Events

State of the Workplace in 2021: Reopening in a Partially Vaccinated Environment and the New Administration

May 19, 2021 | Webinar | Duane Morris LLP

Webinar Replay

About the Program

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to experience waves of progress and setbacks. With the new administration overseeing the pandemic response and the rapid rollout of vaccines, we have perhaps reached a turning point. In this webinar, Duane Morris Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice attorneys examine the legal issues that employers will face as the workplace reopens, along with analysis of the Biden administration’s overhaul of federal labor law and the likely increased enforcement to follow.

Reopening the Workplace | 12:30 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. Eastern

Eve Klein, Delia Isvoranu and Jennifer Long will discuss best practices for employers as they bring employees back to the physical workplace. Topics include:

  • Compliance with new federal, state and local COVID-19 laws and guidelines
  • Legality of mandating vaccines for employees, customers and visitors
  • Office changes for safety, improved ventilation and disinfection regimes
  • Can employees choose to remain remote and for how long?
  • Safety protocols: masks, temperature checks, physical distancing and other measures
  • What are reasonable accommodations in the COVID-19 era?
  • New COVID-19 paid leave policies and compliance

The Biden Administration | 1:40 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. Eastern

Caroline Austin, James R. Redeker, Jonathan Segal and Kevin Vance will summarize the Biden administration’s new legislation and proposed changes that impact the workplace, including:

  • The FFCRA extension until September 2021
  • Biden’s ambitious proposals to raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hour and offer paid family and medical leave plans
  • Possible new federal definitions of “independent contractor” and “joint employer”
  • Pay equity: enhanced EEOC and OFCCP enforcement
  • The Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) and what it means for employers and unions
  • The NLRB under Biden and its impact on workplace conduct and union organizing
  • The release of EEOC guidance on harassment previously blocked by the Office of Management and Budget and the enhanced focus on types of harassing conduct that has increased since the pandemic began
  • OSHA and workplace safety scrutiny and enforcement

Break | 2:50 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern

Benefits Update | 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern

Michael Gradisek, John Nixon, John Reade, Timothy Collins and Naina Kamath will discuss the key legislative and regulatory changes that will impact qualified retirement plans, health and welfare arrangements and executive compensation, including:

  • New flexible spending account options for employers
  • Updated partial plan termination rules
  • The new COBRA subsidy in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Immigration Update | 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern

Lisa Spiegel, Jet Stigter, Teo Purcell and Olivia Scofield will discuss the top immigration issues for employers:

  • I-9 compliance for remote and returning employees
  • Updates on work visas
  • Travel considerations in light of global COVID-19 restrictions

About Duane Morris

Duane Morris LLP, a law firm with more than 800 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally, is asked by a broad array of clients to provide innovative solutions to today’s legal and business challenges.