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The COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued the world for roughly 2 years has left companies scrambling to find the “new normal,” the rules of the road or a playbook that will define how they should operate moving forward. The Problem with Seeking the “New Normal” The big mistake companies make in their search for the […]
Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its much-anticipated decisions about the COVID-19 vaccine mandates issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for employers with at least 100 employees, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for healthcare workers. In a 6-3 decision, the Court reimposed a “stay” (or hold) on […]
While employers wait to learn the fate of a COVID-19 vaccination rule, they’re being advised to continue making plans for how to comply with the federal government’s plan aimed at stemming transmission of the virus in the workplace. In separate hearings, the U.S. Supreme Court on January 7 heard arguments both pro and con on […]
Many employers have questions about employees’ religious objections to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies because they’re required to accommodate any sincerely held religious beliefs in opposition to the rules. Notably, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) answered questions about the possible accommodations in new technical assistance released on October 25, 2021.
On December 6, 2021, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, who is leaving office at the end of the year and likely running for governor in 2022, announced a first-in-the-nation COVID-19 vaccination mandate for workers and customers at indoor dining, fitness, entertainment, and performance venues. The new requirement is in addition to the proof-of-vaccination […]
A Louisiana federal district court has issued a nationwide injunction barring the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. How We Got Here On Monday, November 29, a federal judge in Missouri enjoined the CMS from enforcing the vaccine mandate. The court, however, limited the injunction’s […]
After the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines on November 4, 2021, a number of lawsuits were filed challenging the agency’s ability to enforce the rule. After the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the cases (or put them on hold), the 6th Circuit […]
Employers will have to wait to see what the future holds for the Biden administration’s rule that would require some 84 million employees across the country to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing.
The long-awaited rule requiring some 84 million U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 provides employers with many answers, but the rule’s future remains clouded as litigation looms. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) was released November 4, nearly two months after President Joe Biden announced the administration’s intention […]
Maine can move ahead and enforce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate against designated healthcare employees after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant an injunction to a group of affected workers on Friday, when the statute was supposed to take effect. The employees had challenged the law because it doesn’t allow a religious exemption. 4 Takeaways […]