Joseph R. Biden began his term as 46th president of the United States with at least part of what he needed to begin almost-immediate implementation of his legislative and policy initiatives: a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, and a 50-50 split in the Senate that allows Vice President Kamala Harris to break, in
For the first time in nearly 40 years, Hong Kong has increased maternity leave, which — together with other legislation passed recently — also provides additional protections for breastfeeding mothers. Under the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2019, passed by the Legislative Council in July 2020, statutory maternity leave under the Employment Ordinance in Hong Kong will
On July 8, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2020-54, which provides guidance to employers on reporting qualified sick and family leave wages paid to employees under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Enacted this past March 2020, the FFCRA generally requires employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid leave due
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a landmark civil rights decision, in three cases that had been consolidated together — Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, Altitude Express, Inc. v. Zarda, and R.G & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc. v. EEOC. The Court held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act’s mandate that employers cannot
On May 19, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated its enforcement guidance with respect to the recording of occupational illnesses, specifically cases of COVID-19. Generally, under OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements, employers are required to log a “recordable illness” on an OSHA Form 300. According to OSHA’s updated guidance, an employee’s positive COVID-19 diagnosis must be recorded
It’s back to business for the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), at least when it comes to representation elections. The NLRB announced on April 1, 2020, that it would not extend its temporary suspension of elections past Friday, April 3, 2020. The NLRB will resume conducting elections on Monday, April 6, 2020. The NLRB had
The unfortunate spread of COVID-19 throughout Italy led to some interesting legislative measures. Smart Working Thanks to a Decree of the Prime Minister adopted on March 1, 2020, employers could employ their workers by remote working, even without the individual agreements in writing mandated by Law no. 81/2017. Remote or “smart” working is not mandatory.
The coronavirus has significantly impacted supply chains across the globe, and while companies experiencing production limitations due to reduced inventories are turning to their supply agreements for remedies, these same companies may also face important labor and employment considerations as a result of this viral outbreak. Particularly, major disruptions in supply chains resulting from coronavirus may require
2020 has brought with it changes to both the Massachusetts minimum wage and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — changes that employers (and employees) should be aware of. On January 1, 2020, the Massachusetts minimum wage moved from $12 per hour to $12.75 per hour. The Commonwealth’s minimum wage will continue to increase by
As of January 1, 2020, minimum wage increases will affect employers in numerous US states and localities. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the minimum wage for non-exempt employees remains at $7.25 per hour, but if a state or local law provides for a higher minimum wage than the federal law requires, employers subject
