SimplyHR | Employment & Labor Blog 

As in 2020, employment law in 2021 was dominated by COVID-19 as employers grappled with whether to voluntarily extend employee benefits provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, issues with working remotely, and returning to work. The new year begins with uncertainty as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide the fate of several employer vaccine mandates in just a few days. The pandemic’s challenges are sure to keep employers busy in 2022. Here are our picks for the highlights of last year and a look at what’s to come in the new year.

On November 5, 2021, OSHA released a previously announced Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring employers with at least 100 employees to enact a policy requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID‑19 or submit to weekly testing. Employers are required to have a policy in place by December 5, 2021, with enforcement of the ETS to begin on January 4, 2022.

2018 was a relatively quiet year in federal employment law developments, but the stage is set for a much more active 2019. Below is a summary of major federal employment law headlines and a look at what employers can expect in 2019.

For Missouri and Illinois employers, a review of 2018 state updates and a look forward at 2019 can be found here.

The federal employment law landscape saw some interesting developments in 2017, as well as some anticipated changes that were ultimately halted or delayed. Below is a summary of major federal employment law headlines and a look at what employers can expect in 2018.

For Missouri and Illinois employers specifically, a review of 2017 updates and a look forward at 2018 can be found here.

2016 was a busy year for employment law developments on a national level, and 2017 promises to follow suit. To help employers navigate the changes, here is a summary of major developments that may affect your business this year.

The enforcement of anti-retaliation provisions in new injury and illness reporting regulations for employers has been delayed until Nov. 1, 2016.

On May 11, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the final rule revising its regulations on the recording and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses. The final regulations, which require employers to electronically submit information about workplace injuries and illnesses, also bar employers from retaliating against workers for reporting such incidents.

On May 11, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the much-anticipated final rule revising its regulations on the recording and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses.

The final rule requires employers to electronically submit information about workplace injuries and illnesses, and it bars employers from retaliating against workers for reporting such incidents. It also requires employers to inform workers of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses without fear of retaliation and clarifies employees’ rights to access workplace injury data.

OSHA has continued its proactive approach to targeting and inspecting businesses in 2013. It’s not like it used to be, when you could expect to be clear of an OSHA inspection if you kept your employees happy (i.e., no complaints to OSHA) and safe (i.e., no reportable accidents). If you met those two goals not long ago, then you were likely in the clear to avoid OSHA inspections in any given year.