A Pennsylvania court recently addressed whether a deponent could be compelled to remove a face mask during his deposition after the deponent refused, citing health concerns. After rescheduling the deposition once, plaintiff’s counsel asked the Court to order the deponent to testify maskless given that he would be doing so alone in a room with
Pittsburgh Extends Temporary COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave but Confusion Over Employers’ Obligations Persists
On July 27, 2021, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto signed Section 626B of the City of Pittsburgh Code—also known as the Temporary COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance. Under the Ordinance, employers with over 50 employees must provide up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave for full-time employees, and a prorated amount of leave for
EEOC Hosts Virtual Hearing on Civil Rights Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Workplace
In its first all-virtual/remote video-cast hearing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) discussed workplace civil rights implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for employees and employers. (Transcript of the April 28, 2021 hearing is available here.) During the hearing, Chairwoman Charlotte Burrows acknowledged that the EEOC must help employers navigate the new workplace landscape created
Take-Home Exposure for COVID-19 Fails in California District Court
As COVID-19-related litigation increases, courts are being called upon to interpret the scope of employers’ duties to protect their employees with relation to the virus. On May 10, 2021, a California federal judge dismissed an amended complaint brought by a spouse attempting to hold her husband’s employer liable for her COVID-19 infection. The judge held
2,000 COVID-19-Related Employment Lawsuits Filed in the U.S.: An Analysis of the Data and Trends
On April 6, 2021, the total number of COVID-19-related employment complaints filed in United States courts passed the 2,000 mark. Although it took eight months to reach the first 1,000 complaints (March–November 2020), it took less than five months to go from 1,000 to 2,000. Indeed, December 2020 through March 2021 included the four busiest
Employer Not Liable for Spouse’s COVID-19 Infection, California Court Rules
One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. courts are wrestling with a growing number of new legal theories related to COVID-19. Not surprisingly, California – the most populous state with some of the most employee friendly laws and courts – leads the way with the most COVID-19 employment lawsuits filed. See Jackson Lewis COVID-19 Employment