Can an Employer Require its Employees to Get the Covid-19 Vaccine?
Yes, but there is a right and wrong way to go about it. And of course, there are exceptions. But more importantly, while an employer can institute such a requirement, the better question to ask might be—should they? More on that below. The Rule: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)…
Legally speaking, working from home blurs line between ‘work' and ‘home'
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses across Arkansas to transition from a traditional office environment to remote work. With flu season approaching and an increasing number of COVID-19 cases, many employers will continue to allow their employees to work from home for the foreseeable future…
Company Defeats Alleged Whistleblower Bringing Claim Under Obscure Whistleblowing Law
Companies generally know that certain whistleblowing activities are protected. But this protection is not absolute, and not everything that employees think is whistleblowing actually meets the legal definition necessary for protection. Deciding what is protected activity and what is not can be a…
CDC's New Definition of "Close Contact" Impacts Contact Tracing in Workplaces
On October 21, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) expanded the definition of “close contact” for contact tracing purposes. The CDC previously defined close contact as 15 consecutive minutes within six feet of an infected person. The new definition still uses 15 minutes as…
Classifying Workers as Employees or Independent Contractors: New Rule on the Horizon
Employers in all shapes and sizes often face the tricky decision of how to classify their workers: are they employees or independent contractors? The answer is not always straightforward, and making a mistake upfront can have costly consequences down the road. We have helped our clients through…