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California Employers Now Subject to Additional COVID-19-Related Laws Related to Cal/OSHA Reporting and Worker’s Compensation

The addition of even more employee-leaning laws in the Golden State continues. As Michelman & Robinson reported earlier this month, the California legislature passed—and Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law—AB 1867, giving an increased number of employees in California access to paid sick leave as it relates to the novel coronavirus pandemic through the remainder of 2020. Late last week, Governor Newsom placed his signature on two other bills: AB 685, which requires employers to report COVID-19 cases to Cal/OSHA within a prescribed period of time, and SB 1159, a law that makes worker’s compensation benefits more accessible to employees by creating a “disputable presumption” that an illness or death resulting from COVID-19 has arisen out of and in the course and scope of employment. The latter bill is likely to cause worker’s compensation premiums to skyrocket for many employers already trying to manage increased claims following pandemic-related furloughs and layoffs. (Read More)

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COVID-19-Related Paid Sick Leave Has Been Expanded in California Yet Again to All Employers with 500+ Employees

A bill has been passed and signed into law this week by Governor Gavin Newsom giving more employees in California access to paid sick leave as it relates to COVID-19.

As previously reported by Michelman & Robinson, ordinances are already on the books requiring certain employers to provide supplemental sick leave to employees within the City of Los Angeles as well as unincorporated L.A. County by virtue of the pandemic. These ordinances are in addition to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which requires most companies employing fewer than 500 workers to make two weeks of paid sick leave available to those affected by the coronavirus. (Read More)

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Federal Anti-Discrimination Law Extends to LGBTQ Employees

The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered great news to the LGBTQ community nationwide. In this week’s landmark decision captioned Bostock v. Clayton County, the high court ruled that federal law—namely, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—prohibits employment discrimination against LGBTQ workers. To that point, Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the 6-3 majority, stated, “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender violates [the law].” (Read More)

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Employment in the Wake of Coronavirus: Reintegrating Your Workforce in the New Normal 

The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating for employers, employees, independent contractors, and the self-employed. Yet, as cases begin to plateau and the curve appears to be flattening in places like New York, the pandemic’s epicenter here in the U.S., the conversation has begun to shift from how to survive the crisis to how best to manage our way back to work—when the time comes—in an effective and safe manner. The answer to the latter question will fall not only on policy makers governing the parameters of the public aspects of our daily lives, but also squarely on employers—like you—as they are given, in whole or in part, the all-clear to resume operations. (Read More)

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Michelman & Robinson’s Guide to Coronavirus-Related Paid Sick Leave and Unemployment Insurance Laws in the Tri-State Area

As one of the many unfortunate results of the coronavirus pandemic, employees nationwide will be laid off or otherwise furloughed. Consequently, the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have signed into law measures to help ease the disruption to employees and their employers. Michelman & Robinson provides an overview. (Read More)

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An Important Message From Michelman & Robinson About California Governor's Statewide Stay-At-Home Order

The entire state of California has essentially been placed on lockdown as Governor Gavin Newsom has called for a statewide stay-at-home order to combat the spread of the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. Governor Newsom’s move, which impacts nearly 40M people, comes on the heels of various “shelter in place” and similar orders that have already been issued throughout the state, including the “Safer at Home” emergency order declared in Los Angeles earlier today by Mayor Eric Garcetti. (Read More) 

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A Message From Michelman & Robinson About "Shelter in Place" Orders

With several counties in California’s Bay Area ordering residents to “shelter in place” for at least three weeks to keep coronavirus from spreading across the region, and Orange County (California) now following suit and preventing private or public gatherings, it seems quite possible that other jurisdictions may take these drastic measures as well. Whether you are located in an area now subject to a “shelter in place” order, or are somewhere that has yet to restrict movement, it is helpful to understand the scope of these new mandates, especially as they relate to your business.

(Read More)

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Telecommuting in the Age of Coronavirus

In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and calls for social distancing, more and more companies are having employees work from home in order to limit the spread. Some of these telecommuting decisions have been made voluntarily, while other businesses have been governmentally mandated to limit the number of employees on site. Some counties, like several in California’s Bay Area, have issued “shelter in place” or similar orders, and just this morning, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has commanded non-essential businesses in the state to have 50% of their workforces working from home at any given time. (Read More)

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M&R Deciphers the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Just Passed by the Senate and Signed Into Law by the President

Today, in an effort to ward off economic calamity, the U.S. Senate passed its second economic relief bill this month in response to the coronavirus pandemic—the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ("Act"). The Act, which passed by an overwhelming 90-8 vote and was then quickly signed into law by President Trump, expands emergency paid sick and family leave for certain workers, expands unemployment insurance assistance, includes nutrition assistance, and guarantees free diagnostic testing for the coronavirus. Michelman & Robinson addresses common questions about the Act in this alert, which supersedes our discussion of the bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week. Note that our analysis is based on the bill’s language as of March 18.

(Read More)

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Michelman & Robinson Breaks Down the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

The House passed sweeping legislation Saturday to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote to expand access to free testing, provide $1 billion in food aid, and extend sick leave benefits to vulnerable Americans. Here, in question and answer form, Michelman & Robinson, LLP addresses some of the employment and tax implications of the bill that may be of particular interest to you.

(Read More)