Employers considering whether to adopt a mandatory vaccine policy should be alert to recently-enacted and pending legislation regulating workplace vaccine policies in certain states. As we reported last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued guidance for employers to consider before adopting a mandatory vaccine policy.
Continue Reading State law may impact employer vaccine policies

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released its fiscal year 2020 statistics of charges filed and resolved on behalf of charging parties. There were 67,448 charges filed in fiscal year 2020, a reduction from the previous year and the lowest number of charges filed since at least 1992. While part of this drop may be explained by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has also been a decrease in charges filed each year since 2016.
Continue Reading EEOC releases fiscal year 2020 charge and litigation data: Retaliation claims continue to dominate

The attorneys behind the Employer Law Report Blog present the final part of our three-part series on the COVID-19 vaccine and employer considerations.

On Jan. 7, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed new rules that would apply to employer wellness programs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). Some commentators have suggested that these rules may affect employers who plan to offer an incentive to encourage employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Less than two weeks later, the Biden Administration issued a regulatory freeze and instructed agencies to withdraw unpublished rules, including the proposed wellness program rules. For now, it is important to be aware of the rules because they may indicate the direction the EEOC intends to take when the freeze is lifted.Continue Reading EEOC proposes new wellness program rules under the ADA and GINA which may limit employers’ efforts to incentivize COVID-19 vaccination

The attorneys behind the Employer Law Report Blog present the first in a three-part series on the COVID-19 vaccine and employer considerations.

As vaccinations become increasingly available to stop the spread of COVID-19, some  employers are posing the question: Can I require my employees to receive the vaccine in order to make my workplace more safe? The question is somewhat academic right now, since the vaccine is not widely available in most states, but it appears that will change in the weeks and months to come.Continue Reading COVID-19 vaccine for employees: Can you require it? Should you require it? Can you offer incentives to encourage it?

On Jan. 12, 2021, Gov. Mike DeWine signed the Employment Law Uniformity Act (H.B. 352) into law. This act will significantly modify several aspects of Ohio’s workplace anti-discrimination laws and will bring Ohio law into conformity with federal law. The law will take effect in April 15, 2021.
Continue Reading Big changes to Ohio’s anti-discrimination laws coming this spring

On June 11, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released additional guidance covering topics like the well-intended exclusion of workers over the age of 65 who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are deemed to be at greater risk for severe cases of COVID-19. The guidance also covers issues related to  pregnancy, remote harassment and employees living with family members who are high risk due to underlying health conditions.
Continue Reading You know what they say about good intentions…Can an employer exclude employees 65+ from the workplace to prevent COVID-19 risk?