BLOGS

As you may already know, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. issued an Emergency Travel Order for people going in an out of the City of Chicago. The order was issued on July 2, 2020 and is effective from July 6, 2020 until further notice by the Commissioner. There are several issues that are particularly important for employers to be aware of now that this order has been passed, including when to give out paid sick leave and whether you can ban employees from traveling to certain areas. Basics of the Order Th...

The Supreme Court released several opinions today, one of the most important for employers being Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia. The Bostock opinion holds that it is a violation of Title VII for an employer to fire an individual “merely for being gay or transgender.” Details of the Case The Court came to its decision with a 6-3 vote, with the majority opinion written by Justice Gorsuch, joined by Justices Roberts, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan. Bostock is a consolidated case that resolves the matters in Altitude Express, Inc....

Now that Governor Pritzker has decided to move Illinois into Phase 3 of reopening, a number of employers have decided to open up shop again. However, the executive order that lays out the rules for Phase 3 still encourages all businesses to facilitate working from home when possible.  So, what are the best practices for a work-from-home environment, and what responsibilities do employers have to pay for employees’ resources at home? Online Security One of the biggest concerns for any business, whether employees are working from home or not...

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a new enforcement memo that went into effect May 26, 2020. Generally speaking, employers have certain obligations to make reports to OSHA regarding workplace injuries. Due to the pandemic, OSHA has been addressing employer concerns regarding when and how to record occupational illnesses contracted in the workplace. This new enforcement memo revises OSHA’s previous guidance, and these new guidelines should be used going forward until further notice from OSHA. Standard Rule Und...

On April 30, 2020, Governor Pritzker released Executive Order 2020-32, which extends the current stay-at-home order.  However, there are a few key differences in this new order that you should be aware of, not just in the workplace but personally while you are out and about, as well. What Stays the Same Despite all the updates, there are several aspects of the stay-at-home order that remain the same. For example, you can still leave home for essential travel, which includes reasons related to health and safety, necessary supplies and service...