In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Mexico has instituted a weekly traffic-light monitoring system with four criteria that states must meet before proceeding to the next phase of the country’s reopening plan. Below is a map for the week of June 28, 2020, indicating the COVID-19 risk level in Mexico’s 32 states.
On 26 June 2020, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) updated its Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) Treasury Direction to take account of the flexible furlough scheme.
Employers in the United States that sponsor foreign nationals for work visas may already be familiar with the various barriers their employees are facing when entering the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On June 23, 2020, the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury (commonly known by its Spanish-language name, Departamento de Hacienda de Puerto Rico, or Hacienda) issued Circular Letter of Internal Revenue No. 20-29 (CL 20-29), which extends the due date from June 30, 2020, to December 31, 2020, for the completion of coronavirus-related distributions (CRDs) from retirement plans qualified in Puerto Rico.
In preparing global strategies for monitoring employee health, employers with international workforces may want to be aware that occupational medicine plays a key role for employers in many countries outside the United States—whether in the hiring and termination process, in developing and implementing health and safety plans, or in evaluating work-related illnesses and injuries.
Employers considering reductions in force in Puerto Rico should be aware that the rules on the taxation of severance pay in the United States and Puerto Rico are different.
Conducting business in the Virgin Islands poses unique challenges not often encountered in the states, but also unique opportunities. This 20-part blog series will offer tips for doing business in the U.S. Virgin Islands, covering a broad array of topics affecting employers. Part five of this series addresses workplace rules, orders, and instructions.
What role can mobile technology play in a global employer’s return-to-workplace strategy? Employers exploring mobile apps to comply with new safety directives (for example, to facilitate contact tracing, symptom certification, or entry/exit logging) may wonder about how to implement them across operations globally—especially since the legal conditions on these apps vary greatly from country to country.
The federal government of Mexico is implementing a sanitary alert system—called the “traffic light” system—for gradually reopening activities, including the economy in a safe and durable manner. The reopening will be performed in three phases.
In May 2020, the United Kingdom welcomed the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act 1970, which was enacted to ensure the equal treatment of men and women in terms of pay and the conditions of employment. However, in recent months, research has revealed that women have suffered a larger fall in earnings in the United Kingdom and are losing their jobs in greater numbers than men during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will gradually be tapered over the coming months until October 31, 2020, when it will no longer be effective. The CJRS has been a great support to many employers and their employees, however, as businesses begin to reopen and the UK government support decreases, many employers are now faced with difficult workforce decisions—some of which may include redundancies (i.e., reductions in force).
10 June 2020 marks the final date by which employers may furlough employees for the first time within the timeframe of the current minimum three-week furlough period that ensures eligibility for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
Conducting business in the U.S. Virgin Islands poses unique challenges not often encountered in the states, but also unique opportunities. This 20-part series offers tips for doing business in the U.S. Virgin Islands, covering a broad array of topics affecting employers. Part four of this series addresses COVID-19 guidance for restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.
On June 1, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a unanimous decision in Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico v. Aurelius Investment, LLC, No. 18–1334, holding that the selection of the members of the Financial and Oversight Management Board for Puerto Rico did not violate the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
On 28 May 2020, England and Scotland introduced contact tracing systems known as “Test and Trace” and “Test and Protect,” respectively. Northern Ireland has been operating a contact tracing system since 27 April 2020, and Wales introduced the “Test, Trace, Protect” system on 1 June 2020.
On May 29, 2020, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs issued further updates setting out the future of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
Conducting business in the Virgin Islands poses unique challenges not often encountered in the states, but also unique opportunities. This 20-part blog series will offer tips for doing business in the U.S. Virgin Islands, covering a broad array of topics affecting employers. Part three of this series addresses sexual harassment prevention policies and training.
According to Statistics Canada, two in five employers in Canada have reduced hours or laid off one or more employees since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. One of the risks associated with those difficult decisions is a constructive dismissal claim that would trigger statutory notice and severance requirements under provincial employment standard legislation and under the common law. Ontario’s government has now taken a major step to prevent claims under its Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) resulting from COVID-19.
On 18 May 2020, at the start of Mental Health Awareness Week in the United Kingdom, the UK government’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) published “Coronavirus and mental health at work,” a guide to how individuals can look after their mental health and how employers can “support employees’ health, safety, and well-being” while managing workplace mental health issues. The overriding message from the guidance is that good communication is key during this challenging time. The guidance also emphasises that employers should be aware of the signs of mental health concerns in the workplace and encourage openness between colleagues to support those who may be suffering.
As part of their “COVID-secure” return to work plans, some employers in the United Kingdom are implementing temperature screenings for their employees.
In its ongoing response to the COVID-19 health crisis, the United States has announced travel restrictions for Brazil. President Donald Trump’s proclamation suspends the entry of all immigrants and nonimmigrants who were physically present in Brazil during the 14-day period before seeking to enter the United States.
Conducting business in the Virgin Islands poses unique challenges not often encountered in the states, but also unique opportunities. This 20-part blog series will offer tips for doing business in the U.S. Virgin Islands, covering a broad array of topics affecting employers. Part two of this series addresses required employment law posters.
Following the UK government’s recent announcement of a COVID-19 recovery strategy, the government has published guidelines for working safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that are designed to help UK businesses get back on their feet while maintaining safe work environments.
The UK government has released its roadmap, “Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy,” as it looks to ease the lockdown over the coming months.
After more than two years of deliberation, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement [T-MAC in Mexico] will enter into force on July 1, 2020. The three-nation agreement includes a key element employers may want to take note of—employers and unions will be able to negotiate disputes through alternative methods of dispute resolution.
On April 21, 2020, Mexico’s Ministry of Health extended through May 30, 2020, an emergency decree suspending all nonessential activities in the country in order to prevent the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from continuing to spread.
On April 30, 2020, the Ontario government, in collaboration with provincial health and safety associations, released the Health and Safety Association Guidance Documents for Workplaces During the COVID-19 Outbreak.
On April 4, April 9, and April 15, 2020, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) updated the guidance for employers on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The updates aimed to clarify issues and answer questions asked since the initial guidance was published on March 26, 2020. In addition, on April 15, 2020, Her Majesty’s Treasury (HM Treasury) issued a Direction to HMRC under powers conferred by the Coronavirus Act 2020, containing the legal framework and instructions for making payments under the CJRS. This is likely to be the definitive guidance on how the CJRS works. However, despite the recent updates, there are issues that remain unclear.
The Coronavirus Act (CA) 2020 was enacted on March 25, 2020, and introduces a new statutory emergency volunteering leave (EVL) to support the National Health Service (NHS) and social care authorities.
On April 1, 2020, Canada’s Minister of Finance announced the federal government’s plans for a comprehensive wage subsidy program that would cover up to 75 percent of an employee’s regular wages for up to 3 months. As predicted, the proposed Emergency Wage Subsidy Program has undergone significant changes in the last week in order to extend benefits to a wider class of employers.
