By Daniel I. Small and Robert S. Whitman Seyfarth Synopsis: With little fanfare and no public reporting, the New York Commissioner of Health extended the designation of COVID-19 as highly contagious, thereby requiring employers to keep their safety plans activated through October 31, 2021.  As previously reported (here, here, and here), New York State’s health commissioner designated COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm…

Seyfarth Synopsis: If you’re feeling a little déjà vu regarding the issues your company is facing with returning to work, you are not alone. As the lingering global pandemic continues to wreak havoc on operations for companies across the Midwest, employers continue to face the daily challenges at each new stage of the pandemic. Join our panel of COVID-19 task force specialists to discuss the toughest COVID-19 employment topics including: Best practices for vaccine mandates;…

By Ilana R. Morady, Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, Daniel R. Birnbaum, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 606 into law on September 27, 2021. It creates two new categories of Cal/OSHA violations: “enterprise-wide” and “egregious”. It also provides Cal/OSHA with additional subpoena power during investigations, and expands on Cal/OSHA’s ability to seek an injunction.…

By Christina Jaremus and William Hampshire Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth Shaw recently hosted a webinar entitled The Future of the World of Work. During part one of this special two-part series, Futurist Ross Dawson, who is one of the world’s leading thinkers on the future of work, discussed the big trends shaping the future of workforces. As a conclusion to the webinar, we compiled the highlights of Ross’s presentation—undoubtedly, the concept of flexibility was a thread throughout.…

By Marjorie Culver and Caitlin Lane Seyfarth Synopsis: As employers around the globe consider what their organization’s post-pandemic return to work will look like, one thing is certain: hybrid and remote work arrangements will be part of the new normal. Creating a sustainable flexible work environment requires consideration of nearly every facet of business operations. From HR and real estate, to health and safety and diversity initiatives, employers are faced with a multitude of issues…

By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, A. Scott Hecker, Daniel R. Birnbaum, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: President Biden announced a six-pronged, “comprehensive national strategy” to combat COVID-19, which will include a second OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard requiring vaccines or testing. On June 21, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), its first in decades, relating to…

By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: Labelling the Delta-variant surge as the “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated,” on August 26, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Prtizker announced that Illinois residents must wear masks indoors, and that school and health care staff must be vaccinated. Cook County and the City of Chicago both had mask mandates in place for “indoor public settings.” On August 26, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued Executive …