Articles and Blogs

On April 13, 2020 the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition (“FTC”) and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) (hereinafter the “FTC” and “DOJ” may be jointly referred to as the “Agencies”) announced they would be “on alert” for violations of the federal antitrust laws aimed at exploiting the COVID-19... READ MORE

On April 9, 2020, the EEOC issued new technical assistance FAQ responses.  Background EEOC states that EEO laws do not prevent employers from following guidelines and suggestions made by the CDC or state/local public health authorities. As previously mentioned in Hall Render postings, the EEOC has provided prior guidance entitled Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and... READ MORE

Just as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) went into effect on April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued its “Temporary Rule: Paid Leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (“Temporary Rule.”) This Temporary Rule was published in the Federal Register on Monday, April 6, 2020, and provides some... READ MORE

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (“the Act”).  The Act is intended to provide a multifaceted economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the various other provisions in the Act, section 4003 of the Act specifically contains several Federal Reserve lending provisions... READ MORE

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), a $2.2 trillion stimulus package intended to spread relief across the American economy during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Title II of the CARES Act provides monetary relief for workers affected by COVID-19 by both... READ MORE

As we previously posted, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) has been releasing guidance documents regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). You can find our prior article here. One of the guidance documents included Questions and Answers (“Q&A”) that the DOL has been revising and expanding over the last few days, providing significant... READ MORE

As employers and employees continue to grapple with the spread of COVID-19, an employer‑sponsored leave-sharing program can be a good tool to help alleviate the strain on employee populations that encounter circumstances where they need time away from work. If structured and administered properly, certain leave-sharing arrangements allow employees to donate PTO, medical leave... READ MORE

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (“DWD”) is urging individuals seeking unemployment benefits to apply online at the DWD website before calling due to an extreme influx of unemployment applications. The DWD, which closed all offices across the state to the public in an effort to help contain the spread of COVID-19 and follow... READ MORE

The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) released several documents regarding the recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). It includes fact sheets and two Questions and Answer documents. Our article from March 19, 2020, found here, outlines the key employee rights and employer responsibilities from two of the acts within the FFCRA –... READ MORE

In an effort to promote social distancing to protect Hoosier health and safety and contain COVID-19, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (“Indiana DWD”) announced on Monday, March 23, 2020, that all of its statewide offices will be closed to the public until further notice. Individuals seeking unemployment benefits must now apply online at... READ MORE