A vestige of the aftermath of North Carolina’s infamous 2016 “House Bill 2” (also known as “the Bathroom Bill”) expired on December 1, 2020, paving the way for local North Carolina governments to pass or reinstate anti-discrimination ordinances.
President Biden signed a flurry of executive orders on January 20, 2021, his first day in office, a number of which rescinded or revised the prior administration’s executive orders and policies with regard to equity in the workplace.
After running a presidential campaign that emphasized the benefits of lawful and employment-based immigration, President Biden has issued a number of executive orders to reverse the Trump administration’s positions and eliminate restrictions.
On January 22, 2021, after two months of stringent lockdown orders, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a new epidemic order significantly relaxing gathering restrictions.
The NY DOL has issued new guidance that seeks to clarify the benefits available to all employees (except those in the healthcare industry) under the NY COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Law.
On January 21, 2021, President Biden designated Commissioner Charlotte Burrows (D) as the new chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
On January 8, 2021, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued its final rule modifying the calculation of withdrawal liability by multiemployer pension plans.
On January 14, 2021, Ontario announced the start of a workplace health and safety inspection blitz of big-box stores in certain cities. A week later, it expanded this program to additional business sectors.
On January 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released an opinion letter analyzing the application of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) creative professional exemption to journalists.
2021 brings new questions for Canadian employers; the most challenging of all is whether, in the unprecedented circumstance of a global pandemic, they can require their employees to be vaccinated.
