Villa
If you would have told me six months ago that I'd spend my summer building useful things out of wood, I'd have asked if you were drunk or high. But, 2020. So, after successfully conquering a dog house, my wife and I decided to tackle chairs for our new deck.
Fifteen days from now we will celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. Colleen brought it my attention that the traditional 17th anniversary gift is furniture. Why not spend a weekend of togetherness building some?
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, August 13, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-13-2020: The 7th nominee for the “worst employer of 2020” is … the no-mask mandator
Meet Billy Woods, the sheriff of Marion County, Florida. He loves youth ranches and senior services, and hates face masks.
Earlier this week, Sheriff Woods prohibited his approximately 900 employees from wearing masks or facial coverings while on duty. The Ocala StarBanner quotes the email he sent to his employees, "[W]hen you are on-duty/working as my employee and representing my Office – masks will not be worn." (His directive also includes anyone entering any of his buildings.)
In the meantime, central Florida is among the hottest of COVID-19 hot spots, and on the same day Sheriff Woods sent his email, Marion County hit its high for the number of COVID-19 deaths in a single day.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-12-2020: Elevator anxiety
Has COVID-19 caused you to have elevator anxiety, as in a fear of being inside of a 7' x 5' box with other people? According to a not-quite scientific Twitter poll with over 4,000 responses, more than six in 10 workers will not use an elevator to get to their office.
POLL (a retweet would be nice):
— Felix Salmon (@felixsalmon) August 5, 2020
Do you use an elevator to get to where you live?
Would you be ok with using an elevator to get to work?
(Assume ~3ft of spacing, and everybody wearing masks.)
These results beg the question, are elevators safe despite our apparent (and in my mind perceived justified) reluctance to use them?
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-11-2020: States should follow Illinois’ lead in making it a felony to assault an employee over a mask rule
Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster … and assault?
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, August 10, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-10-2020: Indians quarantine of pitcher Zach Plesac is a teachable moment in handling irresponsible employees during this pandemic
The Cleveland Indians have sent pitcher Zach Plesac back to Cleveland from their current run of road games for breaking the team's COVID-19 protocols.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, August 7, 2020
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.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, August 6, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-6-2020: Congress must pass the Save Our Stages Act #saveourstages
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-5-2020: Who pays for employer mandated COVID-19 tests?
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, August 4, 2020
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.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, August 3, 2020
Coronavirus Update 8-3-2020: How have employers responded to COVID-19?
- 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.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, July 31, 2020
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.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, July 30, 2020
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.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Coronavirus Update 7-29-2020: SAFE TO WORK Act would offer employers a significant shield from employee COVID-19 lawsuits
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Coronavirus Update 7-28-2020: Do you know what to do when an employee tests positive?
Yesterday, the Miami Marlins announced that 14 members of its organization—12 players and two coaches—have tested positive for coronavirus. Most appallingly, however, is a report that the team decided via text message to play its scheduled Sunday game in Philadelphia despite the rash of positive tests. Ignoring the irresponsible selfishness of that decision, it also almost certainly violates Major League Baseball's 100-plus page COVID-19 operations manual, which instructs teams how to handle a positive test. I can guarantee that "tell no one; play your game anyway" is not the recommended best practice.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, July 27, 2020
Coronavirus Update 7-27-2020: If your employee treats COVID-19 like a hoax
At the always fabulous Ask a Manager, Alison Green posts the following question:
One of my employees has been vocal about the coronavirus being a hoax. I had to have a talk with him during our last few days in the office at the end of March because he was openly criticizing and mocking coworkers for "being afraid of the flu" and practicing social distancing. While the rest of us isolated and worked at home, he went on two different vacations out of the state and did not isolate upon returning as required.
We're now phasing people back into the office, and he believes that all of the safety guidelines are violating his freedom. He still won't practice social distancing without being told, he will not wear a mask without being told, and he even planned another vacation when the company has asked us not to travel except in the case of emergencies. …
I am at an absolute loss regarding how to get this employee to take these safety precautions seriously when he still sees the coronavirus as a political issue instead of a public health issue. I am very worried that he will bring the virus into the office and get others sick. Do you have any advice for handling this employee and protecting the rest of my staff?
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, July 24, 2020
Coronavirus Update 7-24-2020: New music Friday … live from the Rock Hall
In-person live music has been in short supply over the past four months. Like many, I’ve missed it very, very much. Last Sunday, however, I got to experience live music for an hour, on the plaza in front of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, July 23, 2020
Coronavirus Update 7-23-2020: The FFCRA implications of schools reopening
With schools set to reopen over the next four to six weeks, your employees will be asking for time off from work if their children will be distancing learning for any part of the upcoming school year. The FFCRA provides for up to 80 hours of paid sick leave and 12 weeks of expanded FMLA Leave (the latter 10 of which are paid) for employees who are caring for their child(ren) whose school has been closed because of COVID-19 precautions.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Coronavirus Update 7-22-2020: Telemedicine and the FMLA
Earlier this week, the Department of Labor published a three new sets of FAQs—COVID-19 and the FLSA, COVID-19 and the FMLA, and updated FAQs on the FFCRA.
By and large the FAQs don't break new ground. But one of the FMLA questions caught my attention.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Non-Coronavirus Update 7-21-2020: Employment law issues I missed covering during the pandemic
Today, I thought I put COVID-19 on a virtual pause and take a look at some employment law issues I missed covering over the past couple of months. Here are 10 stories that jumped to mind.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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