Earlier this afternoon, Multnomah County announced that effective Friday August 13 all individuals age five and older in Multnomah County will be required to wear masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. A copy of the County’s announcement is available here. Based on the announcement, we expect that the mask mandate will not
COVID-19
Oregon Health Care Employees Must Provide Proof of COVID Vaccination or Test Weekly
The latest COVID-19 surge driven by the Delta variant has caused many employers — not the least of which are health care employers — to revisit mandatory vaccine requirements for employees. While many health care systems around the country already have mandated that their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, a…
OR-OSHA Repeals Face-Covering and Distancing Requirements for Most Employers
Effective today, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OR-OSHA”) repealed the COVID-19 workplace safety rules that obligated most employers to require employees and visitors to wear face coverings and observe physical distancing rules in the workplace. However, most of OR-OSHAs rules remain in effect and the repeal of the face-covering and distancing requirements…
Headline: EEOC Releases Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance
Just before we headed off for the holiday weekend, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) released updated guidance related to the COVID-19 vaccine. The guidance largely tracks earlier guidance and practices that many employers had already adopted. Here are the highlights:
- The EEOC explicitly confirmed that federal anti-discrimination laws “do not prevent an employer
No Mask, No Problem – Washington Department of Labor & Industries Issues New Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Workers
On May 21, 2021, the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (“L&I”) published new guidance regarding fully vaccinated workers. The new guidance will help employers adjust masking policies to meet the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) guidelines adopted by Governor Jay Inslee.
Under the new guidance, most Washington employers need not require…
Final OR OSHA Infectious Disease Rule Is Now Effective
Effective May 4, 2021, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OR OSHA”) published its final rule requiring Oregon employers to continue to implement safety measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19. The final rule is available on OR OSHA’s website. Here is a summary of the permanent rule’s key provisions:
No Sunset Date …
Changes to Washington’s Requirements Regarding Accommodation of Employees at High Risk of Contracting COVID-19
For the past year, Washington employers have been required to accommodate those employees characterized by the CDC as being at high risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19. Required accommodations can include allowing those employees to take extended leaves of absence if alternative work assignments, telework, remote work locations, or social distancing measures are…
Governor Newsom Signs New COVID-19 Relief Measure
On March 19, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved Senate Bill 95 (“SB 95”) which entitles most California employees to a new bank of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. The law will go into effect on March 29, 2021.
California’s prior law entitling workers to COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave expired on December 31, 2020…
Oregon OSHA Issues Sample Materials for Required Employee Training and Releases Delayed Enforcement Memorandum
Oregon OSHA has just released a series of materials, including sample training materials, to help employers comply with OR-OSHA’s temporary workplace safety rules related to COVID-19. We previously discussed the OR-OSHA rules here and here. The new materials are summarized below.
Sample Training Materials
Employers must provide employees with COVID-19 information and training by…
California Imposes More Stringent Requirements on Employers Relating to COVID-19
On November 20, 2020, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standard Board adopted temporary regulations regarding measures that employers must undertake in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. On November 30, those regulations went into effect and are set to be in place for at least 180 days. California employers must…