DOL
When May an Employer Reject a Religious Accommodation Request?
An employer that requires vaccinations against COVID-19 must grant sincere religious accommodation requests, so long as they don’t cause an undue hardship on the company. How can a business tell whether an objection to vaccination is based on a genuinely held religious belief and accommodate without creating an undue hardship? Since it is so hard…
Read MoreShould Job Seekers Disclose Their Vaccination Status Upfront?
As more companies consider establishing a vaccine mandate, a trend is taking shape: Job seekers are promoting themselves as “Fully Vaccinated” on applications, resumes and LinkedIn profiles to stand out. Some experts are beginning to say that vaccination status is a must-have line item on resumes and LinkedIn profiles as employers prepare for regulations that…
Read MoreEmployees Working from Home – How Should Company’s React?
With the country reopening due to the lessening of COVID-related restrictions, companies and employees are returning to a new “normal.” Remote working has become a recruiting tool for some companies. For other companies which have required employees to return to the office, the failure to continue to allow some form of remote working (“hybrid model”)…
Read MoreDOL Moves to Rescind Joint Employment, Independent Contractor Regulations
The U.S. Department of Labor plans to rescind a Trump-era regulation on joint employment and an impending regulation on independent contractor use, it said in a March 11 announcement. The joint employment rule took effect in March 2020 and limited employers’ liability under the Fair Labor Standards Act. A federal district court, however, vacated large portions of the…
Read More5 FMLA Certification Questions on Coronavirus Answered
As decisions are being made at the federal level, HR practitioners continue to seek guidance on FMLA certification procedures. Certifications for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave continue to challenge employers in all industries, especially as the coronavirus pandemic continues, according to the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC). The FMLA provides eligible employees up…
Read MoreVirtual Posters – New DOL Guidance on Federally-Mandated Notices in a Virtual Workplace
Recognizing that remote work is here to stay for many employers, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued guidance on how employers can use virtual means to distribute and maintain the various posters required by federal employment laws. Background Several federal laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act…
Read MoreVaccination as a Condition of Employment: Evaluating Legal Risks of Mandatory Vaccine Policies During the Pandemic
With coronavirus vaccines receiving their emergency use authorizations from the FDA and being rapidly rolled out, employers will need to evaluate a mandatory vaccination policy that balances employee rights with novel business realities and pre-existing legal frameworks lacking clear guidance in the face of COVID-19. Under existing federal law and regulations, employers may be able…
Read MoreEmployers Can Require Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination — With Some Exceptions, EEOC Says
Employers can require proof that employees have received a COVID-19 vaccine — with some exceptions, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in Dec. 16 guidance. COVID-19 vaccinations approved by the Food and Drug Administration do not constitute medical examinations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), EEOC said, but certain inquiries could implicate the…
Read MoreHow Positive COVID-19 Tests, Underlying Conditions Intersect with the FMLA
Employers face one key challenge in their efforts to ensure compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as the coronavirus pandemic extends into 2021. Our resources tell us that there’s virtually no case law in this area yet with respect to COVID-19. Still, those…
Read MoreAutomatic Gratuities Aren’t Tips Under the FLSA, 4th Cir. Says
Automatic gratuities are not tips as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled (Wai Tom v. Hospitality Ventures LLC No. 18-2509 (4th Cir. Nov. 24, 2020)). Though their hourly wage, tips and automatic gratuities exceeded the FLSA’s minimum-wage and overtime requirements, servers at a North Carolina restaurant…
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