As Puerto Rico starts to reopen, the government is placing much of the burden to stop the spread of COVID-19 on employers. On May 1, 2020, Puerto Rico Secretary of Labor issued Opinion Letter 2020-03 to implement Executive Order 2020-38.
A new Executive Order issued in Puerto Rico allows certain commercial businesses and/or commercial activities or services that had remained closed and/or suspended since March 15, 2020, to resume operations.
On April 29, 2020, the eve of the natural expiration of his “Safer at Home Order,” Governor Rick DeSantis announced his “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step.” plan to reopen Florida, which he explained would include three phases.
While the White House plans to sign an executive order to keep meat and poultry processing facilities open, OSHA and the CDC issued joint interim guidance to address the widespread infection rate of the coronavirus among workers in these processing plants
After COVID-19 abates, employers may determine that they cannot return all employees to the workforce. Some employers may need to recall employees on a slower timeline depending on demand, social distancing imperatives, and the timeline for production.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Canadians are performing work for their employers inside their homes. This raises the question of who has responsibility for potential hazards they may be exposed to while doing so.
On April 23, 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that Illinois’ Stay-at-Home Order will be extended through the end of May 2020, with certain changes effective May 1, 2020.
The pandemic’s initial origination in Asia provides an opportunity for western-based employers to anticipate where they might be in 6 weeks to 2 months and what they might anticipate as they prepare to manage their employees’ to return to the workplace.
On April 23, 2020, Governor Brian Kemp signed an order relaxing the statewide Shelter in Place Order and providing additional guidance related to the reopening of Critical Infrastructure and non-Critical Infrastructure business operations.
In guidance issued on April 23, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) stated that employers may choose to administer COVID-19 testing to employees before they enter the workplace to determine if they have the virus.