The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0”), signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022, is another round of retirement reforms that began with the original SECURE Act (i.e., the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act”) passed in 2019. SECURE 2.0 contains over 90 provisions that will have at

Thousands of workers across the country have filed discrimination claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) since the inception of the Covid-19 pandemic.  In an exclusive report, Bloomberg revealed that “[s]ince April 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has received roughly 6,225 Covid-related charges of discrimination under federal civil rights laws” and

In a significant win for the #MeToo movement, the U.S. Senate passed a bill on Thursday, February 10, 2021, which ensures that employees who are sexually harassed or assaulted in the workplace can pursue their claims in court.  The bill invalidates pre-dispute agreements that require individuals to arbitrate claims related to sexual harassment or sexual

In an opinion that employers across the country have been eagerly anticipating, the United States Supreme Court today issued a per curiam opinion blocking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) rule that would have required roughly 80 million workers to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination or be tested weekly and wear masks to avoid being

On Friday, January 7, 2022, the Louisiana Supreme Court unanimously upheld a COVID-19 vaccine mandate program that the state’s largest private healthcare system implemented for its employees. Hayes, et al. v. University Health Shreveport, 21-01601 (La. 1/7/22). In doing so, the Court reaffirmed the employment-at-will doctrine, and its decision will likely be cited in

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) announced on December 14, 2021, that employees who contract COVID-19 may be protected from discrimination under federal law.  This supplements previously issued guidance addressing when people with “long COVID” may be deemed disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

The EEOC’s new guidance clarifies that a person

On Tuesday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit addressed the question of whether the 1962 U.S. Supreme Court holding in Vaughan v. Atkinson, 369 U.S. 527 (1962) requires courts hearing maintenance and cure cases to construe disputed medical evidence in the seaman’s favor. In Witbart v. Mandara Spa (Hawaii), LLC

The Louisiana legislature has passed new laws requiring employers to provide accommodations for certain pregnant employees and limiting an employer’s use of an applicant’s criminal history in hiring decisions.  Both laws become effective on August 1, 2021.

Amendment to Pregnancy Accommodation Law

By Act No. 393 of the 2021 Regular Session, Louisiana’s nondiscrimination

Last week we reviewed five of the most common, and problematic, labor and employment law issues in bankruptcy. You can read last week’s article here. Below are five additional labor and employment law concerns in bankruptcy that companies must know and assess when they are undergoing bankruptcy.

6. Back Wages

Companies must obviously pay

On June 19, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) issued Notice 2020-50 which expands the categories of individuals eligible for coronavirus-related distributions (“CRDs”), loans, and loan repayment suspensions as well as resolves some of the issues that were concerning plan administrators and employers under the CARES Act. Under Section 2202 of the CARES Act, a qualifying CRD, which is subject to an aggregate $100,000 maximum, is: (1) not subject to the 10% additional tax on early distributions, (2) generally includible in income over a 3-year period, and (3) to the extent the distribution is eligible for tax-free rollover treatment and is contributed to an eligible retirement plan within a 3-year period, will not be included in income. Section 2202 also provides that: (1) for loans made during on or after March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) and before September 23, 2020, the limit on loans from an eligible retirement plan is raised to the lesser of $100,000 (reduced by the excess of outstanding loans) or 100% of the participant’s vested accrued benefit; and (2) for loans with outstanding balances on or after March 27, 2020, a one-year delay in loan repayment due dates is provided with respect to due dates occurring during the period from March 27, 2020, to December 31, 2020. For more information on these CARES Act topics see our prior newsletter here.
Continue Reading Additional Guidance for Coronavirus-Related Distributions and Loans Under the CARES Act