by Alonzo Martinez - Forbes
For lawmakers, the first half of 2020 has brought a dynamic shift from the typical legislative agenda. Measures frequently debated by lawmakers were tabled while bills aimed at addressing the Covid-19 pandemic rightfully took precedent. Nonetheless, despite a pivot in priorities and a truncated legislative agenda, many laws affecting employers, particularly those aimed at promoting job seekers' and employees' rights, still managed to cross the finish line.
by NCPA Staff - North Central PA
Harrisburg, Pa. - Building on criminal justice reforms and fulfilling a recommendation to modernize job licensing, Governor Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 637, which removes outdated licensing barriers so skilled workers with criminal records can get a second chance and start good careers.
by Editorial Team - HR News
COVID-19 has ushered in changes in just about every area of business. In the last few months businesses have battled with the challenge of not only ensuring the safety of their own staff in the work environment, but also safeguarding corporate data in newly created remote working environments. In these challenging times, the role of supporting and creating great teams falls to HR in a whole new way. As corporate cultures have changed almost overnight with the traditional working environment shifting dramatically.
Read more: http://hrnews.co.uk/covid-19-the-evolution-of-background-screening/
Press Release - Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is making more state-level information available to the public about the complaints it receives from consumers related to COVID-19, with reports about online shopping problems topping the list of complaints in most states.
by KGW Staff - KGW8
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon needs to improve child safety with stronger background checks for child care workers and an improved sex offender registry, a state audit found.
The Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division said that while the majority of child care providers have no criminal convictions, the Oregon Department of Education’s Office of Child Care (OCC) and the Department of Human Services’ Background Check Unit (BCU) have approved some child care workers who have in the past committed crimes such as child abuse or neglect.
by Pamela Q. Devata, Jennifer L. Mora, Stacey L. Blecher - Seyfarth
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 27, 2020, the Suffolk County Legislature filed with the Secretary of State an amendment to the county’s Human Rights Code to include a new “Fair Employment Screening” section. As a result, effective August 25, 2020, Suffolk County, New York employers with 15 or more employees will be restricted in their ability to make pre-employment inquiries about an applicant’s criminal history. Because other New York cities and counties have enacted similar laws, such as in New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, and Westchester County, employers operating in the Empire State should consider reviewing their hiring practices to ensure compliance in all jurisdictions.
Read more: https://www.seyfarth.com/news-insights/another-new-york-locality-bans-the-box.html
by Lincoln Bisbee, Alexander Malson, Morgan Lewis - JD Supra
Beginning October 1, 2020, new obligations and prohibitions take effect concerning Maryland’s antidiscrimination law, mass layoff procedures, salary histories, and more.
The 2020 Maryland legislative session ended on May 7, when Governor Larry Hogan either vetoed or permitted any outstanding bills passed by the Maryland General Assembly to become law absent his signature. In addition to overriding the governor’s veto to enact a statewide “ban the box” law in February, the General Assembly enacted several new employment laws during this past legislative session. The new laws add protected characteristics to Maryland’s antidiscrimination law, enact new requirements in cases of mass layoffs, and create new obligations and protections related to employee salaries and salary inquiries. Each of the new requirements takes effect on October 1, 2020.
Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/maryland-employers-take-note-of-new-43167/
by Sam Smink - WHDH 7NEWS
When we request an Uber or Lyft, we assume the person driving us is safe, because they passed a background check.
But what if the person is an impostor?
“At first, I was like, this has got to be a joke,” says Carole Cassidy, after opening a tax form saying she made more than $4,000 driving for Uber in 2019.
The problem was, Carole said, “I’ve never worked for Uber, I don’t work for them, I don’t even have the app.”
Buchalter Client Alert - Buchalter Law Firm
As the White House and state and local governments begin to assess business re-opening measures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are evaluating how to transition employees back to the physical workplace. As a threshold matter, employers must assess applicable state and local governmental orders for restrictions, timing, and guidelines regarding business re-opening, as the lifting of shelter-in-place orders and re-opening measures will vary by region and industry.
by Brian M. Forbes and Robert W. Sparkes, III - National Law Review
The CARES Act’s Impact on Furnisher Liability Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
As part of the federal government’s efforts to provide relief from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to consumers, Congress took aim at financial services companies that provide consumer account information to credit reporting agencies (CRAs). The reporting activities of those companies, which are known as “furnishers” and include, among others, creditors, mortgage loan servicers and credit card account servicers, are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). [1] The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, [2] enacted on March 27, 2020, expressly amends FCRA and alters the duties of furnishers when reporting the status of accounts provided with COVID-19-related payment relief. [3] Despite the potential exposure carried by a violation of FCRA generally—either through private civil litigation, most notably class actions, or government enforcement—key defenses remain in place for furnishers to mitigate FCRA liability.
Read more: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/covid-19-credit-reporting-age-covid-19
