April 02, 2020
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) became law on March 27, 2020 to address many issues in our country caused by the coronavirus. This article addresses issues that employers who sponsor retirement plans must address quickly. Click here to read the article.
April 24, 2020
Despite the promise from CMS Administrator Seema Verma that grants provided as part of the first $30 billion distribution of funds allocated to providers under the CARES Act was “no strings attached,” there are terms and conditions attached to those payments which providers must be aware of and act in accordance with to limit ...
April 10, 2020
CMS posted a letter on April 7th to clinicians outlining a summary of actions CMS has taken to ensure clinicians have maximum flexibility to reduce unnecessary barriers to providing patient care during the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. The summary includes information about telehealth and virtual visits, accelerated ...
April 10, 2020
On April 9th the CMS announced a further expansion of the healthcare workforce flexibilities it had previously announced on March 30 in order to boost frontline medical staffs to fight to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional flexibilities include:
- Doctors directly caring for patients at rural hospitals via ...
April 24, 2020
On April 20, 2020, in response to COVID-19, CMS announced a new high-weighted COVID-19 Clinical Trials improvement activity for eligible clinicians who participate in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Eligible clinicians (which includes physicians, physician ...
April 17, 2020
CMS, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Treasury issued joint guidance this week that is intended to ensure that Americans with private health insurance have coverage for COVID-19 diagnostic testing and related services at no cost. Specifically, coverage is required for both diagnostic testing and antibody testing ...
April 24, 2020
In a previous version of the Interoperability and Patient Access final rule displayed on the CMS website on March 9, 2020, hospitals would have had to implement the new Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) provisions requiring admission, discharge and transfer (ADT) notifications to post-acute care providers within ...
April 10, 2020
CMS hosted an “Office Hours” call on April 9th for healthcare providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The two topics receiving the most questions by callers concerned: (a) services provided through telehealth by Rural Health Centers ...
April 17, 2020
CMS has implemented increased payment rates established by the CARES Act. Significantly, as they relate to Medicare IPPS Hospitals reimbursed under the Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) consolidated billing methodology, CMS is increasing the weighting factor of the assigned DRG by 20 percent for an individual diagnosed with ...
April 17, 2020
On April 15, 2020, CMS issued Ruling No. CMS-2020-01-R stating that Medicare will pay $100 for COVID-19 clinical diagnostic lab tests that use high-throughput technologies for rapid diagnosis of large numbers of COVID-19 cases. High-throughput lab tests can process more than 200 specimens a day and are expected to be instrumental ...
April 24, 2020
On April 21, 2020, CMS issued blanket waivers for Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IIDs). The ICF/IID waivers include staffing flexibilities for Direct Support Staff (DSS) and Direct Care Staff (DCS), suspension of community outing requirements and mandatory staffing ...
April 10, 2020
As announced on April 9th in a CMS News Alert, in order to increase cash flow to health care providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded its Accelerated and Advance Payment Program to a broader group of providers. CMS has published a fact sheet with guidance on the ...
April 24, 2020
On April 21, 2020, CMS also modified the locum tenens requirements to allow a physician or physical therapist to use the same substitute for the entire time he or she is unavailable to provide services during the COVID-19 emergency plus an additional period of no more than 60 continuous days after the public health emergency expires ...
April 24, 2020
On April 21, 2020, CMS released blanket waivers related to care for patients at Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs). These waivers include a waiver of the otherwise required payment adjustment and the application of the site neutral payment rate for admissions made in response to the PHE. These waivers can be found in the updated version ...
April 24, 2020
On April 19, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will be developing new requirements for nursing homes to inform residents and their families of confirmed COVID-19 cases in their facilities. Nursing homes will also be required to report COVID-19 cases directly to the Centers for Disease ...
April 10, 2020
As we reported last week, the CDC updated its COVID-19 Infection Control Guidance. This week, on April 8, 2020, CMS announced that it was likewise updating its infection control guidelines for these providers: dialysis facilities, hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers ...
April 10, 2020
CMS issued updated recommendations on April 7th for postponing non-essential surgeries and other procedures to conserve critical healthcare resources and limit exposure of patients and staff to COVID-19. Similar to the Kentucky CHFS Order issued on March 23, 2020, CMS recommends limiting medical services that can be deferred ...
April 17, 2020
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Labor and the Department of Treasury issued joint guidance this week that will be helpful to employers that sponsor group health plans and insurers that provide health insurance coverage or provide third party administration services to group health plans. To ...
April 3, 2020
On April 2, 2020, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that, under its enforcement discretion, it will not impose penalties for violations of certain provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule against health care providers or their business associates for their good faith uses ...
April 2, 2020
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) released temporary regulations that, among other things, clarify what documentation an employer should gather when employees seek leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). Click here to read the full article.
April 24, 2020
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program under the CARES Act to help health care providers seeking to provide connected care services to patients at their homes or mobile locations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 13, 2020, the FCC published a Notice that it ...
April 2, 2020
All 403(b) retirement plans are yet another area impacted by COVID-19. These retirement plans (sponsored by nonprofits and governmental entities) were required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to completely restate their plans by March 31, 2020 to reflect changes in the law since 2010 in order to receive retroactive relief back ...
April 2, 2020
As indicated immediately above, the DOL issued a new temporary rule regarding paid leave requirements for employers under FFCRA. Of note to healthcare employers, however, is that FFCRA provides an exemption for “health care providers” and “emergency responders” from these paid leave requirements. In its Frequently ...
March 17, 2020
The rapidly developing COVID-19 pandemic has cast a cloud of uncertainty over all aspects of routine decision-making. Everyday life continues to be affected as society grapples with the most effective way to adapt and move forward. Linked here is an article written for the Memphis Business Journal which offers several ...
April 21, 2020
In the weeks that have followed the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, business owners and their advisors have been parsing legislation and devouring piecemeal guidance issued by the Small Business Administration (SBA) concerning the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Click here to read ...
April 10, 2020
On April 3rd the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced that a portion of the $100 billion of funding for health care providers under the CARES Act will be used to cover providers’ costs of delivering COVID-19 care for the uninsured. Providers will be reimbursed at Medicare rates and are not permitted ...
April 10, 2020
CMS announced on April 6th that it had issued specific guidance for processing attestation statements from Medicare-enrolled Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) temporarily enrolling as hospitals during the emergency. See CMS Memo to State Survey Agency Directors, dated April 3, 2020 (Ref: QSO-20-24-ASC). As previously ...
April 10, 2020
On April 7th the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) stated in an announcement that $30 billion in grants, which is a portion of the $100 billion of funding provided under the CARES Act to support hospitals, will start to be distributed on Friday of this week. Where the government has the hospitals’ account information ...
April 24, 2020
Two weeks ago, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) distributed $30 billion out of the $100 billion fund for providers created under the CARES Act. On April 22, 2020, HHS announced that the remaining $70 billion will be allocated in the coming weeks as follows:
- $20 billion to providers based on net patient revenues from ...
April 10, 2020
On April 9th the HHS released guidance on how it is exercising discretion in applying privacy and security standards under HIPAA to CBTS during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency. OCR encourages health care providers to implement reasonable safeguards to protect the privacy and security of individuals’ PHI, such ...
March 23, 2020
Private equity has been on a debt binge for several years. This article looks at the impact of the 2017 tax law’s interest expense deduction limitation and the effect on deal-making and suggests businesses should engage in financial modeling with an eye toward 2022 when the deduction will shrink even further for most taxpayers ...
March 26, 2020
COVID-19 has drastically impacted people’s lives and livelihoods. It has also had drastic impacts on many legal sectors, but its impact on intellectual property has been much less severe with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) and Copyright Office moving forward via remote operations. Click here to ...
April 24, 2020
On April 23, 2020, Kentucky’s Public Health Commissioner outlined the state’s plan for Phase I of a gradual reopening of non-urgent health care services that were suspended by virtue of the Governor’s March 23 executive order. Officials emphasize that the reopening of health care services must be gradual and must not be a ...
April 17, 2020
The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) has recently issued Emergency Orders waiving and modifying certain regulations for the period of the State of Emergency declared by Governor Beshear on March 6, 2020. The Emergency Orders (issued April 9 and April 14) and the modified regulations may be found here. Of ...
April 10, 2020
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) has continued to update guidance to Kentucky health care providers:
- CHFS issued a new memo dated April 9, 2020 saying that all health care providers (not just hospitals, as provided for in its April 6 memo) have a “blanket waiver” and are not required to obtain additional approval ...
April 17, 2020
The Kentucky Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a Request PPE Fact Sheet to provide guidance to any agency, business or healthcare facility that is requesting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) through the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). The guidance applies to: N95 Masks, Isolation Gowns, Face Shields ...
April 10, 2020
On April 6th the Kentucky Office of Inspector General (OIG), in collaboration with the Department for Public Health, issued a directive stating that general acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, and psychiatric hospitals are not required to obtain additional approval from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services ...
April 24, 2020
The Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet has published an
employer handbook to answer employers’ questions about unemployment insurance and
how it has been impacted by COVID-19 and the new federal programs enacted as part
of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Click here to ...
On April 28, 2020, the Supreme Court of Kentucky issued Amended Order 2020-29 extending certain filing deadlines for the Supreme Court of Kentucky and Kentucky Court of Appeals by thirty days as a result of COVID-19. The deadline extension applies only to specified notices, motions, and briefs that would have been due between May 1 ...
April 3, 2020
On March 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced several new blanket waivers and flexibilities issued under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act in response to the COVID-19 emergency (“Section 1135 Waivers”). In order to ensure maximum flexibility to deal with an influx of COVID-19 ...
April 17, 2020
The first $30 billion of the $100 billion in CARES Act Emergency Relief Fund payments was disbursed to providers who, in 2019, received Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) reimbursements. As a result of being limited to FFS providers, many rural hospitals and providers who bill another provider under Part A consolidated payment ...
April 17, 2020
The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is temporarily waiving query fees (both one-time query and continuous query). The waiver is retroactive from March 1, 2020, through May 31, 2020. The NPDB will issue query credits to reimburse entities that conducted queries (one-time and continuous) between March 1 and the ...
April 10, 2020
On April 8th the Department of Health and Human Services announced that pharmacists can administer COVID-19 tests. The announcement is found here. This expansion of the testing workforce is meant to address the need for rapid virus testing and make testing sites more accessible, since large numbers of the population already live ...
April 3, 2020
Many people feel a certain level of invincibility to data breaches and online scammers, maybe because they are well-read and knowledgeable about what to look for and avoid, or maybe because they simply think they are smart enough to know a scam when they see it. While that may be true in the ordinary course, scammers have adapted to and ...
April 22, 2020
President Trump issued a proclamation suspending the entry of any individual seeking to
enter the United States as an immigrant who:
• Is outside the United States on the effective date of the proclamation;
• Does not have a valid immigrant visa as of April 23, 2020; and
• Does not have a valid official travel document as of April ...
April 24, 2020
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that it won’t penalize providers for “good faith” telehealth use during the COVID-19 emergency even if that use violates the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Healthcare providers are well-advised to select and use audio-video platforms and ...
March 27, 2020
With the almost daily increase in the number of County Clerk’s Offices closed to the public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as more state governors issue Executive Orders limiting or closing business operations, guidance is evolving regarding how to proceed with real estate and lending transactions and obtain title ...
April 17, 2020
On March 27, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”)
was enacted. It allocated $100 billion to a Public Health and Social Services Emergency
Fund (Relief Fund) to disburse to hospitals and other healthcare providers in order to
support healthcare-related expenses and reimburse lost revenues ...
March 26, 2020
As a stimulus package nears completion in Congress, landlords and tenants may find themselves in situations in which even the hastiest legislation may be too late. Social distancing, although the most effective tool to flatten the curve of the virus’ growing threat, has led to an overnight evaporation of virtually all ...
April 24, 2020
CMS made two separate moves to support Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, on April 17, 2020, by issuing MLN SE20016 which makes changes to billing requirements and payments, including:
- New payment for telehealth services, including how ...
April 24, 2020
On April 20, 2020, HHS announced that SAMHSA will begin releasing $110M in emergency funding to the states to strengthen access to treatments for substance use disorders and serious mental illnesses (SMIs) during the COVID19 pandemic. The SAMSHA grants include a grant to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health & Family Services (CHFS) in ...
March 26, 2020
Wyatt lawyers recommended this change to the legislature to simplify the process of executing wills and make doing so safer, especially during this difficult time, but it will have broader application. The provision reads as follows:
(11) For purposes of complying with any law, rule, order, or other requirement relating to the ...
April 17, 2020
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued supplemental guidance for the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for self-employed individuals who will file a Form 1040 Schedule C to report their self-employment income in 2019. This Interim Final Rule entitled “Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; ...
April 17, 2020
On March 30, 2020, HHS issued blanket waivers to permit eighteen types of financial relationships that would otherwise violate the Physician Self-Referral (“Stark”) Law when those financial relationships relate to a defined “COVID-19 Purpose.” However, in this April 3, 2020 statement, the HHS Office of Inspector ...
April 17, 2020
Beginning April 10, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) disbursed $30 billion of the $100 billion of Emergency Relief Fund provided under the CARES Act. Although Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma had stated that the Relief Fund payments have “no strings attached,” ...
April 2, 2020
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a new temporary rule regarding paid leave under the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) on April 1, 2020. The rule is effective until December 31, 2020 and subject to change. Click here to read the article.
April 7, 2020
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) published a set of regulations, effective through December 31, 2020, to implement the paid sick and emergency family medical leave expansion provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Click here to continue reading.
The Lanham Act sets forth various remedies for trademark infringement including the potential recovery of the infringer’s profits. 15 U.S.C. § 1117(a). Prior to April 23, 2020, there was a split in the federal circuits as to whether an award of infringer’s profits required a finding that the infringement was ...
April 24, 2020
On April 24, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) codified a newly enacted Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) into a previous version of its Interim Final Rule on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economics Security Act (CARES Act). The new FAQ clarifies that government ...
March 27, 2020
Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many governmental and lending organizations have recently taken action that directly impacts those involved in the housing industry. All those engaged in any aspect of the foreclosure process should be cognizant of the current suspensions that apply from the ...
April 8, 2020
COVID-19 has shaken up the benefits world in a big way – new laws, new issues. One issue that has been around for a long time, but isn’t often on the front page, is the partial termination of a retirement plan. However, difficult financial times bring this issue to the forefront when companies are laying off employees, closing plants ...
April 10, 2020
No one wants to think about death, especially in the wake of an international pandemic, but given the limited options for entertainment, now might be a good time to create an estate plan. An estate plan can prepare you and your family for unknowns to come, save you time and money, and benefit you before and after your death. Unlike ...
March 31, 2020
The FFCRA amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to include Emergency Paid Sick Leave, which provides Emergency Paid Sick Leave to employees who meet certain criteria during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the FFCRA expanded the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide public health emergency leave for a qualifying ...
March 30, 2020
State governors across the nation issued executive orders aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) at a torrid pace during the month of March. Although these “stay at home,” “shelter in place,” or “healthy at home” orders are not all identical, most of them require certain businesses to close ...
March 24, 2020
The Frequently Asked Questions seek to provide guidance to our clients on some of the questions we have received regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic may impact their employees and businesses. The responses attempt to provide general policy guidance to employers. Click here to read the article.
March 25, 2020
The Department of Labor has issued the first set of what will likely be many guidance documents on the recently-enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). Click here to read the article.
March 26, 2020
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued notices that employers must post to comply with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). Click here to read the article.
March 25, 2020
The EEOC recently announced that on the afternoon of March 27, 2020, it will be posting on its website a prerecorded webinar regarding the impact of COVID-19 on various federal non-discrimination laws. Specifically, the webinar will address questions submitted in advance to the EEOC on how employers should respond to the ...
March 26, 2020
Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the federal government will immediately reimburse small and midsized businesses and nonprofit organizations for the costs they incur providing emergency sick leave or emergency FMLA leave to their employees. Employers can immediately take a dollar for dollar credit against ...
February 28, 2020
With continued breaking headlines from news outlets regarding the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID19) throughout the world, and its capacity for disruption to the international economy, employers are questioning what, if any, specific actions they should consider in forming their own response plan. Guidance from the Centers ...
April 15, 2020
Many employers are being forced to make tough financial choices to survive the difficult economic climate caused by COVID-19. Before closing offices or instituting furloughs or mass layoffs, employers must consider the requirements of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, as well as any ...
March 23, 2020
On March 18, 2020, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky issued an Order in response to Governor Beshear’s declaration of a State of Emergency earlier this month. This most recent Order follows the Order issued on March 13, 2020, which cancelled in-person appearances from March 16, 2020 to April 10, 2020. Click here to ...
April 15, 2020
On April 14, 2020, the Supreme Court of Kentucky issued its latest Order extending deadlines in response to COVID-19. In what is its most dramatic extension to this point, the Court has limited its functions and those of the Court of Appeals until May 31, 2020. Up to this point, the Court had been extending its deadlines every two weeks ...
April 16, 2020
COVID-19 continues to cause concern for employers, but one concern they may be able to let go of is recording each employee diagnosis with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”). Following a letter of concern, OSHA has released new guidelines that COVID-19 would not be a recordable injury for most employers ...
April 8, 2020
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently published a new workplace poster aimed at reducing workplace exposure to the coronavirus. Specifically, the poster highlights ten infection protection measures every employer can implement to protect workers’ safety and ...
March 30, 2020
The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), passed as a part of the CARES Act. Click here to read a one page overview of the Act. For a more detailed overview of the Act, please click here. It is likely we’ll also be issuing industry-specific guidance for our health care and financial institution clients.
March 24, 2020
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is hosting a national online dialogue to provide employers and employees with an opportunity to offer their perspectives as the DOL develops compliance assistance materials and outreach strategies related to the implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response ...
March 23, 2020
On March 19, 2020, Governor Lee signed an Executive Order making it easier for workers affected by COVID-19 to get unemployment benefits in Tennessee. The Executive Order follows the guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Labor earlier this month. Click here to read the article.
March 31, 2020
The Supreme Court of Kentucky, which had previously extended filing deadlines for anything due to the Supreme Court of Kentucky or the Court of Appeals between March 16, 2020 to April 10, 2020, released an amended Order relating to COVID-19 concerns. The newest Order extends deadlines by two more weeks and sets new guidelines. Click here
As a result of COVID-19, employers have been forced to take a hard look at employment levels. Many employers have furloughed employees. Furloughing an employee is distinguishable from terminating an employee. A furloughed worker is still considered an employee, but they have been forced to take a temporary break from ...
March 20, 2020
It is now common knowledge that the World Health Organization (“WHO”) has classified COVID-19 as an international pandemic. This week, The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued guidance to employers on implementation strategies to utilize in navigating the impact of COVID-19 in the workplace ...
April 24, 2020
On April 21, 2020, the American Hospital Association alerted its members that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) had issued an FBI Flash to update healthcare providers on additional cyber activity that continues to exploit fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FBI stated that it had been notified of targeted email ...
March 18, 2020
The U.S. Department of Labor's new guidance for states in administering unemployment insurance benefits in an effort to ease financial burdens for those impacted by the COVID19 outbreak. Click here to read the full article.
March 19, 2020
Following the passage of H.R. 6201 by the Senate on March 18, 2020, known as
the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, President Trump signed the Act into law
shortly thereafter. The Act is the first relief measure passed in response to the COVID-19
outbreak in the United States; however, it is expected that more aid will be ...
March 12, 2020
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance for employers to address questions about wage and hour issues that employers may face in dealing with the coronavirus. It is posted here. In addition, the DOL posted information about leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for employers. It can be found here.
I don’t know about you, but I cannot help but sing the Mulan song in my head every time that I read the title. I get pumped up a little thinking that it’s time to defeat the Huns (or in this case, COVID-19). Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’ve been working from home for too long. This post will be the first in a series of posts titled “Let’s Get [Back ...
The Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet has published an employer handbook to answer employers’ questions about unemployment insurance and how it has been impacted by COVID-19 and the new federal programs enacted as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The ...
The following article was written by Wyatt's Glen Krebs on behalf the American Immigration Lawyers Association ("AILA"). The AILA is the national bar association of immigration lawyers comprised of over 15,000 members located in every state in the United States and worldwide.
Here’s What We Know
On April 22, 2020, President Trump issued a ...
COVID-19 continues to cause concern for employers, but one concern they may be able to let go of is recording each employee diagnosis with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”). Following a letter of concern, OSHA has released new guidelines that COVID-19 would not be a recordable injury for most ...
Many employers are being forced to make tough financial choices to survive the difficult economic climate caused by COVID-19. Before closing offices or instituting furloughs or mass layoffs, employers must consider the requirements of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, as well as any ...
By Marianna Michael
On April 14, 2020, the Supreme Court of Kentucky issued its latest Order extending deadlines in response to COVID-19. In what is its most dramatic extension to this point, the Court has limited its functions and those of the Court of Appeals until May 31, 2020. Up to this point, the Court had been extending its deadlines every two ...
Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order on April 9th expanding workers’ compensation benefits to workers who, because of their jobs, are at higher risk of being exposed to COVID-19.
If an employee is removed from work by a doctor due to an “occupational exposure,” the employee will be entitled to ...
A new week brings some important updates for employers related to their workplace health and safety obligations in the context of the current COVID-19 crisis:
- OSHA relaxes COVID-19 recording requirement for most employers.
By Jordan White
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently published a new workplace poster aimed at reducing workplace exposure to the coronavirus. Specifically, the poster highlights ten infection protection measures every employer can implement to protect workers’ safety and ...
On April 1, 2020, the Supreme Court of Kentucky issued further guidance on its and the Court of Appeals’ operations during the COVID-19 crisis. The Order, which can be found here (https://kycourts.gov/courts/supreme/Rules_Procedures/202016.pdf), extends certain restrictions until May 1, 2020. The Order shares ...
By Daniel Reed
On April 6, 2020, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) published a set of regulations, effective through December 31, 2020, to implement the paid sick and emergency family medical leave expansion provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
The FFCRA requires most employers with fewer than 500 workers ...
Many people feel a certain level of invincibility to data breaches and online scammers, maybe because they are well-read and knowledgeable about what to look for and avoid, or maybe because they simply think they are smart enough to know a scam when they see it. While that may be true in the ordinary course, scammers have adapted ...
By Sharon Gold
Yesterday, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) released temporary regulations that, among other things, clarifies what documentation an employer should gather when employees seek leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The unpublished rule is available here and may go through changes before ...
Yesterday, the Department of Labor posted temporary regulations addressing how workers and employers will benefit from the protections and relief offered by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (“EPSLA”) and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (“EFMLEA”), both included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ...