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May 14 2020
COVID-19Q&A

Q&A: Be alert to unemployment fraud during pandemic

Question: Our business has received a number of unemployment claims that seem odd, including some from employees who are still working. We know that unemployment claims are way up due to business slowdowns related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), but is there something that we should be doing about these unusual or unexpected claims beyond responding to…

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May 14 2020
COVID-19

Homeland Security temporarily eases H-2B for food processors

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced a temporary final rule that gives food processors more flexibility in hiring foreign workers under an H-2B visa (temporary nonagricultural work), in an effort to address worker shortages during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The new rule allows workers who are already legally in the U.S. under an…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19OregonSafety and Health

OREGON: New COVID-19 rule for worker housing & ag operations

On April 28, 2020, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA) adopted a temporary rule to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in employer-provided housing, labor-intensive agricultural operations, and agricultural transportation. The new rule increases minimum standards for sanitation, toilet facilities, and handwashing facilities, and provides social distancing guidelines both for employer-provided housing…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19Employee Benefits

DOL and IRS extend benefits deadlines and update COBRA notices

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued a rule that requires all group health plans, disability plans, other employee welfare benefit plans, and employee pension benefit plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) or the federal tax code to extend certain deadlines for plan participants…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19

WARN notice required despite unforeseeable business circumstances

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued FAQ guidance on the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) that’s specific to the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The FAQs briefly explain the WARN Act and suggest that employers may use the unforeseeable business circumstances exception if they have a covered layoff or plant closure that…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19Safety and Health

ARIZONA: Stay-at-home order extended, some opening allowed

Arizona Governor Doug Doucey recently modified and extended his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected” order. As we previously reported, the original order required individuals to stay home except to engage in limited essential activities. It was in effect until April 30, 2020. The new Executive Order 2020-33 extends the original requirements through May 15,…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: DOSH updates respirator rules during COVID-19

The Washington Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has temporarily updated its directive on N95 filtering facepieces and respirator/face covering selection during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. We previously reported that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) temporarily relaxed rules on respirator fit-testing, training, and other respiratory protection protocols as long as employers…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19CaliforniaWorkers’ Comp

CALIFORNIA: Workers’ comp presumed if positive for COVID-19

Employees who test positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus) will have an easier time getting workers’ compensation benefits under an order signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on May 6, 2020 (Executive Order N-62-20). Under the order, employees who tested positive for, or were diagnosed with, COVID-19 on or after March 19, 2020, will be presumed to…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19CaliforniaLeave Laws

CALIFORNIA: L.A. County requires supplemental paid sick leave

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the latest in a string of local California municipalities to pass an ordinance providing supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) to workers not covered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The Los Angeles County interim urgency ordinance affects businesses in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19OregonSafety and Health

OREGON: Governor issues guidance for reopening state

Today, Governor Kate Brown released a phased plan for reopening Oregon, which allows individual counties to begin reopening if they can meet certain prerequisites (e.g., declining cases of COVID-19, established testing regimen, contact tracing system, etc.). Some rural counties that have no or very few cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) can enter Phase 1 of the…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: Governor announces phases for reopening state

On May 4, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee extended the Stay Home — Stay Healthy order through May 31, 2020, and issued the state’s Safe Start plan that sets out the criteria for reopening Washington in phases so as to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 (coronavirus). Phase 1 of reopening began May 5 and…

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May 07 2020
COVID-19

EEOC delays 2019 EEO-1 Report due date to March 2021

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it’s delaying the deadline for the 2019 EEO-1 Report for a full year, so it will be due in March 2021. The 2019 data should have been due on March 31, 2020, but the EEOC never got the submission portal up and running. The agency now says…

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