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OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 Delayed

The week of November 15th, OSHA announced it was suspending implementation and enforcement of its new vaccine or test emergency temporary standards (ETS). They gave no indication of when the suspension would be lifted or when enforcement would begin but only acknowledged that there had been multiple cases filed in the courts challenging their statutory […]

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Overwhelmed and Confused: Employers React to President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan

On September 9, 2021, President Biden released a general description of the COVID-19 action plan he wants to implement in this country’s battle against COVID-19 and its variants.  Probably the most highlighted and controversial provision in the plan is the requirement placed upon private employers to make sure their employees are either vaccinated or provide

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Return to In-Person Workers’ Compensation Hearings

The Ohio Industrial Commission has just announced that in-person hearings are scheduled to resume on July 6, 2021. During the pandemic, hearings were conducted telephonically and through web conferencing.  However, because legislation enabling the Industrial Commission to conduct hearings remotely is expiring, in-person hearings will be resuming. Hearing notices informing parties of the change in

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Quarantine and Return to Work Timelines for COVID-19: The New 7/10 Day Rules

On December 2, 2020, the CDC updated its guidelines for employers to help them determine when an employee must quarantine, if they have had contact with a positive COVID-19 (“COVID”) individual, and how long an employee must stay home from work if they are suffering from symptoms from COVID or have tested positive for COVID.

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BREAKING: Supreme Court of the United States Bans Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity

In a landmark 6 to 3 vote, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited under federal civil rights law.  Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, No. 17-1618, decided June 15, 2020. The decision was based on the cases of two gay

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Employees Who Quit or Refuse to Return to Work Because of COVID-19 May Lose Unemployment Compensation

With the reopening of Ohio’s economy under the new restart plan, employers and business groups are raising concerns over the impact of continued unemployment compensation benefits and the additional weekly boost of $600.00 from the federal government for recipients. Normally, unemployment benefits can be denied or terminated if an offer of work is refused without

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Ohio’s Responsible Restart Plan

On April 27, 2020, Governor DeWine announced Ohio’s initial plan for restarting the economy beyond the limited activities allowed under the Department of Health’s stay at home orders issued in March and April. Only essential businesses and certain health care facilities were allowed to remain open during the initial lockout phase. The new restart plan

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Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Announces 1.6 Billion Dollar Premium Rebate: Will This Really Help?

On April 10, 2020, the Administrator for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Stephanie B. McCloud, announced that the governing board for the Bureau had unanimously approved a new 1.6 billion dollar rebate for Ohio employers. The Bureau hopes to have the checks out within the next thirty days. The Administrator indicated that the rebate

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Update to Ohio’s workers’ compensation phone hearings

As we previously communicated, the Ohio Industrial Commission began conducting workers\’ compensation hearings by phone as of March 18, 2020 in response to Covid-19.  We have learned that the Industrial Commission will be changing the procedure for the hearings effective April 27, 2020. Beginning on that date, the Hearing Officers will no longer be initiating

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