The audience will gain a better understanding of the employment law issues to keep in mind, along with successful approaches that employers can take when implementing new workplace policies for their employees.
Navigating The Changing Employment Law Landscape:
With the Covid-19 pandemic constantly changing, so too are the federal, state, and municipal laws that employers must follow. From vaccine mandates to mask mandates, changes to paid leave laws, and new / stricter workplace safety requirements, it’s easy to get overwhelmed as a business owner.
On the next episode of Employment Law Today, host Eric Sarver (Law Offices of Eric M. Sarver), an employment law / business law attorney, will provide an overview of the Covid-19-related employment laws, while sharing successful approaches employers can take when implementing new workplace policies for their employees.
About Eric Sarver:
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By Segment
SEGMENT 1
00:39-14:50: This week, Eric does a one man show where he will provide an overview and update on Coivid19 related employment laws as well as issues with recent changes. Eric introduces his guest; jokingly it’s of course himself, but as always he gives an introduction. In this case, we get to learn more about Eric Sarver. Eric started practicing law in late 1998 into early 1999 and started the Law Offices of Eric M. Sarver in 2001, representing small businesses, midsize businesses and startups. He shared with us a slide presentation in the livestream on Facebook. He speaks about the laws revolving around vaccine mandates and exemptions. He shares examples about reasonable accommodations in businesses between employers and employees. Eric also mentions mask mandates for all state employees and how it has changed for private employees as well.
SEGMENT 2
17:06-30:17: Eric talks about the NYC vaccine mandates which were implemented for transit, going into restaurants, entertainment venues, and more. It was announced by former Mayor Deblasio for private sector employees. In late December, there was another mandate for other employees which dealt with whether employees received their first and/or second dose of the Covid vaccine. Eric dives deep into examples of different scenarios for covered employers and covered workers. He recommends talking to HR professionals who work for your company or to an employment lawyer to know more about these issues and also goes more in detail about reasonable accommodations for those who can’t get vaccinated. Other than religion or a disability, there are reasons like pregnancy, childbirth, or status as a victim that he talks about. Some reasonable accommodations are a leave of absence, masking/PCR testing weekly, or telework/remote work. Things that aren’t accommodated have to do with issues like an employee not complying or using different news in the media as a reason to not get vaccinated.
SEGMENT 3
32:21-45:48: Eric talks about the topic of returning to work which is something happening more recently. Some businesses have a hybrid model, remote work model, or have everyone come back in person. He talks about laws or regulations employers can or should implement. Eric talks about the mistaken assumption that telework will always be reasonably accommodated. If an employee for example, has fear for their health and safety, an employer isn’t obligated to accommodate their employee’s request to stay home. It can be accommodated, but that’s if it is reasonable of course, and that it won’t affect the business in terms of finance. But as Eric says, you should speak to an employment lawyer if needed. Risk of complications related to disabilities, childbirth, pregnancy, or age can be accommodated. There are also other issues like unable to secure childcare that many people are facing.
SEGMENT 4
47:51-57:25: In this segment, Eric talks about something you’d need to consider if you have employees. He mentions the Covid Relief Hero Act. In May of 2021, the NY Hero Act was signed into law. Eric mentions standards and requirements that employers have done for precautions and safety for employees in the workplace. The main takeaways are that you as an employer make sure that you follow industry standards, local and federal guidelines, as well as develop and execute plans to monitor the health and wellbeing of employees. Before closing the show, Eric talks to us about his guest for next week and the topic which will be about finding your purpose as an employer and motivation. You can get in touch with Eric Sarver by visiting Sarver-law.com as well as every Tuesday at 5pm EDT for Employment Law Today right here and live on Facebook.
About Employment Law Today
Helping Business With Employment Law Issues.
For many business owners, it can be overwhelming to keep up and comply with the federal and state labor and employment laws that govern how they run their business. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there are new laws and regulations regarding hiring, firing, and workplace practices and protocols — all of which can increase business owners’ anxieties about regaining traction or thriving again. On my weekly show, we will be discussing the most common employment law related questions and challenges that business owners have been facing in these uncertain times.
The show will have three main goals: (1) to inform businesses about employment law updates, (2) to inspire businesses by giving them the tools to move forward, and (3) to demonstrate how some business owners have overcome their employment law problems, walked through the challenges imposed by this pandemic, and have taken steps to regain traction during the reopening phases of this pandemic.
Our guests will include professionals who advise businesses from an H.R., legal, and financial perspective, along with thriving business owners who will share their experiences and insights into running a successful company while complying with labor and employment law mandates during COVID-19.