Governor DeWine announced last month that the State of Ohio would submit an application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for additional funds made available by executive order. Earlier this month, the FEMA accepted the State of Ohio’s application for funding for the additional unemployment benefits. These benefits replace the $600 in CARES Act [...]
The DOL recently made two subtle but important changes to its regulations implementing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The changes come in response to a federal court ruling holding that some provisions of the regulations are invalid. The changes are to the definition of “heath care provider” and the timing of an employee’s submission [...]
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced that it will resume issuing charge closure documents also known as Notices of Right to Sue or Right to Sue Letters. The EEOC is the first stop for claims of discrimination with respect to age, disability status, genetic information, national origin, pregnancy status, race, religion, and sex. [...]
The Ohio General Assembly has made critical amendments to R.C. 124.393, the statute which authorizes an appointing authority to implement mandatory cost savings programs in the event of a fiscal emergency. The amendments were included in Senate Bill 310, which was a bill mainly authorizing the distribution of $350 million in federal funds under the [...]
On August 8, 2020, President Trump issued an executive order and three executive memoranda providing additional COVID-19 relief to individuals and businesses. Included in the orders were renter and homeowner eviction protection, unemployment compensation assistance, deferral of payroll tax obligations, and student loan payment relief. Of particular importance to employers, one of the orders issued [...]
The Department of Labor has updated its guidance addressing the availability of employee leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL clarified that a parent-employee is entitled to FFCRA leave if the parent-employee is unable to work or telework due to a need to care for his or her child whose place [...]
On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act contains several new entitlements which have garnered a lot of attention, including the $600.00 in additional unemployment compensation paid for by the federal government. A lessor known provision, called the Employee Retention Credit, provides eligible employers [...]
Attorney General Dave Yost recently signaled his intent to recommend major revisions to the State of Ohio’s public records law. The Attorney General told the Columbus Dispatch that he wants to motivate greater compliance with existing public records law, and also notes that the law needs modernization, stating that “it hasn’t been revisited in many [...]
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMSCA) new Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse went into effect January 6, 2020. The new program requires commercial driver’s license (CDL) employers, medical review officers, third-party administrators, substance abuse professionals and state driver’s license agencies to report failed and refused drug tests for CDL drivers to [...]
The DOL has issued a long-awaited final rule addressing the standard for determining joint-employer status in the context of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rule seeks to settle confusion surrounding when a joint employer relationship is created for liability purposes under the FLSA. Prior to the rule issuance, federal circuit courts had been [...]