By Jennifer Hart On Monday, the Ohio Department of Health amended its remaining health order to conform with the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, which states that vaccinated individuals can stop wearing masks and social distancing. Such...
Governor Mike DeWine announced this week that he would be lifting most of the COVID-19 health orders which were originally issued in March 2020 (subsequently amended). The health orders were originally issued in response to an increase in coronavirus cases in the...
On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) officially announced the withdrawal of the Independent Contractor Final Rule (the “Final Rule”), which had been previously issued by the DOL in the final weeks of the Trump Administration. While the DOL’s withdrawal...
The sharp increase in fraudulent unemployment claims is becoming well-known as employers and individuals in Ohio and elsewhere continue to fall victim. However, what may be less known is the rampant amount of fraud being committed within the federal Pandemic...
The American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law on March 11, 2021, contains significant changes to COBRA. The biggest change is that employers must now provide assistance-eligible individuals with a 100% subsidy for COBRA premiums from April 1, 2021 to Sept. 30,...
A rise in unemployment fraud in Ohio and other states is the subject of increasing media attention and concern. But what exactly is happening, and what should you do if an unemployment claim was fraudulently filed under your employee’s, or your own, name? After...
Although the outcome is uncertain, the push for a $15 federal minimum wage continues in Congress. On Monday, the House Education and Labor Committee proposed adding the increased minimum wage to President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, known...
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has made it clear that employers and employees cannot contractually shorten deadlines for employees to file federal anti-discrimination claims. The Sixth Circuit’s ruling in Thompson v. Fresh Products LLC covers employers in Ohio,...
On Jan. 12, 2021, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 352, the Employment Law Uniformity Act, into law. This Bill, sponsored by Republican State Representative Jon Cross, is a long-awaited and employer-friendly change, which brings Ohio’s employment...
On Nov. 17, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published its proposed Compliance Manual on Religious Discrimination for public comment. If adopted, the guidance would update the Compliance Manual for the first time since July 2008. The Proposed...