PS&H Partner and Chair of the Labor & Employment Group, Alicia Samolis, was quoted in Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly commenting on a recent decision from U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton in Boston. In Waters v. Day & Zimmerman NPS, Inc., the Massachusetts Federal District Court was confronted with the question of whether employees who would not...
In March, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) to provide employees with paid sick leave (collectively, “FFCRA leave”) if they are unable to work (or telework) because they need to care for their son or daughter if (a) such son or daughter’s school or place of care is closed, or (b) the...
COVID Furloughs, Layoffs or Job Modifications May Void Your Existing Non-Competition Agreements With Rhode Island and Massachusetts having recently commenced Phase 2 of each of their respective “Reopenings,” more and more employers are currently bringing employees back to work who had been previously furloughed or laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers are also...
PS&H employment partner and Chair of the Labor & Employment Group, Alicia Samolis, discussed the unintentional quandary created surrounding unemployment benefits in a recent article in the Providence Business News. In many cases, the unemployment benefits workers are currently receiving are greater than their salaries when they were employed. In other cases, people have become comfortable...
The United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) has once again updated its guidance for employers on the implementation of emergency FMLA and emergency sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The Guidance is in the form of a series of questions and answers. The well-organized topics are easily navigated (which is a good...
By Alicia J. Samolis The Rhode Island governor has issued several new orders that affect Rhode Island businesses. Importantly, all Rhode Island businesses are now subject to regulations promulgated by the Rhode Island department of health pursuant to Executive Order 20-32. Specially, businesses must: (a) Keep a cleaning log documenting the date, time and location of cleaning...
PS&H employment Partner and Chair of the Labor & Employment Group, Alicia Samolis, was quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly discussing a case involving the termination of an employee who subsequently disclosed that she was dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the case of Trahan v. Wayfair Maine, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals...
PS&H employment Partner and Chair of the Labor & Employment Group, Alicia Samolis, provided comment to the Providence Business News (PBN) on the challenges employers are facing in balancing coronavirus concerns with the risk of unintentionally creating stigma and discrimination. In their recent article on how the coronavirus is impacting employers, the PBN referred to guidance distributed...
With more and more individuals taking on the so-called “side hustle” of driving for Uber or even entirely leaving the traditional 9 to 5 work life and opting to make the “gig economy” work as their full time occupation, courts across the country are wrestling with the issue of whether these gig economy workers are...
Last week, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) issued Interim Guidance for businesses and employers to plan and respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (official name “COVID-19”). The Interim Guidance is designed to help prevent workplace exposure to acute respiratory illnesses, including nCoV (i.e. a new coronavirus that has not been...
