Coronavirus and Work-from-Home Policies, HIPAA and Coronavirus, Arbitration Agreements

Happy #WorkforceWednesday to all employers. Here’s the week’s top workforce management and employment law news:

Coronavirus To-Dos: Work-from-Home Policies (Video)

In the event the coronavirus spreads drastically, many employers will want to implement mandatory work-from-home policies. Employers should consider various aspects of the Fair Labor Standards Act when crafting these policies. Attorney Jeff Ruzal explains best practices in the following video interview. See also his recent blog post.

HIPAA and Coronavirus

Regulators are on board with sharing protected health information (PHI) to support public health. Learn moreabout the ways by which the HIPAA Privacy Rule permits entities to disclose PHI without a patient’s authorization.

Further Developments on Individual Arbitrations

Employers that have implemented arbitration programs or are considering doing so take note: Recently, a federal court required DoorDash to conduct 5,000 individual arbitrations under the terms of its mandatory arbitration agreements, and now Postmates has received similar orders, signaling that further enforcement may be on the horizon.

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Other Highlights

A Quick Wage-Hour Tip

The Department of Labor’s new joint-employer rule becomes effective on March 16. Employers should brush up on the updated guidance and review their relationships with workers to ensure compliance.

Coronavirus Resource Center

The threat of COVID-19 is growing, and U.S. companies are on high alert. Employers throughout all industries, and particularly those within health care, are grappling with how to deal with potential impacts on their businesses and workforce. For ongoing updates, visit our resource center at www.ebglaw.com/coronavirus.

What We’re Reading

“How to Reassure Your Team When the News Is Scary,” an article on crisis communications and leading teams during the coronavirus, by Allison Shapira for Harvard Business Review.

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