On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the worldwide outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, a pandemic. As the ripple effects from COVID-19 continue to grow, employers are increasingly facing difficult questions about how to address temporary workplace closures as well as possible furloughs and reductions in force due to the looming economic impact of the spreading pandemic. When addressing these challenging issues, employers must be mindful not to inadvertently create wage and hour liabilities, fail to provide legally required notices to employees, or unilaterally change working conditions for unionized workers without bargaining with their union reps.
Read more on our Employment Law Commentary blog.