With all of the recent negative news, its nice to see that our federal government is taking steps to help ease the county’s economic strife. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Program Letter No. 10-20, states can pay unemployment insurance benefits to workers who miss time on the job because of the […]
Author: Lisa Smith, SPHR
Hey Compliance Warriors! The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has gone from a handwashing and elbow-bumping conversation to the most significant workplace issue we have ever seen. Employers are confronting dilemmas that change every day. Questions regarding how to handle emergency leave, workplace safety and health, furloughs, layoffs, and mandated closing of businesses along-side all […]
Hey Compliance Warriors! Here is a nice FAQ from California explaining provisions for COVID-19 issues and how CA employers should handle sick leave and such. Read on…
As you may have heard, Coronavirus (COVID-19) is sweeping the country – and not in a good way. There has been plenty of discussions about working remotely and health precautions around the office. But, it’s also important to remember that Coronavirus may impact your commercial contracts as well. If you have not yet begun to […]
Hey Compliance Warriors! The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today published “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19” to help companies respond in the event of coronavirus in the workplace. The guidance was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). Read on…
Generally, this weekly post is somewhat related to the realm of Employment Law or HR topics. However, this week I decided to take a brief jump over into the realm of Insurance Law – primarily because I thought this recent case out of the United States District Court Western District of Texas El Paso Division […]
Hey Compliance Warriors! So, the big questions of the week are pertaining to COVID-19 aka Corona Virus. Issues like pay and closings and protections and OSHA are all the rage right now. To get your answers, Read on…
Recently, a jury in New Jersey ordered a large bank to pay a former employee $2.4 million in damages for allegedly failing to take effective action to protect her and other employees from a customer’s alleged sexual harassment and misconduct. According to her lawsuit, former wealth manager Damara Scott said she was leaving the bank […]
Attorney Blog, Human Resources
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Provides Guidance on Reasonable Accommodations
Brett Horvath was employed as a driver/pump operator by the City of Leander Fire Department (Leander is a city north of Austin, Texas). In 2016, the Fire Department began requiring TDAP vaccinations (TDAP is a combination vaccine that protects against three bacterial diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough)). Horvath, an ordained Baptist minister, objected […]
Attorney Blog, Human Resources
Offensive Remarks By Employer Not Held as Racism During Discrimination Suit
Stray remarks, while “offensive,” did not show that Texas Children’s Hospital fired an employee based on race, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled (Eaglin v. Texas Children’s Hospital, No. 19-20222 (5th Cir. Feb. 4, 2020)) [http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/unpub/19/19-20222.0.pdf]. Plaintiffs Annette Williams and Victoria Eaglin—who are both black—worked for Texas Children’s Hospital (“TCH”) as Patient Access […]