On Nov. 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a federal emergency temporary standard (ETS) to address the grave danger of COVID-19 infection in the workplace. Affected employers will be required to comply with most provisions of the ETS by Dec. 6, 2021, and with its testing requirements by Jan. 4, 2022. Affected employers include private employers with 100 or more employees (firm- or company-wide count). State plans will have 30 days…

On Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, President Joe Biden signed executive orders requiring federal workers and contractors to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Biden also directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to draft a new emergency rule requiring all businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure all of their workers are either tested for COVID-19 once a week or fully vaccinated. These new rules come shortly after the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine was fully approved…

Companies may need to work with professional employer organizations (PEOs) to obtain contract workers for several reasons—whether it’s to account for their seasonal production periods, fulfill large contracts or secure contract-to-hire positions. Yet, before using a PEO to acquire employees, it is important for employers to understand what the responsibilities are for each party involved and how they can negotiate the contracts for service.  As clients, employers must understand that—depending on what the contract states—they…

The pandemic has resulted in thousands of employees working from their kitchen tables or living rooms rather than the office or other workplaces. However, as more Americans receive a COVID-19 vaccination and organizations develop or update their return-to-work plans, some employees may still be eager to continue working remotely, even if just for a few days each week. Overview of Hybrid Workplaces Work flexibility is consistently cited as a post-pandemic trend and some employers are…