A federal court in New York decided that an employer illegally fired an employee for reporting safety concerns relating to the COVID-19 virus. The employer in this case was an ophthalmologist who fired an employee after she complained about a lack of workplace protocols relating to the virus. Dr. David Kwiat, who operates Kwiat Eye […]
California’s COVID-19 definitions and procedures were revised by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), leading to some changes in the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 standard. On Jan. 9, 2024, CDPH updated its guidance on COVID-19, with the biggest change being a new definition for “infectious period.” Shortens time of ‘infectious period’ The term originally referred to […]
A new study has found that workers in critical occupations suffered a greater excess mortality rate (EMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic than other workers. EMR is defined as deaths beyond those expected during usual circumstances. Some critical occupations had higher EMR than others Researchers at the University of Minnesota found, for example, that the 2021 […]
Is a COVID-19-related death compensable under workers’ compensation law? The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that it can be as long as the legal requirements of compensability are met. The court’s decision in a case involving a worker who died from COVID-19 due to exposure at work affirmed an administrative law judge’s ruling that granted […]
In COVID-19-related workers’ compensation claims, 6% of workers who filed a claim developed long COVID, according to a new study. Workers’ Compensation Research Institute researchers found that “at an average of 18 months of post-infection experience, these workers received more than 20 weeks of temporary disability benefits and received an average of $29,000 in medical […]
A federal court ordered an Illinois dentist to pay $20,000 in back wages to a dental assistant who was terminated after complaining about the risk of COVID-19 at the office in March 2020. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois entered a consent judgment Aug. 9, 2023, requiring Dr. Monzer Al-Dadah to […]
A popular fast food chain will soon be banning employees in five states from wearing masks while on the job, all in the name of customer service. In-N-Out Burger’s new policy, which is effective Aug. 14, 2023, restricts employees in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Utah from wearing masks unless they have a valid medical […]
Employers in California won’t have to worry quite as much about being sued over their employees’ family members getting sick from “take-home” COVID-19 thanks to a decision from the state’s Supreme Court. The court determined in Kuciemba v. Victory Woodworks that the company was not liable for an employee’s wife’s hospitalization from COVID-19, which the […]
Non-healthcare employers in California can now operate under reduced COVID-19 outbreak regulations thanks to new guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The CDPH updated its guidance on June 20, 2023, changing the timeframe for counting COVID-19 cases that make up an outbreak. The timeframe was 14 days and it is now down […]
