Tag: OSHA

The Legal Challenges to the OSHA ETS and CMS Vaccine Mandate Move to the Supreme Court

On December 22, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States issued orders granting review of legal challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (“OSHA ETS”) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule (“CMS Vaccine Mandate”). In a rare move, the Supreme Court set an accelerated timeline for the cases, scheduling oral arguments in both cases on January 7, 2022.

Following a ruling out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on December 17, 2021, OSHA announced that it would not issue citations for non-compliance with any requirements of the OSHA ETS before January 10, 2022 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with testing requirements before February 9, 2022, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the OSHA ETS. While it is unknown whether the Supreme Court will be able to issue a ruling by OSHA’s January 10, 2022 compliance date, the Supreme Court’s expedited schedule seems to indicate that it is attempting to give employers some finality concerning their obligations under the federal mandates.

Article By Lilian Doan Davis of Polsinelli PC

For more COVID-19 legal news, click here to visit the National Law Review.

© Polsinelli PC, Polsinelli LLP in California

Stay of OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard Lifted By Sixth Circuit – “All Systems Go,” For Now…

A divided panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit lifted the stay on the Occupational Safety and Health Association’s Emergency Temporary Standard (“OSHA ETS”) late Friday night (December 17, 2021). The Sixth Circuit had previously been selected at random to hear the consolidated OSHA ETS litigation.

As a result of the Sixth Circuit’s ruling, OSHA announced that it would exercise enforcement discretion with respect to the compliance dates of the OSHA ETS.  To provide employers with sufficient time to come into compliance:

  • OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the OSHA ETS before January 10, 2022; and

  • OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with testing requirements before February 9, 2022.

These “extensions” are conditioned on an employer exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the OSHA ETS.

Ultimately, the Sixth Circuit found that the petitioners (Republican-led states, businesses, religious groups, and individuals) were unable to establish a likelihood of success on the merits. In doing so, the Sixth Circuit considered and analyzed a myriad of statutory and constitutional arguments. Two out of the three judges on the panel determined that the petitioners would be unlikely to be successful on their constitutional arguments that OSHA violated the commerce clause or the non-delegation doctrine.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, OSHA is required to show that health effects may constitute a “grave danger” in order to warrant an emergency temporary standard. The Sixth Circuit held that the determination as to what constitutes “grave danger” should be left, in the first instance, to the agency. The Sixth Circuit expressly disagreed with, and in effect overruled, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit by holding that OSHA was not required to make findings of exposure in all covered workplaces. The Sixth Circuit held that to require so would mean that no hazard could ever rise to the level of “grave danger.” Ultimately, the Sixth Circuit found that OSHA had shown that COVID-19 is a danger and relied on proper science in issuing the ETS. The Sixth Circuit further held that simply because OSHA did not issue the ETS at the beginning of the pandemic did not mean the agency did not consider COVID-19 an emergency worth addressing.

The Sixth Circuit’s decision was appealed this morning to the Supreme Court; however, this appeal does not alter the decision unless and until the Supreme Court rules.  In the meantime, employers should resume (or continue) preparations to comply with the ETS requirements. For a summary of the OSHA ETS and its requirements, visit here.

Article By Lilian Doan Davis and Isaac T. Caverly of Polsinelli PC

For more coronavirus legal news, click here to visit the National Law Review.

© Polsinelli PC, Polsinelli LLP in California

Sixth Circuit Deals Blow to OSHA’s Proposed Expedited Briefing Schedule, Says it Will Keep ETS Case

In what is getting to be habit in the OSHA ETS litigation with courts issuing orders late Friday afternoons, the Sixth Circuit on December 3, 2021 tersely denied a petition to transfer the case back to the Fifth Circuit.  In the same order, the Sixth Circuit also denied, without explanation, the union petitioners’ bid to transfer the case to the D.C. Circuit where there is pending litigation of the OSHA Healthcare ETS issued in June 2020.

The order perfunctorily addressed several pending motions on the docket, including OSHA’s motion for an expedited briefing schedule, which would have set the close of briefing on the merits for December 29, 2021 with oral argument held as soon as practicable thereafter.  In denying the motion, the Sixth Circuit stated little more than it was reserving judgment on setting a merits briefing schedule.  Obviously, there are a tremendous number of parties with varied interests and a multitude of legal arguments both statutory and Constitutional, which the court clearly recognizes are at play and likely require a schedule that is not rushed.

The next big issue for the court to tackle will be OSHA’s motion to dissolve the stay with the close of briefing just a week away on December 10, 2021.  Whether the court will dole out more good news for employers, states, and other challengers to the ETS for the holiday season is anybody’s guess, but a decision before the holidays seems imminent.

Article By Melanie L. Paul of Jackson Lewis P.C.

For more coronavirus legal news, click here to visit the National Law Review.
Jackson Lewis P.C. © 2021

Given Deadlines Set by Sixth Circuit, ETS Likely Stayed Until At Least December 10, 2021

Earlier this month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) issued its “COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing; Emergency Temporary Standard” (the “ETS”) requiring employers of 100 or more employees to implement policies requiring employee vaccination or enhanced safety measures for unvaccinated employees (including wearing face coverings and weekly COVID-19 testing). Our alert on the ETS is here. The ETS was subject to over 30 petitions for review in the federal circuit courts and was quickly stayed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Although the petitions for review were consolidated before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Fifth Circuit’s stay remains in place. While OSHA has publically stated that it will comply with the stay, its position has been – and continues to be – that employers should prepare to comply with the ETS and that OSHA will succeed in litigation challenging the ETS. Yesterday, OSHA filed an emergency motion to immediately lift the stay.

With the stay in place, covered employers have been in the difficult position of trying to determine how much preparation to do to comply with the ETS’s requirements, many of which are scheduled to be effective on December 6, 2021. The question has been whether the stay will continue beyond the initial deadlines and, if not, whether deadlines will be extended to account for the period during which the ETS was stayed.

The deadlines set out in the Sixth Circuit’s Scheduling Order, which is available here, provide some insight into the timing of the requirements of the ETS.  The Scheduling Order sets the following briefing deadlines:

  • Tuesday, November 30, 2021 – motions to join OSHA’s emergency motion or to modify, revoke, or extend the stay.
  • Tuesday, December 7, 2021 – responses to motions regarding the stay.
  • Friday, December 10, 2021 – replies to responsive motions.

Given these deadlines, it is likely that the ETS will continue to be stayed until at least December 10th (past the December 6, 2021 deadline) while the Sixth Circuit considers briefing.  However, it is possible that, before December 10th, the Sixth Circuit lifts the stay. If the stay is lifted, the ETS requirements could become effective on the date of the court’s order or on a later date set by the Sixth Circuit.

While the briefing schedule does not provide definitive answers to employers on the potential deadlines for ETS compliance, it suggests that the ETS’s December 6, 2021, deadlines may be extended for at least a few days while the Sixth Circuit considers briefing.

© 2021 Bracewell LLP
For more on OSHA COVID-19 updates, visit the NLR Coronavirus News section.

Health Care Settings Subject to New COVID-19 Requirements Issued by New Jersey and OSHA

Health care settings continue to be at the center of testing and treatment for COVID-19 and are the focus of new safety requirements implemented to minimize risks of transmission. Last month, Governor Murphy issued an Executive Order related to vaccination management, COVID-19 testing, and data collection, which mandates “covered health care and high-risk congregate settings” to establish a policy requiring “covered workers” to either submit proof of full vaccination or to submit to weekly COVD-19 testing. This requirement goes into effect on September 7, 2021.

In addition, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has implemented an emergency temporary standard (ETS) applicable to certain health care settings, which includes extensive safety and health measures. The ETS provides for certain exceptions for coverage, and while the precise definitions are complicated and must be consulted, the focus appears to be on those settings where employees are interacting with patients who are suspected or confirmed for COVID-19. Unlike the Executive Order, the OSHA ETS does not include vaccine or testing requirements; however, certain New Jersey health care providers will be covered by both measures.

Which health care and high-risk congregate settings must comply with the Executive Order?

The scope of this Executive Order is quite broad and will impact most health care settings across New Jersey, both in terms of the covered health care settings and the covered workers to which the vaccine or testing requirements will apply.

The Executive Order defines “health care facility” extremely broadly as including:

acute, pediatric, inpatient rehabilitation, and psychiatric hospitals, including specialty hospitals, and ambulatory surgical centers; long-term care facilities; intermediate care facilities; residential detox, short-term, and long-term residential substance abuse disorder treatment facilities; clinic-based settings like ambulatory care [which would include all private medical offices], urgent care clinics, dialysis centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, family planning sites, and Opioid Treatment Programs; community-based healthcare settings including Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, pediatric and adult medical day care programs, and licensed home health agencies and registered health care service firms operating within the State.

High-risk congregate settings under the Executive Order include:

State and county correctional facilities; secure care facilities operated by the Juvenile Justice Commission; licensed community residences for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (“IDD”) and traumatic brain injury (“TBI”); licensed community residences for adults with mental illness; and certified day programs for individuals with IDD and TBI.

“Covered workers” is defined to include full and part time employees and independent contractors, as well as individuals with operational, custodial and administrative support roles.

How to Comply and Penalties for Violations

Covered workers are not required to provide proof of having been fully vaccinated under the Executive Order, but those who do not submit proof of full vaccination must submit to COVID-19 testing one to two times per week. The settings covered by this Executive Order may choose to impose more frequent testing as well. A covered worker will not be considered fully vaccinated until two weeks have elapsed since receipt of the second dose of a two-dose series, or a single dose of a one-dose.

Acceptable proof of full vaccination includes: (1) CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Card; (2) Official record from the New Jersey Immunization Information System or other State immunization registry; (3) Record from a health care provider portal/medical record system on official letterhead signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, registered nurse or pharmacist; (4) Military immunization or health record from the U.S. Armed Forces; or (5) Docket® mobile phone application record or any state specific application that produces a digital health record. Records of such proofs must be maintained confidentially.

Those employees who do not submit proof of vaccination must submit to weekly testing, which can be either antigen or molecular tests with Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration or operating pursuant to the Laboratory Developed Test requirements by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Covered settings may provide onsite COVID-19 tests, which can be either an antigen or molecular test. Covered settings must have a policy for tracking test results and are required to report results to the local public health department. However, in all other respects, vaccination and testing information must be kept confidential and separate from the employees’ personnel records.

The penalties for violations are stringent. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 9:49, a violation may be considered a disorderly conduct offense, which can carry a penalty of a fine of up to $1,000 or 6 months imprisonment.

It should be noted that the requirements of the Executive Order with respect to screening and testing of unvaccinated workers do not override any requirement imposed by the covered setting regarding the testing and screening of symptomatic workers or vaccinated workers.

OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for Health Care Settings

Published on June 21, 2021[1] and in further effort to ensure the safety of health care workers, the OSHA ETS for health care and related industries provides that, unless an exception applies, in settings where employees provide health care services or health care support services, employers must develop and implement COVID-19 plans.

The analysis to determine whether an exception applies is complicated, and OSHA offers a flowchart to assist with this analysis. Among these exceptions are:

  • Private medical practices, where (i) the office is in a non-hospital setting, (ii) ALL non-employees are screened prior to entry, and (iii) anyone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 is not permitted to enter the premises.
  • Well-defined hospital ambulatory care settings where all employees are fully vaccinated and all non-employees are screened prior to entry and people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not permitted to enter those settings.
  • Home health care settings where all employees are fully vaccinated, all non-employees are screened prior to entry, and people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not present.
  • Well-defined areas where there is no reasonable expectation that any person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 will be present, the requirements in the ETS for personal protective equipment (PPE), physical distancing, and physical barriers do not apply to employees who are fully vaccinated.

For those covered health care settings with more than 10 employees, the COVID-19 plan must be in writing. It is not practicable to list every requirement in this alert without making it quite lengthy, but the following will highlight some of the notable plan requirements:

  • A designated safety coordinator who understands and is able to identify COVID-19 hazards in the workplace, is knowledgeable in infection control and has the authority to ensure compliance with the COVID-19 plan
  • A workplace hazard assessment (including involvement of non-managerial employees)
  • Policies and procedures to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to employees, which are extensive and include but are not limited to:
  • Limiting points of entry for patients and screening patients, clients and visitors at entry
  • Social distancing when indoors
  • Physical barriers between fixed work stations in non-patient areas
  • Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and equipment in patient areas and in high touch areas at least once per day
  • Providing hand sanitizer with a minimum of 60% alcohol or easily accessible handwashing facilities
  • Providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to employees with close contact exposure (within six feet in same room) to a person with suspected of confirmed COVID-19
  • Ensuring HVAC systems are used per manufacturer instructions and utilize Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value of 13 or higher if the system permits
  • Screening employees each workday/shift
  • Employees required to promptly notify employer of positive COVID-19 test, a suspected COVID-19 case or of COVID-19 symptoms

When an employee who has been physically present in the workplace tests positive, that employee must notify a designated employee within 24 hours

Employees should be trained on COVID-19 transmission and informed of their right not be retaliated against for exercising their rights under this ETS. Finally, health care settings with more than 10 employees must retain records of positive COVID-19 cases and all covered health care settings must report any COVID-19 fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations to OSHA.

ETS Requires Employers Pay Employees Forced to Quarantine or Isolate Under Defined Circumstances

Significantly, the ETS requires covered employers with ten or more employees to provide employees with substantial “medical removal protection benefits” if the employee must be removed from the workplace when the employer knows that the employee:

  1. Is COVID-19 positive, meaning that the employee was confirmed positive for or was diagnosed by a licensed health care provider with COVID-19;
  2. Has been told by a health care provider that they are suspected to have COVID-19;
  3. Is experiencing recent loss of taste and/or smell, with no other explanation; or is experiencing both fever (≥100.4° F) and new unexplained cough associated with shortness of breath; or
  4. Is required to be notified by the employer of close contact in the workplace to a person who is COVID-19 positive, UNLESS the employee has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (i.e., 2 weeks or more following the final dose), or had COVID-19 and recovered within the past 3 months, AND the employee does not experience the symptoms listed in item 3.

When an employee must quarantine or isolate under the aforementioned circumstances, medical removal benefits entitle the employee to regular pay the employee would have received had the employee not been absent from work, up to $1,400 per week until the employee is able to return to work. After three weeks of this leave, employers with 500 or less employees may reduce the benefits paid to two thirds of the employee’s regular rate of pay (up to $200 per day). If an employee removed from the workplace is too ill to work remotely, OSHA directs the employer to provide the employee with sick leave or other leave in accordance with the employer’s policies and applicable law. The employer’s payment obligation is reduced by the amount of compensation the employee receives from any other source, such as a publicly or employer-funded compensation program. Employers may also be entitled to an American Rescue Plan tax credit if they pay sick and family leave for qualified leave from April 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021. More information on the tax credit is available from the IRS.

Resources for Compliance

OSHA provides a lengthy COVID-19 plan template to assist health care providers, which may be customized for each workplace. There are additional resources available to health care providers including worksite checklists, sample employee screening questionnaires, an employee training presentation on the Health care ETS and a sample COVID-19 log. OSHA also offers an FAQ on the ETS standard.

Enforcement and Penalties

Violations of the OSHA ETS may carry a maximum penalty of $13,653 per serious violation or per day for failure to abate beyond the abatement date. Willful or repeated violations carry a penalty of $136,532 per violation. OSHA will use its discretion to determine whether an entity’s failure to comply with the ETS standard despite its best efforts warrants relaxation of the enforcement penalties. However, the agency expects that most employers should be able to achieve compliance within the stated deadlines. When addressing penalties for violations, the agency will also consider the size of the company and any past violations.

Takeaways

Health care settings continue to be at the frontline as we battle COVID-19. State and Federal guidelines and mandates are evolving, extremely complicated and can be difficult to navigate. As a threshold matter, it is critical to determine which measures apply to the health care setting. Compliance is critical to minimize the risks to patients and employees and to avoid penalties for non-compliance. Clear communication with employees is crucial to ensure that they are familiar with the requirements and expectations, as well as to understand the employer’s efforts to keep them safe.

[1] Covered health care employers must comply with all provisions in the ETS as of July 6, 2021  except those requirements related to ventilation, physical barriers, and training, which had a  compliance deadline of July 21, 2021

© Copyright 2021 Sills Cummis & Gross P.C.

Article By Jill Turner Lever, Stacy L. Landau, Patricia M. Prezioso, and Charles H. Newman with Sills, Cummis & Gross PC.

For more COVID-19 updates, visit the NLR Healthcare Law section.

OSHA Issues COVID-19 Rules for Healthcare Employers Only

On June 10, 2021, Marty Walsh, Labor Secretary and acting assistant Secretary of Labor for Jim Frederick of Occupational Safety and Health Administration, announced the “emergency temporary standard,” or ETS, that identifies what employers must do to protect health care workers from COVID-19. The ETS is specifically tailored to employees in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities; emergency responders; home healthcare workers; and employees in ambulatory care facilities where there are or may be COVID patients.

Some requirements under the ETS for health care employers are

  • to maintain social distancing protocols;
  • screen patients for COVID-19 symptoms;
  • screen employees for COVID-19 symptoms before each workday;
  • provide training to employees on their rights under the ETS;
  • install cleanable or disposable barriers for work stations;
  • ensure that employer-owned HVAC systems have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value of 13 or higher (if the system allows it), and
  • give employees time off to receive and recover from the COVID-19 vaccination.

Additionally, health care employers must develop and implement a COVID-19 plan (which must be in writing if there are more than 10 employees). The plan must identify a safety coordinator who is tasked with ensuring compliance, and it must identify policies and procedures to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to employees. However, there is a carve-out for certain workplaces where all employees are fully vaccinated and people who may have the virus are not allowed inside.

Notably, the ETS applies specifically to employers of health care workers. According to Walsh in his announcement, “OSHA has determined that a healthcare-specific safety requirement will make the biggest impact,” as those are the workers that are in contact with the virus on a day-to-day basis. Along with the ETS, OSHA issued voluntary guidelines to non-healthcare employers, such as meatpacking industries and high-volume retail facilities. OSHA also issued a flow-chart that helps employers identify whether the ETS applies to their workplace. The flow chart, and information regarding the ETS, can be found here.

The effective date of the ETS has not yet been determined. Generally, it will take effect the day it is published in the Federal Register, but that date has not been announced. Once it takes effect, applicable employers must comply with most of the ETS provisions within 14 days, and with provisions involving physical barriers, ventilation, and training, employers must comply within 30 days.

©2021 Roetzel & Andress

 

ARTICLE BY Amanda M. Connelly of Roetzel & Andress LPA
For more on OSHA rules, visit the NLRLabor & Employment section.

Recent OSHA Update Targets Restaurant Industry

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently updated its COVID-19 response plan. Last year, OSHA focused much of its COVID-19 related attention on healthcare, elderly care, and prisons. This new Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for COVID-19 and National Emphasis Program — Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) guidance shifts its focus to other industries where OSHA feels there could be spread of COVID-19. As part of the guidance, OSHA specifically targeted full-service and limited-service restaurants for inspections.

Restaurants should be prepared for on-site or virtual OSHA inspections. To prepare, restaurants should:

  • Ensure all OSHA recordkeeping (OSHA 300, 300A, and 301s) is in order and up to date.
  • Ensure any contact tracing for COVID-19 illness is properly documented.
  • Ensure a COVID-19 response plan is documented and in place-include relevant Federal, state and local guidance.
  • Ensure compliance with OSHA standards, specifically Personal Protective Equipment and Blood Borne Pathogens.
  • Ensure employees are trained on COVID-19 related hazards, reporting of COVID-19 symptoms, prevention of COVID-19, and document this training.
  • Ensure employees are trained that they will not be retaliated against for raising concerns regarding safety, specifically COVID-19 related safety.

Note that we are still waiting for OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard to be issued. OSHA has provided its proposed standard to the White House where it is currently being reviewed. Once that is issued, there will likely be more requirements for all industries with respect to COVID-19 related employee safety and health.

This article was written by Jane H. Heidingsfelder at Jones Walker law firm. For more information on OSHA guidance, please visit our Labor and Employment news page.

Are Adverse Reactions to COVID-19 Shots Recordable to OSHA? It Depends.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that it will consider an adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine “work-related” recordable illnesses if an employee is required to take the vaccine as a condition of employment.

In its online Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about COVID-19, on April 20, 2021, the agency stated that an adverse reaction to the vaccine would be recordable if the reaction meets the definition of a recordable injury or illness:

  1. It is work-related, which OSHA presumes if the vaccine is mandated by the employer;
  2. It is a new case; and
  3. The illness meets at least one of the general recording criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7 (e.g., days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, or medical treatment beyond first aid).

OSHA distinguishes between mandatory vaccines and those that are recommended by an employer. If the vaccine is truly voluntary, the agency does not require the employer to record an adverse reaction on the employer’s OSHA 300 log. On the other hand, if the employer mandates the vaccine, the employer must record it if it otherwise meets recording criteria. OSHA states that this current position on vaccines is an exercise of its enforcement discretion, but it means the agency could change course in the future.

The FAQs detail factors OSHA will consider in determining whether an employee’s vaccination is truly voluntary. Primarily, the choice to accept or reject the vaccine cannot affect the employee’s employment or professional advancement and they cannot suffer any negative repercussions from choosing not to receive the vaccine. On the other hand, if employees are not free to make this decision and would face adverse action if they do not take it (e.g., the employee cannot return to work or is terminated for refusing vaccination), then OSHA would not consider it as merely recommended. In that case, an employer would need to follow the guidance in terms of assessing recordability for any adverse reactions to the vaccine.

OSHA clarifies situations in which employers recommend but do not require vaccination. For example, the agency will view a vaccination as voluntary and recommended even if the employer makes the vaccine available at work, if the employer makes arrangements for employees to get the vaccine at an offsite location (e.g., pharmacy, hospital, or local health department), or if the employer offers the vaccine as part of a voluntary health and wellness program at the workplace.

Unfortunately, the FAQs do not address employer incentive programs to encourage employee vaccination, such as offering financial incentives, eligibility for raffle drawings to win prizes, or paid time off to receive or recover from the vaccine. At times, OSHA has viewed incentive plans as potentially punitive to employees who miss out on benefits offered to others. At this point, it is unclear what enforcement position OSHA will take in these situations. Interestingly, Chicago enacted an ordinance to protect employees from adverse employment actions if they take and recover from vaccines during working hours.

As businesses continue to reopen and employees return to work, employers will have to decide whether to mandate or simply encourage vaccination for its workforce. Based on OSHA’s FAQs, employers should assess whether they are requiring vaccination or whether they are making it truly voluntary for their employees, as this will determine whether they will need to record adverse reactions on OSHA 300 logs.

Jackson Lewis P.C. © 2021

ARTICLE BY Courtney M. Malveaux of Jackson Lewis P.C.
For more articles on COVID-19 shots, visit the NLR

Coronavirus News section.

OSHA Issues Updated COVID-19 Guidance in Compliance with President Biden’s Executive Order

As directed by President Joe Biden’s Executive Order issued on January 21, 2021 requiring the Federal Government to take swift action to protect workers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) has released updated guidance on how to prevent exposure and the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

The guidance entitled “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace” was posted on OSHA’s website on January 29, 2021.  As with OSHA’s previous recommendations, this guidance is not mandatory and does not have the same legal effect as an OSHA standard.  However, it does give some insight into what OSHA expects to include in an emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) which the new Administration wants the agency to consider and potentially implement by March 15, 2021.

Most employers will be familiar with the elements in the guidance, but here are some of the significant new measures addressed in the guidelines:

  • Employers should provide all workers with face coverings (i.e., cloth face coverings, surgical masks), unless their work task requires a respirator.  Many states did not require this and OSHA did not previously recommend employers purchase masks.
  • Provide a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost to eligible employees.
  • Do not distinguish between vaccinated workers and those who are not vaccinated for purposes of implementing safety measures.
  • Minimize the effect of quarantine and isolations by implementing non-punitive policies, and provide paid sick leave. Employers with less than 500 employees are encouraged to provide FFCRA leave which is still available (though not mandatory) through March 31, 2021 under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
  • Provide guidance on screening and testing.
  • Assign a workplace coordinator responsible for COVID-19 issues.

OSHA’s guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and further changes are expected with President Biden’s new Administration.  James “Jim” Frederick, a former United Steelworkers safety official, has been named by the Administration to act as the head of OSHA on an interim basis.  Mr. Frederick has indicated that in that role he will be focused on drafting and implementing an enforceable emergency COVID-19 standard.  While these efforts may be opposed by various industry groups, employers need to be aware of these potential new developments so they can take appropriate steps to ensure that they are following the best recommendations to address the pandemic and provide their employees a safe and healthy working environment.

Jackson Lewis P.C. © 2020

ARTICLE BY Raymond Perez, II and Mary L. Bradley of Jackson Lewis P.C.
For more, visit the NLR Labor & Employment

COVID-19 Whistleblower Protections: Few Options for Workers Reporting Unsafe Working Conditions

The United States has been rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic in innumerable ways and it has had profound and ongoing impacts on workers. One of the most vexing problems arising from COVID-19 has been protecting workers who object to employers that are failing to implement meaningful safety precautions to protect their workers during the pandemic. As just one of many examples, an Amazon employee was fired after he opposed the company’s failure to meaningfully protect warehouse employees who had potentially been exposed to the coronavirus. This article will examine our failures in addressing this problem through meaningful federal action and highlight instances where local legislators have passed laws to protect workers who find themselves facing this predicament.

The Deficiencies of Federal Law to Protect Workers During the Coronavirus Crisis

The primary federal law requiring a safe working environment is the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSH Act”). Section 11(c) of the OSH Act prohibits employers from discharging or discriminating against an employee because the employee exercised any rights under the Act, including the right to raise health or safety complaints. 29 U.S.C. § 660(c). The OSH Act theoretically protects an employee who refuses to work based on unsafe working conditions, although the requirements for a protected work refusal are stringent.

Unfortunately, the OSH Act does not effectively protect workers in general, much less in the face of a burgeoning pandemic. The Act does not have a private right of action, so employees who suffer retaliation for reporting unsafe working conditions cannot sue in court. Instead, Section 11(c) allows employees to file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and request that OSHA protect them. Thus, government officials ultimately decide what to do with the OSH Act complaint; if they fail to protect an employee, that employee has no other recourse under the statute. In addition, the OSH Act has a 30-day statute of limitations—the shortest of any federal anti-retaliation statute. Finally, the strict requirements governing what constitutes a protected refusal to work will leave many employees in the cold. OSHA officials have acknowledged the weakness of the OSH Act protections. In 2010, then-Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, Jordan Barab, testified before Congress that Section 11(c)’s lack of a private right of action and statutory right of appeal were “[n]otable weaknesses” in the law. Mr. Barab also lamented the OSH Act’s “inadequate time for employees to file complaints.”

Several states have their own version of the OSH Act, protecting employees who raise concerns about workplace health and safety. Like the federal OSH Act, however, many of these state laws do not contain private rights of action. See, e.g., D.C. Code § 32-1117 (no private right of action); Md. Code, Labor & Empl. § 5-604 (same); but see Va. Code § 40.1-51.2:2 (providing private right of action and a 60-day limitations period for filing a complaint).

Proposed Legislation to Protect Whistleblowers

The Coronavirus Oversight and Recovery Ethics Act (“CORE Act”) put in place meaningful protections against retaliation for individuals who report waste, fraud, and abuse related to government funds that were distributed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other recent whistleblower protection legislation, it is primarily enforced through the Department of Labor but permits whistleblowers to “kick out” their claims into federal court. Further, language in the bill nullifies the effectiveness of pre-dispute mandatory arbitration provisions with respect to claims asserted under the law. In many ways, it is a model piece of whistleblower protection legislation.

One significant omission from the CORE Act, however, is language amending the OSH Act or otherwise granting meaningful protections to whistleblowers who report workplace health and safety concerns related to COVID-19. Thus, nothing in the bill purports to protect an individual who refuses to come to work, or opposes her employer’s practices, because her employer has failed to take sufficient steps to mitigate COVID-19-related risk to employee health. In most of the country, employees in that situation are left with the OSH Act as their primary recourse for protection against retaliation.

Given the clear deficiencies in the OSH Act’s protections of whistleblowers concerned about workplace safety, whistleblower advocacy organizations like the Project on Government Oversight (“POGO”) have pushed for Congress to pass legislation that would, among other things, “prohibit retaliation against essential workers making disclosures related to worker or public health and safety during the pandemic.” On June 15, 2020, in response to calls from groups like POGO, Senator Kamala Harris and Representatives Jackie Speier and Jamie Raskin introduced the COVID-19 Whistleblower Protection Actto expand the whistleblower protections of the CORE Act.

Protecting Whistleblowers at the Local Level

Given the lack of federal action to address this problem, some municipalities have passed legislation specifically designed to protect employees who report COVID-19-related workplace safety concerns. For example, Mayor Kenney of Philadelphia recently signed into law Bill No. 200328, which requires employers to “comply with all aspects of public health orders addressing safe workplace practices to mitigate risks” related to COVID-19. The bill further states that “[n]o employer shall take any adverse employment or other action against an employee” who refuses to work in conditions that do not comply with public safety guidelines, and that “no employer shall take any adverse employment or other action against any employee for making a protected disclosure.” A “protected disclosure” is defined as a “good faith communication” disclosing information “that may evidence a violation of a public health order that may significantly threaten the health or safety of employees or the public, if the disclosure or intention to disclose was made for the purpose of remedying such violation.” The legislation includes a private right of action and permits awards to successful litigants including reinstatement, back pay, compensatory damages, and liquidated damages “of $100 to $1000 on behalf of the City for each day in which a violation occurs.”

In late May, the City of Chicago enacted a bill that contained slightly narrower but still powerful protections. In the bill, the City of Chicago prohibited employers from retaliating against employees for complying with public health orders relating to COVID-19 issued by the City or the State or for following COVID-19-related quarantine instructions from a treating health care provider. The protections extend to employees who are caring for an individual subject to such a quarantine. The bill includes a remarkable damages provision entitling successful claimants to liquidated damages “equal to three times the full amount of wages that would have been owed had the retaliatory action not taken place.”

These actions by municipalities are meaningful and offer critical protections to citizens living in those cities. At the same time, the need for this local legislation highlights the glaring absence of meaningful protections for workers in the rest of the country. It seems that every week we hear more horror stories about conditions in which workers are forced to work during this pandemic, lest they risk losing their jobs in the midst of a devastating economic downturn. The weaknesses in the OSH Act and the absence of even proposed federal legislation that would fill this critical gap in protection is a moral failure.

Copyright Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP

For more on COVID-19 related whistleblowing, see the National Law Review Coronavirus News section.