Both Maryland and Virginia have joined the District of Columbia in enacting laws relating to paid family and medical leave for private-sector workers. Following in the footsteps of the District of Columbia, the Maryland law will create a mandatory statewide benefit that will be funded by payroll taxes. In contrast, the Virginia law will create... Continue Reading
D.C.’s new “COVID Vaccination Leave Temporary Amendment Act of 2021” (Temporary Act) will extend employees’ entitlement to paid time off for both COVID-19 vaccination and recovery from any side effects well into 2022. Read more about about employer obligations here. Continue Reading
The 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 Reading
The Virginia Office of Civil Rights has issued its new poster for employers regarding reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. Starting July 1, 2021, covered Virginia employers must post this poster in a conspicuous location and provide a copy of the poster to any employee who discloses they have a disability, within 10 days of that disclosure.... Continue Reading
Starting on July 1, 2021, most Virginia employers must include information in their employee handbooks about reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and provide that information directly to any employee within 10 days after receiving notice that the employee has a disability. Read more about this new requirement. Continue Reading
Effective July 1, 2021, Virginia joins the District of Columbia and many other states with paid leave for designated workers (Virginia’s Paid Sick Leave Law), home health workers in this case. Paid sick leave is compensated at the same hourly rate and with the same benefits, including healthcare benefits, as an employee normally earns during... Continue Reading
Effective July 1, 2021, Virginia further expands the scope of the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. The state also enacted protections and benefits for domestic workers. Read more about the expanded law and next steps for employers here. Continue Reading
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced a whistleblower award of more than $27 million, representing the largest SEC whistleblower award of 2020. This is the sixth largest award overall since the inception of the SEC whistleblower program in 2011. Congress established the whistleblower program to incentivize whistleblowers to report specific, timely, and credible...… Continue Reading
In today’s climate, boards are under increased scrutiny and governance continues to be a key compliance function. As a result, sound governance practices are an important focus for organizations. Boards are expected to set organizational culture and foster an environment that encourages ethical conduct and a commitment to legal compliance. These expectations have played out...… Continue Reading
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) recently released its enforcement results for fiscal year 2016. In FY 2016, the CFTC filed 68 enforcement actions and obtained restitution, disgorgement and penalty orders totaling approximately $1.29 billion. The CFTC collected and deposited at the U.S. Treasury over $484 million in civil monetary penalties, nearly double the … Continue Reading
