Bereavement Leave Soon Covered By Maryland’s Flexible Leave Act
A bill passed by the Maryland General Assembly on March 30, 2021 extends the Maryland Flexible Leave Act (Act) to cover bereavement leave. The bill now awaits Governor Hogan’s signature. …
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and COBRA
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the Act) became effective on March 11, 2021. It provides six months, from April 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021, of free health …
What Should Employers Do About the COVID-19 Vaccine?
The COVID-19 vaccine raises many questions for employers. Should you mandate it? Should you recommend it? What policies do you need? Lerch Early employment attorneys Marc Engel and Michael Neary on February 11 …
Vaccines Eliminate Need To Quarantine For Period Of Time According To CDC
The big news of the week for employers did not come out of the Department of Labor or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Instead, it came out of the Centers for …
Managing Your Employees: What New and Small Businesses Need to Know
Employment attorney Michael Neary presented to new and small business owners on January 19 about managing their employees. You can watch a recording of the presentation here: Micheal touched on …
Families First Coronavirus Response Act Tax Credit Extension in 2021
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) sunsetted on December 31, 2020, but some provisions remain active. On Sunday, December 27, 2020, former President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan pandemic …
EEOC Issues Guidance For Employers Considering Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine Policies
On December 16, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its COVID-19 guidance to address how a COVID-19 vaccine interacts with the equal employment opportunity laws enforced by EEOC. …
Montgomery County Council Enacts Legislation Amending the County’s Ban the Box Law
Well that happened fast. As discussed in my prior article, the Montgomery County Council was considering a bill to amend the County’s Ban the Box law first introduced in late …
Voluntary Acceptance of a Transfer May Waive Employees’ Claims in Maryland and Virginia
In October, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed in Laird v. Fairfax County, Virginia, that an employee voluntarily accepting a lateral transfer to another position (there, to settle a …
COVID-19 in the Workplace – Employer Recording and Reporting Requirements
Recording Requirement The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) revised enforcement memorandum provides that under OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements, COVID-19 is a recordable illness, and thus employers are responsible for recording …
Maryland Employers Must End the Inquiry into Applicant Wage History
The Maryland legislature has joined approximately 25 other state and local jurisdictions in restricting employer use of applicant pay history to determine future pay if the applicant is hired for …
Montgomery County Makes It Easier for Employees to Prove Unlawful Harassment
Last month, the Montgomery County (Maryland) Council enacted amendments to the county’s anti-discrimination statute, which substantially lowers the standard for proving unlawful hostile harassment claims. The amendment was signed into …