Here's what you should know.

On April 1, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) released a 125-page temporary rule to implement emergency leave laws under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The temporary rule, which largely reflects the DOL’s previously released…

On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act, a $2 trillion stimulus package aimed at aiding individuals and businesses in the U.S. that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, was signed into law. The CARES Act includes a $349 billion allocation of funding…

Terminating swaths of employees is difficult for a number of reasons. For many, the hardest part is telling loyal, hardworking employees that the company simply cannot afford to keep paying them, knowing that these employees are suddenly facing large…

On March 28, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its third round of Guidance ahead of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s (FFCRA) April 1, 2020 effective date. The new Guidance provides additional information regarding exemptions…

Late last night, March 26, 2020, the Department of Labor issued its second guidance on administering the emergency paid sick leave (“EPSL”) and emergency family medical leave (“EFML”) of the Families First Coronovirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). This new…

Last Friday, the Treasury Department and IRS revised their guidance from earlier in the week and issued a notice granting taxpayers an extension until July 15 to file income tax returns and make income tax payments that would normally be due on April…

COVID-19 is rapidly affecting business immigration in multiple ways. Below is an outline of key impacts to date. Additional current information and details can be provided by attorneys in the Immigration and Labor and Employment practice groups.

On March 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”) announced its first round of published guidance to provide information to employees and employers regarding the protections and relief offered by the Families First…

On March 18, 2020, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the "Act") providing for paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for coronavirus-related reasons and creating refundable credits for eligible employers…

On March 25, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) released a poster summarizing rights afforded to qualified employees under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Covered employers are required to provide notice to employees of their…

We have spent the better part of the past week poring over force majeure clauses in commercial contracts. “Force Majeure,” literally translated, means “superior force.” In contracts, force majeure clauses are meant to excuse, or allow a delay in, the…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic was recently declared a disaster under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act. This triggers special tax treatment for qualified disaster relief payments (“QDR payments”). To the extent not covered by…

On March 14, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the first version of HR 6201 (the “Families First Act”), an emergency relief bill with paid FMLA and paid sick leave benefits for employees experiencing employment loss due to the COVID-19…

On March 18, 2020, BOLI adopted an emergency rule expanding the reasons for which an employee can take OFLA protected leave. BOLI expanded the definition of sick child leave to include “absence to care for an employee’s child whose school or place of…

In response to the COVID-19 epidemic, the U.S. Treasury has issued a notice providing individual and corporate taxpayers with a three-month extension to pay income taxes that are otherwise due on April 15 without penalties or interest. The extension…

As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Oregon continues to rise, employers must remain particularly mindful of their various statutory obligations to provide protected leave and benefits.

We are endeavoring to keep you up-to-date on developments from COVID-19 impacting the workplace. In response to the pandemic, the U.S. House has passed a bill that would provide for paid leave and would expand protection under the Family and Medical…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was already delivering significant economic impacts across industries; now the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the outbreak a global pandemic. This will likely result in further—perhaps even…

It appears Oregon will be joining the wave of states enacting laws against hair-based discrimination. House Bill 4107 would amend antidiscrimination statutes in Oregon to include discrimination based on hairstyle.

In December 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed amending the definition of “accredited investor” under Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933. Currently, there are eight different categories by which a natural person is deemed…