EEOC Updates COVID-19 Technical Assistance Publication
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has posted online an updated technical assistance document, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws (‘WYSK’).” The comprehensive guide, in question and answer format, addresses common workplace questions about dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The new publication incorporates information…
In a Surprise 6-3 Decision, the Supreme Court Rules That LGBTQ Employees Are Protected Against Workplace Discrimination
For those who were expecting it, as well as for those who were not, and have been surprised, the United States Supreme Court has delivered a thunderbolt decision protecting for the first time ever employees’ workplace rights against discrimination on the basis of their sexual identity or orientation. In an expansive, activist interpretation of the…
EEOC Adds ‘Return To Work’ Section To Coronavirus Guidance
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has again revamped its guidance for employers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding on advice for disability accommodation requests and harassment while also adding a section on employees going back to work. See “Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act” at: https://www.eeoc.gov/facts/pandemic_flu.html
EEOC ISSUES UPDATED COVID-19 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PUBLICATION FOR EMPLOYERS
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has posted an updated and expanded technical assistance publication addressing workplace questions arising under the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The publication, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws” expands on a previous publication…
Private Employers Face new Paid Leave Obligations due to Coronavirus
The U.S. Senate approved the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” by a 90-8 vote on March 18, and President Donald Trump signed it into law a few hours later. The bill provides free virus screening as well as paid FMLA and sick leave and enhanced unemployment insurance benefits for people affected by COVID-19. As passed,…
The Primacy of Privacy
Security language is often used in the context of protecting privacy, but what precisely is privacy and why does it need protecting? Most people have an intuition that privacy is somehow associated with personally identifiable information (PII), but it is deceptively difficult to concretize that link. The divulgement of something as seemingly innocuous as a…
Truckers Must Now Comply with Electronic Logging Device Rule
Motor carriers and commercial drivers are now required to fully comply with the federal electronic logging device (ELD) rule that recently took effect in mid-December. The rule, issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), applies to motor carriers and commercial truck drivers who must maintain records of duty service (RODS) under hours-of-service (HOS)…
EEOC Releases Fiscal Year 2019 Statistical Report
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released detailed breakdowns for the 72,675 charges of workplace discrimination that the agency received in fiscal year 2019, down slightly from the 76,418 filed in 2018. Back in 2010 the agency received almost 100,000 charges. The data show that retaliation continued to be the most frequently filed…
U.S. Union Membership Continues Downward Slide, with Small Uptick in Florida
In 2019, the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions in the United States was 10.3 percent—almost half the 20.3 percent rate in 1983—the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions was 14.6 million in 2019, falling by 170,000 from 2018. Over half…
Florida State Minimum Wage Now $8.56 an Hour
The Florida state minimum wage has now increased from $8.46 to $8.56 an hour, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The wage for servers also has increased by 10 cents, from $5.46 to $5.56. The federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour, but Florida private employers must pay the higher state wage…
