Companies cannot retaliate against employees who report unsafe working conditions amid the current public health crisis, says the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The warning comes after workers in different regions -- including an emergency room doctor in Washington state -- were fired for voicing concerns about the safety of their workplaces. Full Story: The Hill (4/8)
Recruiting & Retention
High court lowers standard for federal age-bias lawsuits Federal workers seeking to prove age discrimination need only show that age was a factor in an employment decision, instead of the primary factor, the US Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Babb v. Wilkie. The justices held that two burdens exist under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act: Private-sector employees must prove that age was the deciding factor, while federal employers are subject to statutory language including the phrase "free from any discrimination based on age." Full Story: Government Executive (4/6),National Public Radio (4/7),The National Law Journal (tiered subscription model) (4/6)
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Unemployment payouts to exceed some workers' wages Some laid-off workers will receive more in unemployment benefits than they did in salary, owing to the federal government's $600-per-week supplement to state payouts. Some lawmakers are concerned that the temporary benefit boost may prompt some employers to implement -- or some workers to ask for -- layoffs. Full Story: The Seattle Times (tiered subscription model) (4/8)
Zoom has recruited former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos and set up an advisory board as it seeks to beef up its cybersecurity. The list of entities reportedly urging employees and members not to use Zoom includes Google, the US Senate, NASA, SpaceX, the UK defense ministry, New York school districts and the Taiwanese government. Full Story: Infosecurity (U.K.) (4/9)
The HR Leader
Guidance given on returning to work after virus exposure The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new guidelines related to essential workers who have been exposed to a confirmed or suspected case of coronavirus. The recommendations include taking daily temperatures, increasing air exchange in buildings where the employees work and increasing cleaning efforts. Full Story: National Public Radio (4/8)
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