revised covid rules

It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over – Revised COVID Rules

A Plethora of New COVID Rule Abounds

Public Health and Workplace Safety Officials at every level of government have been very busy crafting and issuing new rules and guidance for individuals and employers regarding which COVID-19 protections can be abandoned –and which should be kept–moving forward.

Most of the new rules relax previous standards and regulations and some conflict with one another. This can be confusing for employers.Read more

Covid regulations for businesses

COVID-19 Regulations For California Businesses Have Not All Gone Away – There is a 3rd Revision to Cal/OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standards

Summary

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) recently approved the third readoption of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (the “new ETS”). The new ETS took effect on May 7, 2022, and will remain in effect until December 31, 2022, when Cal/OSHA is expected to replace it with a permanent standard. The majority of the new ETS has not changed. However, the new ETS includes changes in line with the state’s recent direction of relaxing restrictions, and is more aligned with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance.Read more

cal osha vaccine mandate

New Developments With OSHA’s Vaccine-Or-Test Mandate for Large Employers

On November 9, 2021, we discussed developments with the new federal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard for employers with 100+ employees. In that post, we explained how the ETS required such employers to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing, and noted that the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit had granted a temporary nationwide stay of the ETS, meaning that the ETS could not be enforced.

Since November 9, new developments have come thick and fast: Read more

OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard Vaccine and Mask Requirements

OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard for Employers with 100+ Employees

On November 4, 2021, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) covering private sector employers with 100+ employees that requires such employers to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. The ETS’s effective date is November 5, 2021. The ETS is already subject to extensive litigation. On November 6, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a temporary stay of the ETS. While the future of the ETS remains uncertain due to pending legal challenges, it may take weeks of planning for employers to comply with the ETS’s deadlines, so prudent employers should continue preparing for the ETS as if it is going to take effect while litigation continues.Read more