Employers are grappling with employee benefit issues in response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (“COVID-19”). Efforts are being made to pave the way for widespread testing by eliminating cost barriers such as deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or High Deductible Health Plan restrictions to ensure employees and their families are proactively being diagnosed once symptoms present, to…

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Every now and again, we’re asked questions regarding Indiana laws regarding employee terminations. Here is an earlier post that should answer those questions…………. Discipline and termination State procedures Are there state-specific laws on the procedures employers must follow with regard to discipline and grievance procedures? None for private sector employers. At-will or notice At-will status…

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By March 2, 2020, employers must submit their Form 300A information through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA). Form 300A is the second page of the OSHA Form 300 and serves as a summary of all recordable work-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2019. OSHA defines a recordable injury or illness as follows: Any work-related fatality.…

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Since the National Labor Relations Board issued the precedent-changing Boeing Company decision in late 2017, the Board has continuously illustrated when employment policies will survive scrutiny under the National Labor Relations Act. Recently, in Argos USA LLC, the Board clarified its position about three common types of employment agreements or policies, i.e., those concerning confidentiality,…

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Companies doing business with the federal government must comply with a litany of complex laws and regulations that affect their day-to-day business operations. To assist government contractors, this guide discusses some of the labor and employment laws and regulations that should be considered when pricing and performing a government contract. Given the complexities involved, employers…

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found that the employer offered a reasonable accommodation for an employee’s religious need, even though he argued the transfer offer was not reasonable. In Horvath v. City of Leander, a firefighter sought an exemption from the required TDAP vaccine on religious grounds. The city offered him two accommodations…

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As expected, a new version of the I-9 employment eligibility verification form has been issued. The new version is dated 10/21/2019 but will not become mandatory until May 1. Through April 30, employers can choose to use the previous edition dated 07/17/2017 or the new edition. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) publishes a paper I-9 Form and an…

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Employers are struggling to determine how to respond to the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, which, while originating in China, has swiftly turned into a perceived international crisis, upending financial markets, and prompting government and private-sector travel limitations and worry among local Chinese populations worldwide. Companies whose employees travel to China, whether on business or…

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I. Introduction Until fairly recently, non-compete clauses and other employer practices affecting employee mobility and wages were a relatively minor focus of U.S. antitrust enforcement authorities. No more. Over the past few years, the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division (“DOJ”), the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), and various state attorneys general have focused significant attention…

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