The City of Minneapolis determined that many freelance workers (independent contractors) need legal and economic protections since they are not covered by employment laws. The City, therefore, enacted the Minneapolis Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance (the “Ordinance”). This Ordinance, effective January 1, 2021, requires companies to enter into written agreements with most freelance workers.
The Ordinance
After much hand wringing, negotiation and name-calling, Congress has passed its second COVID-19 stimulus package, which was signed by President Trump on Sunday, December 27, 2020. For months, clients have been asking whether the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) will be renewed or whether it will expire on December 31. We now have the
The EEOC has encouraged employers to voluntarily modify employment practices and systems which create barriers to equal employment opportunity, without waiting for litigation or formal government action. The EEOC has said that the principle of nondiscrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin and the principle that each employer should take
On August 14, we wrote a blog post that discussed the impact of a New York court case which invalidated several features of the Final Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to implement the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). At that time, it was unclear whether the court’s decision applied throughout
We are all waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine. When we have a vaccine, can an employer require that applicants and employees be vaccinated against COVID-19? Employers have a legitimate desire to keep their workplaces safe and to protect their employees from contracting COVID-19 in the workplace. Phyllis Karasov and Dan Ballintine discuss the practical and legal issues associated with an employer mandatory vaccination program.
Continue Reading To Require Vaccines or Not: That is the Question
Effective April 1, 2020, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) obligating employers to provide Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Emergency Family Leave (EFL) to employees who are unable to work because of the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Final Rule effective April 6, 2020, expanding on the
OSHA has been criticized for failing to promulgate a new standard for COVID-19. The AFL-CIO sued OSHA in U.S. federal court, requesting a court to order OSHA to publish an emergency temporary standard covering COVID-19. Last week the D.C. Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit and the AFL-CIO has appealed.
Meanwhile in Minnesota, the State
This post is co-written by Phyllis Karasov and Mike Schechter
In his recent Executive Order 20-74, Governor Walz’s ordered critical sector businesses to create and adopt a COVID-19 plan to make workplaces safe from the spread of the coronavirus, and his administration subsequently published guidance for specific industries that pose higher risks of transmission
Many employers are recognizing the financial strain on their employees as they begin to plan for their businesses’ future in these unprecedented times. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) contains a number of provisions that make it easier to receive unemployment insurance benefits and increases the amount of unemployment benefits which
Larkin Hoffman employment law specialist Phyllis Karasov and employee benefits specialist Mary Komornicka discuss the new employee benefit features in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in our latest COVID-19 Briefing series podcast. The CARES Act allows employers to make changes in its Section 401(K) and 403(b) plans to assist employees who