On June 8, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) changed the definition of a COVID-19 “close contact” to someone sharing the same “indoor airspace” (instead of the prior standard of being within 6 feet) for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period during the infectious period of a…
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The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently posted another significant financial settlement with a federal contractor, arising out of a routine affirmative action audit. Without admitting liability, Becton, Dickinson and Company agreed to pay $499,349 in back pay and interest to resolve allegations that it discriminated against 125 female applicants at three locations in…
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If you reimburse employees for business mileage, be aware that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a mid-year increase of four cents, resulting in a standard mileage rate of 62.5 cents per mile, effective July 1, 2022. The standard rate from January 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022, is 58.5…
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The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently secured three significant settlements from employers with federal contracts. The companies didn’t admit liability, but signed conciliation agreements after routine affirmative action audits uncovered disparities in hiring and compensation. IQVIA Inc. agreed to pay $550,000 in back wages and interest to resolve allegations that…
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The OFCCP Contractor Portal is now open for federal supply and service contractors to certify their affirmative action plan (AAP) compliance no later than June 30, 2022. (Construction contractors aren’t required to participate at this time.) You don’t have to upload your written AAP, but you do need to certify that you have…
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On April 6, 2022, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) filed its emergency workplace safety rule to address COVID-19 (coronavirus), which is now effective through August 4, 2022. The prior rule expired on April 6, 2022. The updated rule (Public Health Emergency Reporting and Notification Requirements for Infectious and…
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On March 18, 2022, Oregon OSHA updated its Rule Addressing COVID-19 Workplace Risks (OAR 437-001-0744), eliminating some requirements for general workplaces, making some provisions merely recommended, and continuing nearly all of the requirements for “exceptional risk” workplaces (such as health care settings). Our Legal Guide, At a Glance: COVID-19 Compliance in Oregon has…
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The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced that the hiring benchmark for protected veterans is dropping slightly, to 5.5 percent (down from 5.6 percent) effective March 31, 2022. This means that federal contractors’ affirmative action plans (AAPs) with plan dates of April 1, 2022, or later should use the new…
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On March 31, 2022, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued Directive 2022-02 (Effective Compliance Evaluations and Enforcement), which eliminates some employer-friendly affirmative action audit procedures and establishes high expectations going forward. This is the second directive issued by OFCCP Director Jenny Yang, who was appointed by President…
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California, Oregon, and Washington’s workplace mandates related to COVID-19 (coronavirus) are being whittled away but continue to evolve, so we’ve captured a high-level overview in three new Legal Guides, entitled “At a Glance: COVID-19 Compliance” in California, Oregon, and Washington. Two recent developments in California and Oregon are of particular note: In California, Executive Order N-5-22…
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