Insights Archive - Ogletree Deakins

An Update on Coronavirus Contact Tracing: Status, Benefits, and Key Considerations

Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have been engaged in varying levels of contact tracing within the workplace. Contact tracing involves identifying individuals who may have been in close contact with a person who tested positive for the coronavirus while that person was likely infectious. As part of employers’ pandemic response practices, many are implementing policies and procedures that attempt to ascertain the identities of employees who may have been in “close contact” with employees diagnosed with COVID-19, or those suspected of having contracted the virus.

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Michael Oliver Eckard Charleston
Atlanta Author

Pennsylvania Governor Issues Statewide Order Closing All Businesses That Are Not Life Sustaining

On March 19, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf issued a broad executive order requiring the closure of “all businesses that are not life sustaining.” Simultaneously, the secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Health issued a similar order, explaining “the closure of non-life sustaining businesses is necessary to protect the public’s health.”

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Daniel P. O’Meara Philadelphia Author

Love at Work: 5 Things for Employers to Know

Workplace romances are inevitable. According to a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, one out of every three American adults is or has previously been in a workplace romance. Given this reality, coupled with the #MeToo movement and the resulting renewed emphasis on preventing workplace sexual harassment, it is important to have a basic understanding of the key practical and legal issues surrounding workplace relationships.

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Pittsburgh’s Paid Sick Days Act Is Now on Course to Take Effect

After a lengthy journey through the Pennsylvania legal system, the City of Pittsburgh’s Paid Sick Days Act is now on course to go into effect. The Act was signed by the Pittsburgh mayor in 2015, but its implementation was delayed due to legal challenges.

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Advanced Technologies and the Workplace, Part I: A Primer

You have probably heard the phrases “fourth industrial revolution” and the “future of work.” Both refer to changes in the way people live, work, and relate to one another due to rapid developments in technology. Here are five things you should know about advanced technologies and the workplace.

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Keeping an Eye on Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Legislation

More and more organizations are beginning to use or expand their use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and services in the workplace. Despite AI’s proven potential for enhancing efficiency and decision-making, it has raised a host of issues in the workplace which, in turn, have prompted an array of federal and state regulatory efforts that are likely to increase in the near future.

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Blockchain and HR: What You Need to Know

You have probably heard the term “blockchain,” most likely in the context of Bitcoin. You have also probably seen splashy headlines suggesting that blockchain is the next game-changing technology that will upend the business world. This article will demystify blockchain technology and identify some of its potential applications for human resources (HR).

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Transformational Artificial Intelligence: Prioritizing AI in Healthcare While Maintaining Legal Compliance

In February 2019, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” also known as the American AI Initiative, that aims to increase the use of artificial intelligence (AI) nationwide.

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Major Changes Proposed to Pennsylvania’s Overtime Rules

Employers with operations in Pennsylvania may want to take note of significant changes in the pipeline to the state’s wage and hour rules.

Jacqueline R. Barrett Philadelphia Author

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Frustrated, Angry, or Discouraged? Tips for How to Treat Former Employees’ “Vent Letters”

Sometimes departing employees are more comfortable expressing their concerns in writing rather than communicating them verbally. These written messages may take the form of what’s often called a “vent letter,” which could range from an informal email to something that looks more like a formal complaint. Employers and human resources (HR) professionals are tasked with appropriately addressing such communications. Here are some tips and answers to commonly asked questions about vent letters.

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Pennsylvania and DOL Collaborate in Employee Misclassification Enforcement Efforts

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry recently signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division designed to prevent employees from being misclassified as independent contractors and other wage-and-hour violations.

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Oil Field Employers Post-McMaster: Still Searching for Clarity on the TCA’s Impact on the Motor Carrier Act Exemption

In McMaster v. Eastern Armored Services, Inc., No. 14-1010 (March 11, 2015), the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued one of the first federal appellate court opinions discussing the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (TCA). The TCA is an uncodified amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) that, according to the Third Circuit, creates a “carveout” from the Motor Carrier Act Exemption (MCAE). Under the MCAE, professional motor carriers are generally exempt from the overtime requirements of the FLSA. The Third Circuit explained that the TCA “waives the exemption for motor carrier employees who, in whole or in part, drive vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds.”

Jennifer G. Betts Pittsburgh Author

Blog