On April 29, 2021, the Ontario government enacted Bill 284, COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, 2021 (Act). The legislation amends the Employment Standards Act (ESA) to require employers to provide employees covered by the ESA with up to three paid days of sick leave for certain reasons relating to COVID-19.
April 2021
US: Mandatory COVID-19 vaccines and employer health and safety obligations
Federal OSHA has recently released guidance advising on employer health and safety obligations when employers require employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment. Specifically, OSHA addresses the potential (albeit rare to date) of an employee who incurs an adverse reaction to a mandated vaccination. In such a situation, the reaction will…
US: Why a Mandatory Vaccination Policy May Not Restore Business as Usual for Companies
Throughout the United States, employers are weighing whether to have a mandatory vaccination policy for COVID-19. The objective is to bring employees back to work safely and the understandable desire to return to our pre-pandemic status quo.
This post does not advocate in favor or against a mandatory vaccination policy—except to note there may be…
Workplace sexual harassment: New WHS guidance materials
The focus on sexual harassment in the workplace, particularly as a risk to the psychological health of employees, has continued in 2021.
Australian Human Rights Commission report into workplace sexual harassment
The Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces published in March 2020 (Respect@Work Report), found that whilst the Model…
Changing the law for casual employees
What has happened so far?
Last month the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Act 2021, also known as the Omnibus Legislation, came into effect. This reformed the legal definition of a casual employee and introduced a statutory definition of a “casual employee” for the first time in Australia.
For a…
COVID-19: Mandatory testing in companies
In view of worrying pandemic figures, the German Federal Government has amended the existing “SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance” (Corona-ArbSchV) (the Ordinance). Employers now face the additional obligation of offering COVID-19 testing to their employees, unless the employees work from home.
Introduction of mandatory testing
US: New York employers must provide paid time off for COVID-19 vaccinations
New COVID-19 vaccine paid time off requirement for New York employers
New York employers should be aware of a recently enacted New York State law that entitles employees to paid time off from work to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
Under this new law, New York employers must grant each employee a sufficient period of time, not…
The National Minimum Wage and care workers who sleep in: Supreme Court decision
The Supreme Court handed down its decision in the joined cases of Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake and Shannon v Rampersad and another (T/A Clifton House Residential Home) which concern an employee’s right to the national minimum wage for periods of time when they are required to remain at home on their shift and/or residential…