Another Pandemic Peril: Remote Learning and the Misclassification of Independent Contractors
Schools in New York and New Jersey will be reopening this week or within the next few weeks for the fall semester, whether providing in-school instruction, only remote instruction, or a hybrid of remote and in-school instruction. Working parents who choose the all-remote or hybrid learning option—or whose children’s schools made the choice for them—have […]
NY Federal Court Strikes Down Portions of DOL’s Regulations On FFCRA
On August 3, 2020, a New York federal court (“Court”) vacated portions of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) regulations (“Final Rule”) with respect to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The State of New York, which brought the lawsuit, argued that the Final Rule exceeded the DOL’s authority to interpret the statute. The […]
Providing Clear Masks for Workers to Prevent Disability Discrimination Lawsuits
Making sure your employees are geared up with masks at work may not be enough. This is the message that employers should take away from the proposed class action that a store customer brought against Nike in California state court, on behalf of herself and others who also are deaf or hard of hearing. Nike, […]
The DOL Weighs in on the Outside Sales Employee Exemption in Latest Opinion Letters
On June 25, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) released opinion letters regarding exempt employees under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Two of the letters specifically address the outside sales employee exemption. The FLSA provisions on minimum wage and overtime laws are in Section 7(a) of the FLSA. Employees who are exempt […]
Supreme Court Allows Religious Schools to Hire and Fire Certain Teachers Without Adherence to Anti-Discrimination Laws
In a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that anti-discrimination laws do not apply to the employment relationship between religious schools and teachers whose job responsibilities include religious instruction and training. The decision consolidates two cases, Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru and St. James School v. Biel, arising from discrimination lawsuits filed […]
Voluntary Travel to High-Risk States by NYS Employees Takes Away Their COVID-19 State Sick Leave Benefits
New York employees who voluntarily travel to certain high-risk states after June 25, 2020 will be ineligible for emergency paid sick leave offered under NYS law. This will not affect the leave benefits provided under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which employees would still be eligible to receive. “High-risk” states are those […]
Work-Related Expenses While Teleworking During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Although most states have fully or almost reopened, some businesses, such as Twitter and Salesforce, have implemented indefinite remote-working policies. Many other businesses will likely follow suit to some extent. As teleworking becomes the norm for many, the question of whether employers must reimburse employees for work-related expenses, such as computers or laptops, internet connection, […]
The Shenkman Private Client Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Accountant/Attorney “Summer Webinar Series.”
This morning, Chaim Book was the featured speaker on the Shenkman Private Client Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Accountant/Attorney “Summer Webinar Series.” Chaim addressed many topics regarding workplace law in the post-COVID-19 pandemic world including: How to prepare for re-opening offices. The legal challenges of returning to work when the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are […]
FFCRA Leave Permitted for Employees Whose Child’s Summer Plans Are Canceled Due to COVID-19
The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) provides emergency family leave and sick leave for employees who are unable to work or telework while caring for children whose school or place of care is closed or childcare provider is unavailable due to COVID-19. Now that the school year is over, the question arises: May […]
Revised PPP Loan Forgiveness Application and Guidance
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application issued by the Small Business Administration (SBA) has been updated as of June 16, 2020. Borrowers can access the revised loan forgiveness application HERE. Further, on June 22, 2020, the SBA released new Interim Final Rules on the PPP Flexibility Act, which was signed into law on […]
