Safety/Health

Class-action seeks pay for covid-19 screening time

07/01/2021

Courts routinely rule that employees must be paid for time spent putting on protective gear that keeps them safe at work. Now employees have begun filing lawsuits making the same argument about time spent on coronavirus safety measures.

Snapshot: Vaccine status: Transparency vs. privacy

06/29/2021

Most employees want to know if co-workers have had covid shots … but don’t want to share if they themselves have been vaccinated.

Prepare to accommodate covid after-effects

06/24/2021

Most people recover from covid-19 within a few weeks. However, reasonably large numbers of people who had the disease experience after-effects that may interfere with their ability to work. As a result, employers can expect to see more requests for ADA reasonable accommodations and FMLA intermittent leave.

Snapshot: How are employers encouraging covid-19 vaccinations?

06/22/2021

Only 28% of employers plan to make workers get vaccinated, but most plan to encourage it.

Survey: Pandemic took toll on employees’ health

06/22/2021

A survey by Gartner Research found that 85% of employees have experienced high levels of burnout.

Courts are beginning to toss employees’ covid vaccination lawsuits

06/16/2021

Most plaintiffs haven’t gotten in front of a court yet. But one group of plaintiffs in Texas did and their case was dismissed. That’s good news if you’re thinking of requiring employees to get their shots before coming back to work.

Revise policies to protect health, encourage taking sick leave

06/15/2021

Now that the pandemic is ebbing and more workers are coming back into the office or resuming retail and restaurant jobs, it may be time to revisit your sick-leave policies. While coronavirus infections are on the decline, more familiar illnesses are starting to return.

OSHA revises covid guidance to protect unvaccinated workers

06/15/2021

OSHA scrapped plans to issue a broad emergency temporary standard for covid-safety practices. A new ETS focuses narrowly on measures to protect workers in health care environments.

Consider paying back employees’ PPE costs

06/10/2021

Responding to the coronavirus pandemic added unexpected line items to many employers’ budgets. But what about expenses employees incurred? If you required employees to wear masks, face shields or other personal protective equipment, you should consider reimbursing them.

Lawsuit claims retaliation for raising coronavirus concerns