Denise M. Keyser

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Part two of our “Back to School” webinar series will take a look at looming issues for employers as they face an uncertain economic forecast while still dealing with novel challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite unemployment rates remaining steady, a changing economy has many employers anticipating the need to reduce their workforce and…

As COVID lingers and the economy remains uncertain, employers face a host of issues. Recently, a group of Ballard Spahr attorneys hosted part one of a two part webinar series to revisit the basics, as well as novel issues, related to aligning your workforce to your business needs. Many businesses do not have enough workers…

Earlier this week, New Jersey state senators tabled the vote on Bill S511, landmark legislation dubbed the NJ temporary worker “Bill of Rights.” Governor Phil Murphy conditionally vetoed the proposed legislation last month, and advocates expected the bill to pass following the state Assembly’s approval of Gov. Murphy’s revisions. But ultimately, state senators pulled…

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued proposed regulations under the nondiscrimination provisions of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The proposed rules restore and augment a number of the nondiscrimination requirements in regulations that were published in 2016, but later stripped away in rules published in 2020. For example…

Originally published in June of last year, and as reported by Ballard Spahr here, the OSHA Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) set safety requirements for health care and health care support service workers in settings where people with COVID-19 are reasonably expected to be present. The ETS expired after six months, on December 21,…

This week, in Hughes et al. v. Northwestern University et al., the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) imposes a duty of prudence on fiduciaries that includes a continuing duty to monitor investments and remove imprudent investments in a reasonable time. The defined contribution plans at issue each…

The Biden Administration’s action plan to overcome the pandemic saw major setbacks this week as courts around the country halted the administration’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for federal contractors and subcontractors and health care workers.

Specifically, on September 24, 2021 the Biden Administration issued guidance to supplement a previously issued Executive Order, in effect requiring…

On Monday, as it has done periodically throughout the pandemic, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its now-lengthy technical assistance related to COVID-19. This new guidance comes as U.S. employers increasingly have abandoned encouraging or incentivizing vaccinations for their workforces in favor of vaccine mandates, in an effort to get their employees back to…

On Tuesday evening, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent its proposed vaccine mandate to the White House for final review.  OSHA’s proposed rule was drafted in response to President Biden’s September 9 request that OSHA require companies with 100 or more employees to mandate coronavirus vaccinations or weekly testing. Based on the President’s request…

On Tuesday, October 5, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation expanding state law protection against age discrimination for those employees who are 70 years of age or older.  The legislation amends the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“NJLAD”) in a several important ways.  First, the amendments remove language from the NJLAD that previously permitted employers…