Compliance Stuff

As employers increasingly require remote workers to return to the office, many aren’t sure how to handle telework accommodation requests – but new federal guidance could start providing welcome clarity for employers. The guidance is meant to help agencies determine whether remote work is a reasonable accommodation in light of President Trump’s directive for federal employees to return to the office. Although the guidance is directed toward the federal workforce, the principles align with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which applies to private employers. Here is what employers can learn from the new guidance – and five steps you can take to strengthen your disability accommodation practices related to remote work. What Happened? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a  joint technical assistance document  on February 11 with FAQs addressing telework as a disability-related accommodation for federal workers...

  Within days of his second inauguration, President Trump issued a number of Executive Orders. While the impact of his Executive Orders will be seen with time, many employers may be left wondering how the Executive Orders addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) impact them. With these new Executive Orders, private employers [1]  are justifiably re-evaluating any action they have planned to take to move DEI forward. Private employers need to know two critical factors. First, the recently issued Executive Orders addressing DEI only cover the federal government workforce. Second, an Executive Order cannot replace or contravene statutes enacted by Congress (federal laws), state laws, or Supreme Court precedent . As such, all federal laws, state laws and Supreme Court precedent prohibiting employment discrimination remain intact and unchanged by the recent Executive Orders, and significant changes to internal DEI efforts may result in increased discrimination claims....