OKLAHOMA CITY – The beginning of 2021 was filled with hope that everything would start getting better and return to “normal.” But, instead, 2021 has been full of starts and stops to life and the economy.
As the year winds down, Crowe & Dunlevy labor and employment attorney Evan Way has compiled the top five legal issues impacting employers, what they mean for the future and what businesses can learn from the last 12 months.
COVID-19 – First, we can’t discuss employment law without mentioning COVID-19. It permeates every human resources department decision and leaves employers reeling with legal uncertainty. On Dec. 17, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the Fifth Circuit’s stay on OSHA’s emergency temporary rule (ETS) requiring all private employers with over 100 employees to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing. Covered employers must now comply with the ETS by Jan. 10, 2022, but OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with the ETS requirements before Feb. 9, 2022, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good-faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard. As of today, the requirement for all federal contractors to be vaccinated is stayed, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule requiring all healthcare workers to be vaccinated is also stayed. There are undoubtedly many legal challenges on the horizon regarding these three mandates including an appeal that has already been filed to the U.S. Supreme Court on the...
IBM reached a settlement with the federal government on Friday, agreeing to pay roughly $17 million to resolve allegations of illegal diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Acting Attorney Gen...