Publications

On February 10, 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 (the “Act”). Once signed into law, arbitration agreements and joint-action waivers are unenforceable with respect to most sexual assault or harassment employment claims.

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A recent EEOC case involving an executive who was fired after having an episode of depression underlines the importance of accommodating mental disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

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California recently announced that it will lift its mask mandate for vaccinated residents in indoor public places starting on February 15, 2022. This means that California no longer requires employers to mandate face coverings for vaccinated employees while indoors. And all employees, regardless of their vaccination status, are no longer required to wear a face covering while outdoors unless there is an outbreak in the workplace.

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The California Supreme Court set a new, more employee-friendly, evidentiary standard for whistleblower retaliation claims. In Lawson v. PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc., the Court held Labor Code section 1102.6, not the McDonnell Douglas test, provides the appropriate framework for evaluating whistleblower retaliation claims brought under Labor Code section 1102.5. Because of this, employers will have to meet a higher burden to show by clear and convincing evidence that they did not retaliate based on the employee’s alleged whistleblower activities.

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Governor Newsom recently announced that California will enact another COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave program, which essentially revives the 2021 supplemental paid sick leave program that expired last year on September 30th. We are still waiting on the official Order with details on the 2022 Program, but here is what we know thus far:

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In a 6-3 decision, the US Supreme Court voted to stay the vaccine-or-test regulation, ruling that the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test requirements for large private companies exceeded their authority. Separately, the Court ruled that a more limited vaccine mandate could stand for workers employed by government-funded healthcare facilities.

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Following the legal challenges facing OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard mandating vaccinations, Florida passed legislation banning private employers from mandating COVID-19 vaccines unless several exemptions are offered to employees. The law, signed during a special legislative session on November 18, 2019, does not explicitly prohibit private employers from mandating vaccination, but rather imposes restrictive requirements on any private business that chooses to implement such a policy.

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Based on recent guidance from the Office of the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations, covered employers with unionized workers must engage their employees’ unions when developing their vaccination and/or testing policies to comply with OSHA’s new ETS rule (“ETS”). The Board has emphasized employer’s duty to bargain concerning changes in terms and conditions of employment where employers are allowed discretion in implementation. Since ETS gives covered employers discretion with regards to implementing certain of its requirements, employer’s must bargain with their employees’ unions.

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Federal OSHA recently published its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring certain private employers to adopt mandatory vaccination and/or COVID testing policies. Considering the ETS and other local/state vaccine mandates, we expect the number of employees submitting requests for religious accommodations to workplace vaccine mandates to only increase.

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OSHA has released its “Emergency Temporary Standard” (ETS) in response to President Biden’s employer vaccination mandate on November 4, 2021. The details of the new ETS may be found here. OSHA has also issued a Fact Sheet and a Summary of the ETS.

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