Massachusetts Updates Paid Family and Medical Leave Contribution Rates, Maximum Benefit Payment Limits for 2022The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has announced the employer contribution rates and benefit amounts under the state Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) beginning January 1, 2022. Read more about the changes to the PFMLA effective January 1, 2022. Continue ReadingOctober 6, 2021 |
October Brings Changes to D.C. Universal Paid Leave Law and D.C. Family and Medical Leave ActThe District of Columbia has enacted emergency legislation expanding the District’s Universal Paid Leave Act (UPLA). The legislation takes effect on October 1, 2021, and lasts for no more than 90 days. In addition, the D.C. Mayor signed legislation to make these changes permanent. That legislation is in its 30-day Congressional review period. The legislation... Continue ReadingOctober 5, 2021 |
OCR Speaks to HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccinations, Privacy, and the WorkplaceWhen use or disclosure of an individual’s health information or medical records is at issue, the assumption seems to be, much more often than not, that the HIPAA privacy and security rules apply. This has certainly been the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, it is true that in most healthcare settings, HIPAA is... Continue ReadingOctober 5, 2021 |
Massachusetts Extends COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave to April 2022The temporary COVID-19 Massachusetts emergency paid sick leave (MA EPSL) has been extended through April 1, 2022. In spring 2021, Massachusetts established a statewide mandate for employers to temporarily provide employees up to 40 hours of MA EPSL when they are unable to work due to specific qualifying reasons related to the pandemic. The law was... Continue ReadingSeptember 30, 2021 |
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Enacts Paid Sick Leave with New OrdinanceOn September 14, 2021, the Allegheny County Council unanimously approved a new paid sick leave ordinance (the “County Ordinance”) requiring employers with 26 or more employees to provide paid sick leave to its employees. The County Ordinance comes on the heels of a nearly identical paid sick leave law vetoed in March of this year.... Continue ReadingSeptember 30, 2021 |
How to Handle Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act Leave Periods Spanning Between 2021-2022Amendments to the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act (CTFMLA) will go into effect on January 1, 2022, and employees will be entitled to 12 weeks of leave in a 12-month period, instead of the current 16 weeks of leave in a 24-month period. (The amendments also provide that employees may be entitled to two additional... Continue ReadingSeptember 29, 2021 |
California Statewide Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Set To ExpireA flurry of employment law-related bills are headed to Governor Newsom for consideration, however, no bills are being presented related to statewide supplemental paid sick leave. In March 2021, California resurrected and expanded statewide COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. The legislation sunsets on September 30, 2021, and there is no legislation pending to extend it. Read... Continue ReadingSeptember 24, 2021 |
President’s Path Out of the Pandemic Adds Hurdles for EmployersOn September 9, 2021, the White House issued Path Out of the Pandemic: President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan . The Plan outlines a six-pronged approach, portions of which will impose new obligations on employers across the country. Read more about these new obligations. Continue ReadingSeptember 9, 2021 |
New Missouri Law Requires Employers to Provide Leave to Victims of Domestic or Sexual ViolenceMissouri employers with at least 20 employees will soon be obligated to provide leave to victims of domestic or sexual violence under the Victims Economic Safety and Security Act (VESSA), signed into law by Governor Mike Parson on August 28, 2021. VESSA also requires employers to provide employees notice of the new law no later than... Continue ReadingSeptember 7, 2021 |
Texas Legislative Update: What Employers Should Know About the 87th SessionOver its regular and two special sessions, the Texas legislature has passed several bills that are or soon will be in effect and will impact employers’ workplace policies and procedures. Additional special legislative sessions yet may be held and, with them, more changes may be on the horizon. Read more about these developments. Continue ReadingSeptember 7, 2021 |