Insights Archive - Ogletree Deakins

Fido, Sit … Stay … and Roll Over for Your Court-Ordered ADA Inspection

In the employment context, employers are required to consider whether an employee’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) request to bring a service animal or an emotional support animal (ESA) to work qualifies as a reasonable accommodation for that employee’s disability, and, if so, whether allowing the animal in the workplace would be an undue hardship. To properly handle such requests, the ADA requires employers to engage in an interactive process to determine whether and how to provide accommodations to disabled employees.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Lauren H. Zeldin Atlanta Author

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Supreme Court Issues Ruling in Religious Accommodation Title VII Case

On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States revived an employee’s religious discrimination lawsuit, unanimously holding that to deny a sincere religious accommodation request under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, employers must show that the burden of granting it “would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business.”

Andrew (Drew) P. Burnside New Orleans Author

Philip K. Kontul Pittsburgh Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Justine L. Abrams Morristown Author

Zachary V. Zagger New York Author

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Mission Accomplished … White House Declares an End to the Pandemic and the CMS Vaccine Mandate

On May 1, 2023, the Biden administration announced that it would be ending all of its various COVID-19 vaccination requirements on May 11, 2023, the same date as the COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency will end, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has begun the process to terminate the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’s (CMS) interim final rule requiring CMS-certified healthcare facilities to implement and enforce a policy that all covered staff within their covered facilities be vaccinated against COVID-19.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jody Ward-Rannow Minneapolis Author

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CMS Vaccine Mandate Update: Last, but Not Least, Texas Joins the Rest of the Country

On January 13, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an opinion staying preliminary injunctions issued in cases filed in Missouri and Louisiana challenging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) COVID-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare providers. The ruling stayed preliminary injunctions applicable to twenty-four states. Twenty-five states were already subject to enforcement under the CMS rule. This left Texas standing alone and in limbo.

Jana S. Baker Dallas Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jody Ward-Rannow Minneapolis Author

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Beltway Buzz, January 14, 2022

The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C. could impact your business.

James J. Plunkett Washington D.C. Author

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SCOTUS Narrowly Allows CMS Vaccine Mandate to Survive; Preemption Battles to Ensue

On January 13, 2022, in a 5-4 split decision, the Court issued an opinion staying the injunctions against the healthcare interim final rule, which allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to now enforce its vaccine mandate nationwide (with the key compliance dates now being January 27, 2022, and February 28, 2022).

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jody Ward-Rannow Minneapolis Author

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Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument on OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard and CMS Vaccine Rule

On Friday, January 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments on challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) COVID-19 vaccination mandate for certain healthcare providers.

Melissa A. Bailey Washington D.C. Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jody Ward-Rannow Minneapolis Author

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CMS Vaccine Rule’s Status (and Fate) Lands in the Supreme Court of the United States

On December 15, 2021, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed, in part, a nationwide preliminary injunction prohibiting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare providers.

Jana S. Baker Dallas Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jody Ward-Rannow Minneapolis Author

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Beltway Buzz, December 3, 2021

The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C. could impact your business.

James J. Plunkett Washington D.C. Author

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Breaking News on the CMS Vaccination Rule: Less Than 24 Hours After Being Shelved in 10 States, the Rule Is Sidelined Nationwide

In a November 30, 2021, order, a federal judge sitting in Louisiana entered a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Biden administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) interim final rule entitled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination.” The effect of the order is that CMS must immediately “cease all implementation or enforcement of the [CMS] Rule” in the remaining 40 states not covered by an earlier November 29, 2021, order from a federal judge sitting in Missouri that prevented implementation and enforcement of the CMS rule in only 10 states.

Greg Guidry Lafayette
New Orleans Author

Dee Anna D. Hays Tampa Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Federal Judge Shelves President Biden’s CMS Vaccine Mandate … But in Only 10 States

In a 32-page order issued on November 29, 2021, United States District Judge Matthew T. Schelp entered a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration’s Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) interim final rule entitled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination.”

Dee Anna D. Hays Tampa Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Beltway Buzz, November 5, 2021

The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C. could impact your business.

James J. Plunkett Washington D.C. Author

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CMS Gives a Boost and Takes a Shot at Full Vaccination for Millions of U.S. Healthcare Workers

Many hospitals and other healthcare organizations started mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for some or all of their workers over the last six months. Now all of the specified Medicare and Medicaid-certified provider and supplier types that are regulated under the Medicare health and safety standards must get all of their workers fully-vaccinated by January 4, 2022, pursuant to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination interim final rule.

Cynthia A. Bremer Minneapolis Author

Jody Ward-Rannow Minneapolis Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Missouri Governor Thumbs Nose at Federal Mandates, but Private Employers Still Left Wondering Whether and How to Comply

Following in the footsteps of governors in states such as Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas, on October 28, 2021, Missouri Governor Mike Parson issued Executive Order 21-10, a measure intended to chip away at the reach of federal vaccine mandates.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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President Biden Signs Executive Order Requiring COVID-19 Vaccine for Federal Government Contract Workers

To ensure “that the parties that contract with the Federal Government provide adequate COVID-19 safeguards to their workers performing on or in connection with a Federal Government contract,” President Biden has issued yet another executive order (EO) mandating that some federal contractors and subcontractors comply with Guidance published by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force.

Leigh M. Nason Columbia Author

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FDA’s Full Stamp of Vaccine Approval Delivers Progress, but Issues With Vaccine Passports and Policies Are Looming

On August 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna’s expedited application for full approval is still pending, and Johnson & Johnson plans to submit its application for full approval sometime later this year.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

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COVID-19 Variants and Key Government Actions Accelerate Employer Vaccination Policy Implementation

With transmission of the Delta variant on the rise, many employers are revisiting plans to implement COVID-19 vaccination policies. As we have previously explained, employers may encourage and mandate vaccination against COVID-19, subject to exceptions for covered disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and sincerely held religious beliefs under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Guidance that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued has been consistent with this position and federal courts have recently affirmed the same.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

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Missouri Governor Immunizes Citizens From Vaccine Passport Requirements by Cities and Counties

On June 15, 2021, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed House Bill 271 prohibiting any county, city, town, or village government receiving public funds from requiring COVID-19 vaccination documents (commonly known as “vaccine passports”) from citizens. In addition, according to the new law, Missouri citizen must be allowed access to any building, transportation system, or service without showing proof they have received the vaccine.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Mandatory Vaccination Policy Lawsuit Update: Nurses Take a Shot Against Hospital, But Judge Jabs Back

Many workplace leaders have been wondering, “Can we require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment?” According to a recent Ogletree Deakins benchmarking survey, most employers are not ready to implement mandatory vaccination policies, and 87.9 percent of employers reported that they currently do not plan to require workers to get the vaccine. On the other end of the spectrum, 7.6 percent of respondents have implemented (or are planning to implement) a vaccination mandate. The rest have been undecided, but a recent court opinion on the legality of such mandatory policies may shift some employers’ feelings about which direction they should go and when.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Twisting Arms to Get Jabbed, White House Says: ‘Vaccination Incentives All Around!’

On April 21, 2021, in a further push to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations for those individuals who have been hesitant, the White House issued a fact sheet titled, “President Biden to Call on All Employers to Provide Paid Time Off for Employees to Get Vaccinated After Meeting Goal of 200 Million Shots in the First 100 Days.” This announcement further signals the administration’s dedication to vaccinating the U.S. population and its willingness to offer incentives to employers that support their employees in becoming vaccinated. Employers that have remained neutral on this issue could be persuaded to “take up arms” and join the fight against COVID-19.

Michael K. Mahoney Morristown
New York Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Colin H. Hargreaves Minneapolis Author

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Goodbye COVID-19 Priority Phases and Tiers, Hello Battles With Vaccine Passports!

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, while touring a vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, President Joe Biden imposed a deadline on every state to open up vaccination eligibility to all adults by April 19, 2021 (moving up the previous target date of May 1, 2021). The White House COVID-19 coordinator, Jeffrey Zients, told governors also on April 6, 2021, that more than 28 million doses of vaccines will be delivered to all of the states the week of April 4-12, 2021. The president’s directive matches Dr. Anthony Fauci’s estimate in November 2020 that the earliest a vaccine would be available for most nonprioritized Americans would be April 2021.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

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COVID-19 Vaccinations Arriving For the Holidays: What Employers Need to Know and Can Do

As we discussed in a previous post, employers have already been planning for the arrival of a vaccine—and for good reason given the array of issues to consider when implementing vaccination-related policies. Although mandatory vaccination policies are legal (possibly subject to two limited categories of exemptions and variations in state laws), implementing such policies may prove challenging, at least in the near term.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

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Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination: Is It Legal and Is It Right for Your Workplace?

By all accounts, the availability of a vaccine for COVID-19 is a matter of when, not if. According to the World Health Organization, as of August 25, 2020, 173 potential vaccines are currently being developed in labs across the world, 31 of which have advanced to clinical stage testing on humans. Drug manufacturers estimate that a vaccine will be ready and approved for general use by the end of this year or early 2021.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

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Missouri Tightens the Leash on Fake Fidos

On July 14, 2020, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed Senate Bill (SB) 644, increasing the potential penalties imposed on Missourians and visitors who attempt to pass off their pets as bona fide service dogs. While Missouri law previously made it a crime to impersonate an individual with a disability, now the misrepresentation of a dog as a valid and properly trained service animal is also a crime.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Missouri Limits Punitive Damages in Workplace Lawsuits

On July 1, 2020, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed Senate Bill (SB) 591, which modifies various provisions relating to civil actions. Notably, for Missouri employers, the bill modifies and restricts the way punitive damages are considered in lawsuits brought by current or former employees who allege intentional harm by an agent of the employer (e.g., a manager, supervisor, or HR professional).

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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A ‘Get Out of Masking Free’ Card Based on the ADA?

It should come as no surprise that the masking debate continues to heat up. In the past week, news outlets and social media platforms have been abuzz about face mask exemption cards.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Let the Masking Debate Continue, but Maybe Not in Our Hospitals

In 2015, long before COVID-19 emerged, a hospital disciplined and discharged a recruiter in its HR department who refused to obtain a hospital-required influenza vaccination or to don a mask at work as an alternative. In a case we started to track three years ago, a federal judge entered summary judgment for the employer this week.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Missouri Supreme Court Gives Early Holiday Present to Easter Seals

It’s time for our annual holiday season blog on the status of arbitration agreement enforceability in Missouri.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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Beltway Buzz, January 12, 2018

The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C. could impact your business.

James J. Plunkett Washington D.C. Author

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DOL Gives Credit to Unpaid Student Interns After Getting Schooled by the Courts

Over the last few years, several federal courts—and, most recently last month, another appellate court—rejected the Obama administration’s mandatory six-prong test for whether someone can properly be classified as an unpaid intern under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). On January 5, 2018, the Trump administration issued an overhauled Fact Sheet #71, which formerly adopts a more flexible “primary beneficiary/economic reality” test.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

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