Can I take paid time off when my child gets vaccinated?

On December 24, 2021, an amendment to New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act providing for paid leave for employees during their child’s COVID-19 vaccination time went into effect. The amendment, approved by the New York City Council in November 2021, requires private employers covered by the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act…

Is “Long COVID” Interfering With Your Work or Daily Life? HHS and DOJ Release Guidance on Long COVID as a Disability Under the ADA and Related Laws

With the rise of “Long COVID” as a serious health issue, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) jointly published guidance on whether and when Long COVID is a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557…

Concerned About COVID-19 at Your Workplace? OSHA Releases Long-Overdue COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard, with Limits on Its Scope

On Thursday, June 10, 2021, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) released  its much-anticipated COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), nearly five months after President Biden issued an executive order directing the agency to pursue an emergency standard to reduce the risk that workers may contract COVID-19 in the workplace. Notably, while the executive order…

Is Your Employer Offering You an Incentive to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19? EEOC Releases Guidance on Incentives for Employee Vaccination

On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released updated technical assistance explaining how federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws—namely, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)—apply when an employer offers incentives for employees to provide documentation or other confirmation of their COVID-19 vaccination status. First,…

Feeling the Effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine? NYS Paid Sick Leave May Be Used

On May 27, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that state Department of Labor forthcoming guidance will direct employers to permit the use of NYS Paid Sick Leave for any necessary recovery period from the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, New Yorkers experiencing side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine can use NYS paid sick…

New York HERO Act Provides Health and Safety Protections for Workers

On May 5, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed into law the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act”), which requires employers to help protect workers from airborne infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. The law is the result of sustained efforts by labor unions and public interest groups for enactment of enforceable health and safety protections…

Coming Soon: No Surprise Medical Billing

The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (“CAA”), signed into law last December, contains the No Surprises Act. This is very good news for health plan participants. The law protects plan participants from surprise medical billing and provides transparency about medical providers’ fees. However, these protections don’t kick in until 2022. Frequently, a person goes…

DOL Releases Guidance on the American Rescue Plan Act’s COBRA Premium Assistance

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), enacted in March 2021, authorizes temporary COBRA premium assistance to certain individuals and their dependents who have lost employer-sponsored health coverage due to involuntary termination of employment (other than for gross misconduct) or reduction of hours. The assistance reduces the amount of COBRA premiums to zero for the period…