Is now a time to think a bit differently about an old topic? Let’s see. This short article does not make that decision for your business or client. It does provide the reasons to consider it. Until the aftermath of COVID-19 passes through the American workforce, businesses experiencing coronavirus-related economic hardships will face difficult decisions. These include whether to furlough or layoff employees—an already challenging question ...
This post is out of date. Look for specifics about reopening at our newer posts at Last Call. There has been plenty of speculation about what the new normal will be for dining out after stay-at-home orders are lifted. California took the lead in providing some guidance for restaurants. At a press conference on April 14, California Governor Gavin Newsom discussed what the new normal will look like for dining in a restaurant. As Yoda might say, “Normal, it will be not ...
On March 18, 2020, Congress passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The Act, which is on its way to the President’s desk for immediate signature, includes many emergency measures to address COVID-19. The provisions with the greatest potential to impact employers and employees nation-wide are the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act of 2020 and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act ...
In light of the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of new COVID-19 vaccines, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued new guidance on the legal implications of the COVID-19 vaccine under federal anti-discrimination laws. Employers should carefully consider these points when making decisions about employee vaccinations. 1. Employers can require employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination ...
Employers nationwide are grappling with the new normal to balance how, where, and when their employees will work with the interests of employee health and safety and ever-tightening government mandates to self-quarantine. Below are some FLSA reminders and typical issues we are fielding from clients across many industries. Some of my employees are self-quarantined and working from home ...
Virginia is now the first state in the nation to enact mandatory occupational safety standards regarding COVID-19. The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s health and safety board voted 9-2 on July 15 to adopt an “Emergency Temporary Standard” which requires employers to implement measures to protect employees from COVID-19 ...
In the past few weeks, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a number of press releases in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Calling the outbreak an “extraordinary situation,” the USPTO has announced that it will be providing additional time for the filing of certain patent and trademark documents and for payments of specific mandatory fees ...
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a news brief in connection with a further extension of the relief provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The USPTO has offered patent and trademark applicants and owners an additional thirty (30) days in which to file certain documents and pay certain fees, extending the deadline set by the original notices to June 1st ...
The Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, fondly known as TTB, issued final rules that contain a few game-changers for the alcoholic beverage manufacturing industry. We are particularly fond of the greater flexibility offered to distilleries. Distilleries can now count the years bourbon or whisky are aged in used barrels. Previously, a whisky or bourbon could only list the number of years aged in new oak barrels ...
It is the time of year for a good scare– but not all a welcome treat! The U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services(HHS)published a cyber-threat advisory that comes as no great surprise to healthcare providers. As all healthcare providers are focused on continuing to provide excellent care during this COVID-19 pandemic, it is unfortunate that cyber-criminals see this as an opportunity for healthcare targeted ransomware attacks ...
As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, and as we noted in our prior blog post regardingvirtual annual meetings, both ISS and Glass Lewis have issued guidance on virtual meetings and annual meeting best practices in response to COVID-19. Pivoting from its focus on annual meetings, Glass Lewis has issued anew releasethat highlights certain key governance areas that they will be paying close attention to in the coming months ...
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) continues to generously interpret theFamilies First Coronavirus Response Act(FFCRA), deploying the “qualified leave tax credit” to maximize the benefit for employers and provide speedy aid, while adding new conditions to the “qualified family leave” mandate ...
While the SEC’s amendments described in our prior blog post (locatedhere) provide relief to companies in a number of industries – including oil and gas, foreign private issuers, business development companies, and investment funds – we’re taking a closer look at the impact the amendments will have REITs and other real estate companies ...
Executive summary The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for smaller hospitals and health systems. It has presented significant challenges to smaller, less capitalized and otherwise distressed healthcare providers. In terms of operating performance, half of our country’s hospitals reported negative margins as Q1 of 2020 ...
The Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) was passed into law by Congress as part of the CARES Act earlier this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While considered a relative success at its intended goal of temporarily preserving jobs during the pendency of the pandemic, the PPP ended its initial run with tens of billions of dollars left on the table and frustrated borrowers and lenders because of opaque and frequently changing rules and regulations ...
Historically, telehealth services were limited both in reimbursement and location. Most encounters took place for purposes of rural health treatment and in underserved areas as a way to get specialized treatment to patients in geographic locations where they would not otherwise have treatment options. The use of telehealth services has increased in recent years ...
Restaurants and other establishments that serve a menu of food were allowed to open in Tennessee beginning April 27. Memphis and Nashville remain closed. We have been fielding questions about what else customers are allowed to do besides eat, including playing cornhole or ping-pong or being entertained by a live comedian ...
The Governor’s Economic Recovery Group issued Tennessee Pledge, "a plan to help Tennesseans return to work in a safe environment, restore their livelihoods and reboot our state’s economy." Restaurants are expected to follow the guidelines in the pledge. The pledge is mandatory for limited service restaurants, as specified in Executive Order 30. Here is a copy of the Tennessee Pledge Guidelines for Restaurants This is our summary of the guidelines for re-opening: 1 ...
After convening for a special legislative session to address COVID-19 countermeasures, the Tennessee General Assembly passed sweeping legislation in the early hours of Saturday morning that limits the authority of public schools, local health departments, government entities, and private businesses to implement COVID-19 related restrictions ...
On March 30, 2020, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued Executive Order No. 21, an order amending Executive Order No. 17 to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by limiting non-essential services and gatherings. The order expands the list of businesses and venues that perform close-contact personal services that are required to close to the public. The Order also amends the effective date in Executive Order No ...
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee extended the executive order allowing drive-through, carryout and delivery of beer, wine and spirits for restaurants. Read Executive Order 30 here. Restaurants, limited-service restaurants and wine-only restaurants can continue to sell carryout and deliver alcoholic beverages and beer. There is no additional license or permission needed to deliver. We urge folks to keep hustling during these difficult times and checkLast Callfor updates ...
