Image by Viktor Ivanchenko from Pixabay Like many of you, news of the untimely death of Michael K. Williams shook me. RIP. I thought more about Mr. Williams yesterday as I read two reports and recommendations from a Discovery Special Master assigned to a COVID-19 face mask case. Specifically, I…
Image by chenspec from Pixabay Last week, this Vyopta / Wakefield Survey about employee use of remote technology began making the rounds. The press release highlights “Online Accountability,” noting that nearly a quarter of those surveyed reported they have seen an employee fired because of video or audio conference mistakes.…
I’ll bet you that they didn’t ask about this on the SHRM-CP exam, did they? Meet Ms. “X.” (I’m not going to use her real name because I don’t need y’all blowing up her social media.) Actually, instead of Ms. “X,” let’s call her “Plaintiff.” Plaintiff filed this complaint in…
Image Credit: Robert Couse-Baker on Pxhere.com I’m willing to bet that, somewhere in your handbook, most of you have a section on military or USERRA leave. USERRA protects service members’ reemployment rights when returning from a service period in the uniformed services, including those called up from the reserves or…
Whoisjohngalt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General alerted the public about a variety of COVID-19 scams, ranging from fake contact tracers COVID-19 survey scams asking for all sorts of personal information (e.g., Medicare number, financial information)…
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay It’s tough enough dealing with employees who submit shady doctor notes to avoid masks or getting a COVID-19 vaccination. (I find that letterhead printed on a Saltine is a dead-bang giveaway.) But, what happens to the doctors that write these opt-out letters? The other…
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay On Friday, the New York State Bar Association announced its recommendation that every employer in the state require that all workers get vaccinated for COVID-19, except those with legitimate medical conditions or religious concerns. In its August Report the NYSBA takes it a few steps…
Image by Brett Hondow from Pixabay Earlier in the week, you may have heard the news about a company assessing unvaccinated employees a $200 surcharge to offset the rising costs of health insurance attributable to COVID-19. On Wednesday, I spoke with 6abc Action News about the, err, news. Jon Hyman…
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay A little Thursday lesson on the importance of consistency, precise language, and following your rules. But before I do that, might you be interested in “Everything HR Ever Wanted to Know about Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Workplace“? If learning more about religious accommodations, booster…
Image by torstensimon from Pixabay Since the FDA approved the first COVID-19 vaccine, President Biden has asked employers to mandate employee vaccinations. The American Medical Association has echoed the sentiment. But are more employers really ready to require COVID-19 vaccinations? Late last month, I asked, “Will your business mandate COVID-19…