Dec 20, 2021
by Luke Phillips On December 15, 2021, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the flexibility policy regarding the in-person verification of identity and employment eligibility documentation for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, due to continued precautions associated with COVID-19. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will extend this policy until April 30, 2022. Please note, this flexibility policy only applies to employers and workplaces that are operating remotely. If there are employees physically present at a
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Nov 10, 2021
by Veronica Potter On November 5, 2021, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) released an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for employers. The ETS requires employers with 100 or more employees to either implement a mandatory vaccination policy, or to allow employees to choose between vaccination and weekly testing and wearing a face covering. OSHA has also released an FAQ, webinar, and
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Sep 11, 2021
by Mollie Mohan, Kate Nash, Lisa Berns, and Christine Self On September 9, 2021, President Biden announced a sweeping new plan to increase the country’s COVID-19 vaccination rate. A summary of the plan, and its implications for Missouri and Illinois employers, is below. OSHA Rule Mandating Vaccines for Employers with Over 100 Employees President Biden announced that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing a rule that will apply to employers with 100 or
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Jul 19, 2021
by Christine Self Amendments to the Illinois Human Rights Act (“IHRA”) that took effect March 23, 2021, make it a civil rights violation for an employer to use an individual’s conviction record “as a basis to refuse to hire, to segregate, or to act with respect to recruitment, hiring, promotion, renewal of employment, selection for training or apprenticeship, discharge, discipline, tenure or terms, privileges or conditions of employment unless: (1) there is a substantial relationship between one or more of
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Jul 13, 2021
by Jenna Lakamp On July 7, 2021, Missouri’s Governor Parson signed into law a bill limiting civil lawsuits that can be brought against Missouri business, religious organizations, and health care providers. SB51 was passed by the Legislature on May 25, 2021, with support from Governor Parson. The law states that no individual or entity will be liable for any COVID-19 exposure, unless the individual can prove they were exposed and suffered illness by “clear and convincing evidence.” In order to
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Jun 10, 2021
by Mandi Moutray On May 28, 2021, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (“EEOC”) updated and expanded its guidance regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, and specifically addressed questions relating to COVID-19 vaccinations. The full guidance can be found in the EEOC publication, What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws. The updated guidance confirms that federal EEO laws do not prohibit employers from mandating vaccination for all employees physically entering the
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May 25, 2021
by Christine Self As COVID-19 vaccines become wore widely available and workplaces return to more in-person, pre-pandemic environments, numerous questions have arisen about employer requirements related to vaccines. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) recently addressed one issue, whether employers must record/report adverse COVID-19 vaccine reactions, through FAQs it released on April 20, 2021. Generally, employers are required to record “reportable injuries and illnesses that occur in the workplace” on the OSHA 300 log and many employers questioned whether
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Mar 24, 2021
Tueth Keeney was recognized by the Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis (WFSTL) as a top place for women to work in the fourth annual “Women in the Workplace: Employment Scorecard.”
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Mar 22, 2021
by Aigner Carr As discussed in our prior insight, the Department of Labor (DOL) continues to revise its independent contractor and joint employment rules. As anticipated, the DOL announced on March 11, 2021 a proposal to rescind the Independent Contractor final rule. The final rule was published in January 2021, with an expected effective date of March 8, 2021. However, the Biden administration issued a regulatory freeze on recently adopted laws, including the previous administration’s Independent Contractor
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Mar 10, 2021
by Jim Layton We previously noted that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed a substantial revision of Section 12: Religious Discrimination in the EEOC Compliance Manual (“Religious Discrimination Manual”). On January 15, 2021, the EEOC adopted a slightly revised version of the proposed Manual-again, in a 3-2 vote. The final version is available here. The “major comments” made on the proposed revision are summarized in an addendum included with that final version. The new Religious
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Diane E. Metzger
Laura E. Hemmer
Melanie Gurley Keeney
Veronica E. Potter
Kate L. Nash
Lisa J. Berns
Mollie G. Mohan
Mandi D. Moutray
Aigner S. Carr
James R. Layton