In the words of Yogi Berra, it feels like déjà vu all over again. With COVID-19 infections rising again throughout the country, particularly due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant strain, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance on July 27, 2021 (i) recommending that all persons living … Continue Reading
With more of us working from home than ever during the COVID-19 public health crisis, employers and employees face unique challenges. Videoconferences have replaced in-person meetings, and our pets, kids, and partners are now our temporary “coworkers.” From the occasional mild annoyances, like barking dogs and ringing doorbells, to the truly humiliating examples trending on … Continue Reading
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency has changed life as we know it, including by severely disrupting business on a nationwide scale. In some cases, employers have been forced to temporarily close their doors and cease operations, while others have had to make radical changes to the workplace in order to maintain operations. … Continue Reading
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), commonly known as the “coronavirus,” is now impacting employers all across the US. Every organization should have a plan of action in place concerning the coronavirus as the threat of an outbreak at your workplace cannot be ignored. Please join us for a live webinar on Monday, March 16, 2020 … Continue Reading
Nicotine products are highly addictive and have been linked to a variety of serious health issues, including lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses. In addition to the numerous health risks associated with nicotine use, there is also a causal connection between employee nicotine use and lower productivity in the workplace, as well as higher healthcare … Continue Reading
Today saw the publication of the Thriving at Work report commissioned by the Prime Minister in January this year and written by Paul Farmer CBE, Chief Executive of MIND and Lord Stevenson, the former Chairman of HBOS who has been open about his own struggle with clinical depression. This is a far reaching report, a … Continue Reading
As you may have noticed, today is the fourth annual “Time to Talk” day. The purpose of the Time to Talk day is to seek to break down the stigma of mental health issues and spark conversations, not only to aid recovery but also to help people with their personal and professional relationships and to … Continue Reading
If you’ve been compulsively checking your works email throughout the holiday season, why not take the opportunity to relocate to France? Since January 1 this year French workers have had the “right to disconnect” outside work hours, say all the Press reports, but the reality is slightly different. The new law lays down no absolute … Continue Reading
Williams, Turner and Stoker -v- The Whitbread Beer Company back in 1995 is one of my favourite Tribunal cases, the sad story of an employer trying to do something nice for its staff and being roundly punished for it. Whitbreads ran a staff seminar and laid on a free bar afterwards. As the evening wore … Continue Reading
Today is National Stress Awareness Day in the United Kingdom. This is not to be confused with National Stress Awareness Day in the United States (16th April), or indeed National Stress Awareness Month (also in the US and also April). Quite why April is more stressful in the US and November is more stressful in … Continue Reading
Today is National Stress Awareness Day, though another long and difficult journey on Thameslink this morning means that actually I am quite stress–aware enough already, thank you for asking. This is not another of those pieces about the business case for countering sources of stress in your workplace. That is too obvious to bear repetition. … Continue Reading
The EEOC has proposed amendments to its regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) as they relate to employer wellness programs. These proposed amendments were published on Monday, April 20, triggering a 60-day public notice and comment period. The proposed amendments aim to define which employer wellness programs are valid under the ADA, which … Continue Reading
Many employers offer wellness programs to employees—such as providing rewards to employees for participating in health and wellness programs (e.g., weight loss, smoking cessation) and achieving particular results, or penalizing employees for declining to participate in such programs in the form of higher insurance premiums—as a way to encourage healthier, more productive workforces while reining … Continue Reading
