On 20 July and 10 August 2021, the Thai cabinet passed new resolutions granting relief measures to members of the public living in red zones in 29 provinces (including Bangkok) who have been particularly affected by government lockdown measures aimed at containing and reducing cases of COVID-19 infection. These measures notably include providing financial support to employers and employees registered with the Social Security Office (“SSO”) ...
We are still waiting for the “official” SBA FAQ announcing the withdrawal of the Forms 3509/3510 Loan Necessity Questionnaire (“Questionnaire”) that, according to the SBA, will include additional information about its review process. In the meantime, PPP lenders have been told by the SBA that they no longer are required to request that borrowers who obtained loans of $2 million or more complete the Questionnaire ...
It will be news to few that the construction industry is experiencing a serious shortage of key materials. The Construction Leadership Council first warned of shortages (in timber, steel, pitched roofing, plastics, paints/coatings, some electronic components and cement – among other materials) early this year, and has reiterated its concerns since ...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospitals have increasingly experienced a shortage of beds and medical staff to take care of patients, telepharmacy has emerged as one of the most effective ways to reduce the number of people visiting not only the hospitals themselves but also pharmacies and health clinics. Telepharmacy is the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients remotely by registered pharmacists and pharmacies using telecommunications ...
Following the passage of its commercial eviction moratorium for certain qualified tenants in December 2020,[1] the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, on August 4, 2021, provided additional assistance to the same class of “Covered Commercial Tenants” by establishing a new evidentiary presumption aimed at excusing payment of past due rent. To the extent applicable, the presumption applies to all past due rent as of March 16, 2020 ...
Home Quarantine Now Possible for Ex-Patriates Imagine having the permission to work in a foreign country and yet being unable to do so as you are prohibited from entry. That has been the dilemma faced by many ex patriates who hold Employment Passes but have been unable to enter Malaysia due to the current restrictions in place ...
The manufacturer of the official facemask for the Brazilian Football Confederation filed a court action against an e-commerce company, accusing it of offering similar items allegedly manufactured by third parties. The manufacturer of the official facemask for the men’s and women’s teams of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) filed a court action against an e-commerce company, accusing it of offering similar items allegedly manufactured by third parties ...
On Aug. 13, 2021, OSHA released updated guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The new guidance updates OSHA’s recommendations for fully vaccinated employees and for schools, and it supplements certain industry-specific guidance ...
Financial ServicesBank Negara Malaysia issues Policy Document on Reference Rate FrameworkThe policy document on Reference Rate Framework (“RRF PD”) was issued by Bank Negara Malaysia (“BNM”) on 11 August 2021 and will come into effect on 1 August 2022 ...
One issue which many employers are currently grappling with is whether to make vaccination against COVID-19 compulsory for employees returning to the workplace. In a 2-part article we consider this issue in the context of care homes and other workplaces. Care home employers In Part 1 of this article, we look at the situation for care home employers ...
On August 12, in a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order enjoining the portion of a New York State statute which provided that tenants could establish that they had suffered COVID-related economic hardship by means of self-certification. Under the New York law, eviction actions based on non-payment of rent could not go forward if a tenant submitted such a self-certification. Under the law, landlords could not contest the tenant’s declaration in court ...
Superintendence Resolution Nº 000170-2021-MIGRACIONES, published last August 6, provides for the repeal of Superintendence Resolution Nº 000104-2020-MIGRACIONES (hereinafter, Resolution 104) and provides the following measures: Extension of term.-The term of temporary or resident migratory statuses granted from March 16, 2020, which expired during the validity of Resolution 104, is extended until the entry into force of this resolution ...
On July 19, 2021, Governor Kate Brown signed a bill that is intended to combat discrimination in health care. SB 567 prohibits health care providers in Oregon from denying medical treatment, or limiting the amount of medical resources allocated, to patients based on their race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability. SB 567 has been the subject of considerable debate ...
From 4 August 2021, there are differing restrictions placed on the ability of workers in locked down areas in Queensland to attend work in a hospital, aged care or disability setting, even if that work would ordinarily be essential work. Importantly, the Direction is one of the first in Australia to draw a distinction between a vaccinated person (being a person who has received the prescribed doses of a TGA approved COVID-19 vaccination) and an unvaccinated person ...
With employers reopening fully and employees returning to the workplace from the pandemic, there has been a steady flow of challenges -- both legal filings and political and public opposition -- by individuals opposing mandatory requirements from employers and institutions to be vaccinated in order to return to work or school, subject to certain legal requirements under the ADA and valid religious objections ...
This is the third in a mini-series of articles looking at whistleblowing claims. This article looks at the importance of having whistleblowing policies in the workplace. Having a clear and cohesive whistleblowing policy in place assists employees with making whistleblowing complaints in a correct and compliant way and enables employers to handle them effectively in response ...
Starting around October 26, 2020, the Small Business Administrations (the “SBA”) asked Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) lenders to provide certain questionnaires to PPP borrowers with loans of $2 million or greater. There are two questionnaire forms on the Treasury: Form 3509 for for-profit borrowers and Form 3510 for non-profit borrowers ...
With SEC Form 10-Qs for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021, due shortly, and SEC Form 10‑Ks for companies with June 30 year ends due in the next few weeks, publicly traded companies that received PPP loans, even those that have had those loans forgiven, need to review and update their SEC disclosures regarding their PPP loan ...
Like many other governments, the Government of Quebec decided to invest in infrastructure to help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and stimulate Quebec’s economy. A significant number of investments will be made in the transportation sector, and the government wants to accelerate the realisation of several previously announced transportation infrastructure projects in the greater Montréal area ...
On August 1, several resolutions issued by OSIPTEL’s Board of Directors were published in the Official Gazette “El Peruano”, referring to the following topics: (i) the tariff and interconnection regime applicable to calls terminated on mobile networks; (ii) the quality standards applicable to the provision of internet services; and, (iii) the implementation of an automated measurement system for the verification of internet access service by OSIPTEL ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that every business—even traditional brick and mortar businesses—needs a presence on the internet. When people think of online commerce, they usually think about making purchases on Amazon. However, as contactless purchasing becomes more prevalent, restaurants, breweries, and distilleries are increasingly developing online options for their consumers ...
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, one of the world’s most talked about and anticipated events, finally kicked off on Friday, July 23, 2021, after a long wait due to COVID-19. Every time the Olympics comes around, a common internet myth will persist that warns: Unless you are an Official Sponsor, you are barred from talking about the Olympics. While that may be true in certain circumstances, it is not always the case ...
The Law no. 221/26.07.2021 for the completion of Law no.55/2020 regarding some measures for preventing and combating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was published within the Official Gazette no. 732 dated July 26, 2021. According to this normative act, employees who are vaccinated against COVID-19 benefit, upon request, of one paid day off for each vaccine dose administered ...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rules surrounding weddings regularly changed to reflect government guidelines and the world’s growing understanding of the virus. The rules ranged from a complete ban on weddings in March 2020, to a limit of 30 people (including the engaged couple) without any singing or dancing in June 2020, to a guest limit depending on the venue in June 2021, with various stages in between ...
