Summer is upon us, and the rate of fully vaccinated individuals against COVID-19 continues to rise throughout the United States. People are ready to travel, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated guidance for domestic travel for fully vaccinated people. The updated guidance, which can be accessed here, makes two... Read more »

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On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew the “Independent Contractor Rule” to help preserve essential workers’ rights- including the minimum wage and overtime compensation protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The withdrawal is effective May 6. FLSA requires that covered employers pay employees at least the federal minimum wage... Read more »

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On April 28, 2021, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower federal court’s preliminary injunction preventing AB 5, California’s independent contractor law, from applying to motor carriers and independent owner-operators conducting business in California. AB 5 codified the independent contractor test (ABC test) established by the California Supreme Court in the 2018 Dynamex... Read more »

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Mask mandates and recommendations are in almost constant flux across the country. States, counties, and municipalities are updating rules all the time. Below are updates for states in the Employers Council region. Before reading those, however, employers should remember that the OSHA mask standards have not changed. OSHA’s guidance (based on CDC recommendations) continues to highlight... Read more »

The post State Mask Mandate Updates 5/2/2021 appeared first on Employers Council Blog.

A new survey by Hibob found that even with the COVID-19 vaccine, employees will not rush back to the office five days a week. Approximately 36% of survey participants from every age group said they would very likely quit if forced to come back to the office. Parents were found more likely than non-parents to... Read more »

The post COVID-19 Vaccine May Not Get All Employees Back to the Office appeared first on Employers Council Blog.

The week of April 25 was busy for the U. S. Department of Labor. In addition to delaying the 2020 Tip Rule on April 26, 2021, the Department announced an initiative to help workers understand the federal wage laws that protect them, called the  Essential Workers, Essential Protections initiative. On the initiative’s web page, some FAQs... Read more »

The post U. S. Department of Labor Gearing Up on Enforcement and Information for Workers appeared first on Employers Council Blog.