Compliance Stuff

  And you thought they’d be asleep the next four years. This week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a  press release  indicating that the EEOC would be cracking down on antisemitism in the workplace, with special emphasis on college and university workplaces. Although institutions of higher education are the primary focus of the EEOC, the press release made clear that  no  employers should tolerate antisemitic harassment or discrimination. (The EEOC does not have jurisdiction over antisemitism that targets students, but of course other government agencies do.) The press release quotes Acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas as follows: In the wake of the . . . Hamas terror attacks in Israel, news coverage of the severe outbreaks of antisemitism at our country’s leading universities focused on the students affected . . .. But universities are workplaces, too, and large-scale employers. In addition to Jewish professors on campus, universities employ ...

  The first three weeks of the new presidential administration resulted in numerous executive orders and agency actions impacting foreign nationals living and working in the United States. These actions were far-reaching, with potential impacts for employers and sponsored employees across the United States. This article discusses several of the actions that may have the most impact on employers, including updates on visa screening, potential travel restrictions, the sunset of temporary protected status (TPS) for Venezuela, and increased enforcement in sensitive locations, which include hospitals and universities. Quick Hits Visa Issuance Review:  Several orders have the potential to impact trade visa issuance, visa screening procedures, and the potential for limitations on admission to the United States.  Sunset of TPS for Venezuela:  Executive agencies are charged with reviewing humanitarian status programs, resulting in the first termination of temporary protected ...