Employers mandating that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 should know how to respond to an employee’s request for a religious exemption from the vaccination policy. In this post, I discuss the process an employer can use to distinguish an employee’s personal opposition to a vaccination from a sincerely held religious belief that qualifies as a
What to Do about Vaccinations: Employer Recommendations
On May 28, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its Technical Assistance Questions and Answers (Technical Assistance) about COVID-19 and Equal Employment Opportunity laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In the Technical Assistance, the EEOC addressed many questions concerning the right of employers to screen for COVID-19 and/or for symptoms of
To Require Vaccines or Not: That is the Question
We are all waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine. When we have a vaccine, can an employer require that applicants and employees be vaccinated against COVID-19? Employers have a legitimate desire to keep their workplaces safe and to protect their employees from contracting COVID-19 in the workplace. Phyllis Karasov and Dan Ballintine discuss the practical and legal issues associated with an employer mandatory vaccination program.
Continue Reading To Require Vaccines or Not: That is the Question
Pandemic is Driving the Pace of Change in Office Environments
Rather than immediately downsizing, employers are considering revamping their workplaces in response to the work from home experiment. According to Erin Fitzgerlad and Gordon Wright, panelists on Bisnow’s webinar Twin Cities Deep Dive: Future of Office, clients are rethinking how they use their space and how to make employees feel comfortable returning to work in
Commercial Lease Negotiations in Uncertain Times: Improvements to Existing Premises
This is the second post in a series of blog posts on the topic of commercial leasing during these uncertain times. Throughout the summer this series will explore a number of commercial leasing related questions raised by both commercial landlords and commercial tenants.
Now that we are five months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority
A Summer of Special Sessions: Is July’s Special Session the Last Chance for a Deal on Bonding, COVID-19 Relief & Police Reform?
Margaret Vesel and Matthew Bergeron recap the Minnesota Legislature’s week-long June special session and preview the special session beginning on July 13, 2020. They discuss the ongoing negotiations over law enforcement reform, capital investment, and bonding and examine how the seemingly unrelated issues are interconnected when it comes to finding a “comprehensive deal”.
Commercial Lease Negotiations in Uncertain Times: Introducing New Blog Series
As the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest have swept through the United States, we have been presented with novel challenges and uncertainty in nearly all aspects of life, including commercial real estate. The world of commercial real estate, dominated as it is by highly-individualized leasing arrangements, has always presented real estate attorneys with unique leasing
Preparedness Plan Requirements Guidance for Construction Revised with Little Real Change
This post is co-written by Phyllis Karasov and Mike Schechter.
On Wednesday, June 24, we wrote an article on the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s guidance that requires a preparedness plan for the construction industry. The guidance was confusing and placed onerous responsibilities on contractors, owners and public entities, including ensuring that plans among
How Far Can the Governor Go On His Own? Part 2
Recently I commented on a growing level of concern regarding Gov. Tim Walz’s use of his statutory public safety “emergency” authority to promulgate wide-ranging and consequential executive orders affecting the state’s economy and citizens. While many groups, including health care and service organizations, were required to suspend their operations for at least two months, the
Required COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for the Construction Industry
This post is co-written by Phyllis Karasov and Mike Schechter.
This post was updated on 6/29/20
In his recent Executive Order 20-74, Governor Walz ordered critical sector businesses to create and adopt a COVID-19 preparedness plan to make workplaces safe from the spread of the coronavirus, and his administration subsequently published guidance for specific