As you’re likely aware, the United States Supreme Court issued two highly anticipated decisions on January 13, 2022 addressing (1) the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS); and (2) the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’s Interim Final Rule requiring healthcare worker vaccinations (also known as the CMS Rule). While,Read More
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‘Tis The Season to Start Preparing for the ‘Vax or Test’ Deadlines
Season’s greetings! As we all begin the sprint into 2022, January 10th and February 9th are key dates on which to keep an eye on! The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Vaccination Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS (also commonly referred to as the “vax or text” mandate)). The ETS has been mired inRead More
What You Need to Know About Recent Changes to Maine Employment Laws
Looking for something(s) to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Season? Look no further than this addition of Employment Wisdom on the Go (EWOTG), which will get you up-to-speed and up-to-date on several new employment laws recently passed by the Maine Legislature that could affect your business. Several of these changes to the law, which becameRead More
EEOC’s New COVID-19 Guidance – What You Need to Know
Just in time for the Memorial Day holiday, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued some much-needed guidance for employers on COVID-19-related topics. The EEOC’s guidance comes in response to the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s May 13th updated guidance for vaccinating individuals. The EEOC’s May 28th guidance adds to the ever-expanding listRead More
May 31 Deadline for New Cobra Notices is Fast Approaching
Many employers are aware that the American Rescue Plan Act (the “ARPA”) includes a 100% temporary COBRA subsidy for eligible individuals who lost health care coverage due to an “involuntary termination of employment” or a “reduction in hours.” The ARPA COBRA subsidy was enacted to cover certain eligible employees (often termed “Assistance Eligible Individuals”) fromRead More
Incentivizing Vaccines and Other Thorny Issues in 2021
The 2021 legal landscape for employers and human resources professionals continues to be a “wait-and-see” game as we enter the third month of 2021. It’s now been almost a year since COVID-19 shut down many workplaces and generally disrupted everything about life as we all knew it, and the after-shocks continue to ripple. With statesRead More
Is the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Really Expiring? What Does This Mean for You?
As we all eagerly anticipate the end of 2020, the end of the year also means the expiration of the mandated leaves under the FFCRA on December 31, 2020. Indeed, as of the evening of December 21, 2020, Congress has voted to hold firm on the FFCRA expiration time table, and President Trump has signedRead More
Amy Dieterich Quoted Regarding Portland’s Newly-passed Hazard Pay Ordinace
Skelton, Taintor and Abbott shareholder Amy Dieterich is quoted in the Portland Press Herald regarding Portland’s newly-passed hazard pay ordinance. She counseled employees and employers that there is serious litigation risk if they do not start paying certain employees time and a half for working during a declared emergency in December. Employment lawyers at Skelton,Read More
Time to Update Your Leave Policies! Maine’s New Paid Leave Law Becomes Effective January 1, 2021
Many of us are eager to leave 2020 behind, and it’s time to start preparing your employee handbook for the change. On the first of the new year, private Maine employers with more than 10 employees will be required to provide 1 hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, up to a maximumRead More
Up to the Minute Update: New Federal Department of Labor Regulations on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Take Effect on September
For those of you who attended Skelton Taintor & Abbott’s discussion about accommodating parents in the workplace with the Lewiston/Auburn Chamber of Commerce last week, it may come as no surprise that the federal Department of Labor (DOL) has just issued new regulations that respond directly to a recent New York ruling invalidating several portionsRead More