State Employment Law Articles

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and a significant increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers has issued Emergency Order # 12 to limit Wisconsinites’ activities. This is in addition to previous orders banning mass gatherings.

Overview On December 30, 2019, a federal judge in the Eastern District of California entered an order temporarily halting the enforcement of AB 51, California’s new anti-mandatory arbitration law. AB 51, which was set to go into effect on January 1, 2020, makes it illegal for an employer to require

On March 27, 2020, Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris executed a statewide Order suspending certain public gatherings due to the risk of infection by COVID-19. Under the Order, the following businesses are closed as of March 28, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.:

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed an Executive Order directing “health care facilities” designated by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to submit reports on capacity and supplies by 10:00 a.m. each day.

The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) has issued guidance further tightening the protocols governing in-home caregivers for older adults to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among the vulnerable individuals they serve. Although the recommended steps are not mandatory, the MDHSS “st

On March 26, 2020, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued additional questions and answers (Q&As) that further explain employer and employee rights and responsibilities under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL’s guidance directly impacts those private-se

Under Michigan’s Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order effective March 24, 2020, only essential businesses or operations that employ critical infrastructure workers are allowed to continue in-person operations.1 The Order, which remains in effect until April 13, 2020, also allows non-essential busine

On March 27, 2020, the LA City Council passed a new paid sick leave ordinance applicable to large employers (those with more than 500 employees nationally that are not covered by the new federal COVID-19 paid leave law, the FFCRA). The ordinance applies to employers with more than 500 employees nati

With the signing of S2304 on March 25, 2020, Governor Murphy expanded New Jersey’s Earned Sick and Safe Leave Law, Family Leave Act, and the Temporary Disability Benefits Law to protect employees who cannot work due to circumstances caused by COVID-19. The amendments went into effect immediately upo

On March 26, 2020, Hillsborough County issued an order directing citizens to stay at home as much as possible during the continued COVID-19 crisis. The Safer-At-Home Order will go into effect at 10:00 p.m. on March 27, 2020, and will continue on a daily basis until it expires or is rescinded. Curren

On March 24, 2020, City of Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin proposed an ordinance to establish a “Shelter in Place Order” for the Alabama city in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The City Council authorized the Order that same day.

Following the guidance of Idaho’s public health experts, Governor Brad Little has issued a statewide self-isolation order (that is, stay at home) in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Order became effective March 25, 2020, and will stay in effect until April 15, 2020, or until it i

Maryland has taken far-reaching and proactive steps to minimize the impact of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), including expanding unemployment insurance, prohibiting the termination of employees who have been isolated or quarantined, limiting gatherings of 10 people or more, and closing non-e

An effort by several Baltimore City Councilmembers to mandate project labor agreements (PLAs) for certain large city contracts has triggered strong opposition from the city’s contracting community.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources issued guidance that specifically allows employers to take an employee’s body temperature provided they secure the individual’s express consent. Similarly, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportu

The Puerto Rico Secretary of Labor and Human Resources, Hon. Briseida Torres-Reyes, has issued Opinion No. 2020-02 on the applicable legal provisions related to exempt and non-exempt employees of the private sector as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency.

In response to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), several states have implemented closure orders, shutting down most of their internal operations and requiring most of the public to stay home, or “shelter in place.” While Utah has not yet joined the list of states doing so, employers in Utah

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam recently issued an executive order closing all K-12 schools through the end of the school year and temporarily closing or restricting public-access areas in non-essential businesses. The EO also limited daycare opera

As discussed in our prior alert, on March 19, 2020, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state-wide "stay at home" order ("Executive Order") requiring many, if not most, California residents to remain home. In general, the Executive Order requires individuals to stay home with two exceptions:

The Governor Jared Polis has issued a “stay at home” order in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and provide an opportunity for the healthcare system to prepare for the expected increase in demand.