COVID-19

27 Apr COVID national emergency ends, COBRA says what?

Posted at 20:21h in 2023, COVID-19, Employee Benefits, Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk The COVID national emergency is officially over. On April 10, 2023, House Joint Resolution 7 was signed into law, ending the national emergency declared back in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The COVID public health emergency,...

26 Jul New EEOC guidance limits employers’ ability to test employees for COVID-19

Posted at 16:12h in 2022, COVID-19, Human Resources, Labor & Employment Law

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk New guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may limit an employer’s ability to test employees for COVID-19 going forward. This is a particularly significant development as COVID-19 transmission rates surge nationwide. On July 12, 2022, the EEOC...

28 Feb Florida Issues Updated COVID-19 Guidance for Child Care Facilities

Posted at 16:48h in 2022, Commercial Insurance, COVID-19, Early Learning Centers

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk The Florida Department of Health made significant changes to its COVID-19 guidance for child care facilities. On February 24, 2022, Florida’s Governor and State Surgeon General jointly announced the new guidance as part of their “Buck the CDC”...

28 Dec CDC Shortens COVID Isolation and Quarantine Periods for General Population

Posted at 18:21h in 2021, COVID-19

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shortened the recommended isolation and quarantine periods for anyone in the general public who is exposed to COVID-19. This change was motivated by data that shows most transmission occurs...

08 Dec EEOC Updates COVID Guidance to Address Pandemic-Related Workplace Retaliation

Posted at 14:56h in 2021, Commercial Insurance, COVID-19, Human Resources, Labor & Employment Law

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its COVID-19 technical assistance to address retaliation in pandemic-related employment situations. This was prompted in part by the fact that retaliation has been the most frequently alleged form of discrimination for...

05 Nov OSHA Imposes Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Policy on Employers with 100+ Employees

Posted at 22:05h in 2021, Commercial Insurance, COVID-19, Labor & Employment Law, Risk Management, Safety

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. It generally requires private employers with 100 or more employees (covered employers) to develop, implement and...

17 Jul Can Employers Prevent Unvaccinated Employees from Entering the Workplace?

Posted at 16:07h in 2021, Commercial Insurance, COVID-19, Human Resources, Labor & Employment Law, Risk Management, Safety

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk Many employers are struggling with how to deal with the shrinking, yet substantial number of employees who are not vaccinated for COVID-19. As infection rates increase, employers are once again forced to consider actions to maintain operations while...

25 Jun This is What Businesses Need to Know About Florida’s COVID-19 ‘Vaccine Passport’ Ban

Posted at 21:41h in 2021, Commercial Insurance, COVID-19, Risk Management

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk Florida’s ban on so-called COVID-19 ‘vaccine passports’ begins July 1, 2021. Unlike guidance issued by public health authorities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida’s ban on COVID-19 vaccine passports is mandatory, not voluntary. Those who...

04 Jun This Is What Businesses Need To Know About Florida’s COVID-19 Liability Protection Law

Posted at 20:59h in 2021, Commercial Insurance, COVID-19, Professional Liability, Risk Management, Safety

Florida’s COVID-19 liability protection law should help businesses avoid baseless coronavirus-related liability claims. After all, COVID-19 taught us that it’s virtually impossible to avoid a highly-contagious virus in the midst of a global pandemic. Virus-free zones are an illusion. The risk of exposure and infection...

17 Mar OSHA Launches Program to Protect High-Risk Workers from COVID-19

Posted at 15:06h in Commercial Insurance, COVID-19, Human Resources, Labor & Employment Law, Risk Management, Safety

Did you know that OSHA is specifically targeting restaurants, supermarkets and other businesses for COVID-related inspections? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently launched a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to significantly reduce the number of workplace exposures to COVID-19. To accomplish this goal, OSHA will...