The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent criminal prosecutions of health care executives for no-poach and wage-fixing conspiracies have been met with not-guilty verdicts. Despite these losses, the Department continues to prosecute this conduct, and antitrust enforcers will continue to investigate human resources practices that may restrain competition.
Continue Reading Two Strikes for DOJ: Health Care Executives Not Guilty of Antitrust Conspiracies

Throughout the COVID pandemic, healthcare employers have navigated the challenge of balancing safety concerns with employee requests for religious exemption from the vaccine.  Since lifting the stay of the CMS rule requiring certain healthcare workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the US Supreme Court (Court) has refused to enjoin state and city vaccine mandates for workers who seek religious exemptions from such mandates. On March 7, 2022, the full Court rejected, without comment, an emergency application for an injunction that was previously denied by Justice Sotomayor to prevent enforcement of the New York City Department of Education’s COVID-19 mandate against suspended workers who refused vaccination based on religion.  In the wake of continued challenges to vaccine mandates based on religion, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), released guidance on March  1, 2022 that addresses questions related to religious objections to vaccinations in the workplace. Healthcare employers should ensure that assessment of requests for religious exemptions for vaccine mandates comports with EEOC guidance.
Continue Reading EEOC Issues Employer Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccinations and Religious Objections

On Friday, January 07, 2022, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a rule promulgated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Rule is being challenged by numerous states and CMS is currently enjoined from enforcing the Rule in half the country. The government petitioned the Supreme Court to stay the injunctions in

Surprise! This morning a federal court in Missouri has ordered the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) not to enforce the vaccine mandate in these states: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Watch for the CMS/Biden Administration response today!

Update: November 18, 2021

Missed yesterday’s discussion around issues covered employers must consider under OSHA’s mandates and the steps employers should take to comply with the ETS? The webinar recording is now available for viewing at your convenience. Simply register using the following link and you will have access to the recorded webcast: https://bit.ly/3oH0aO7

Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Live Webinar | Noon – 1:00 p.m. CST 

REGISTER

OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) is now effective, and employees who work for covered employers have until January 4, 2022 to get vaccinated or to otherwise comply with the new requirements.
Continue Reading What Employers Need to Know about OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS)

Did you miss some of the webinar, want to review some of the material or have a colleague who missed the program? The webinar recording is now available for viewing at your convenience. Simply register using the following link and you will have access to the recorded webcast. https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3418654/CFE58C2AEF93EDB2894F6D043A5D5422?mode=login&email=priscilla.murray@huschblackwell.com
Continue Reading Legal Considerations and Future Vaccine Mandates—How to Prepare for the Federal Vaccine Mandate

1.  I have a unionized workforce. Do I need to bargain before mandating that my employees are Covid vaccinated before reporting to work?

With the CDC largely ending mask requirements for those who are Covid vaccinated, many employers will look anew at whether they will require vaccinations for their employees to participate in the workplace. While this whole topic raises a myriad of questions related to vaccine certificates, maintenance of medical records, and exceptions that might apply to employees because of religious or health accommodations, an entirely separate question comes up as to whether employers may mandate their union workforce to be vaccinated in order to work.
Continue Reading Funny You Should Ask: Is a vaccine mandate a subject of bargaining?

As businesses begin to reintegrate employees into their pre-pandemic workplaces, many of our clients have questions regarding return-to-work issues. In this edition of Funny You Should Ask, we address two questions many of our clients have asked during the past week. The answers below focus on compliance with federal law. As always, employers will need to take state and local laws into consideration in addition to federal law.
Continue Reading Funny You Should Ask: Not So Common Employment Questions

As more businesses begin to reintegrate employees into their pre-pandemic workplaces, many of our clients have questions regarding return-to-work issues. In this edition of Funny You Should Ask, we address three questions many of our clients have asked during the past week. The answers below focus on compliance with federal law. As always, employers will need to take state and local laws into consideration in addition to federal law.
Continue Reading Funny You Should Ask: Not So Common Employment Questions

On Thursday, January 14, 2021, President Biden’s administration announced its proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus relief plan: “The American Rescue Plan” (“Plan”). The Plan contains wide-ranging support for those affected by the pandemic. Notably, the Plan proposes to require all employers of any size to provide paid leave and to significantly extend the required paid