Archive for coronavirus

Schoolyard Bullying Minus the Schoolyard: How to Mitigate Toxicity in the Virtual Workplace

As an employer, you may think that, during this time of indefinite virtual work, the lack of a shared workspace would mean less bullying amongst your employees.  With no common space to congregate, and with less colleague-to-colleague face-to-face time, the sample size for toxic workplace culture would have…

Litigating From Home: The New Normal Thanks to COVID-19

The 2020 global pandemic has brought many rapid changes to the world – and that includes changes to courtrooms and trial across California. COVID-19 has wrought havoc on our court system here in California, forcing many cases (other than the most urgent and life-threatening) to grind to a…

You’re Laid Off Due to Coronavirus – Now What?

Rising layoffs, budget cuts, and business closures are just a few of the widespread consequences of COVID-19.  If you have been laid off as a result of the pandemic, you’re likely experiencing—among other things—some level of defeat and/or powerlessness.  The emotional toll of a layoff can cloud an…

Unusual Times Call for a New Approach to Company Reorganization

The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have created a whole new world of challenges for employers.  Many companies are facing the necessity of cost-cutting and the inevitability of reducing their workforce. A recent article in Harvard Business Review suggests an alternative approach to cost-cutting, rather than the typical…

The Essential Ingredient Now for Employers: Compassion

Many Bay Area counties have now extended the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order through May 31st.  This new order affects employers and employees in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, as well as those in the city of Berkeley.  The extension of the stay-at-home…

“Remote Control”: Management Techniques for Virtual Work

The vast majority of companies are not accustomed to 100% remote work. But this is the indefinite reality many companies now face, due to the ongoing global COVID-19 health emergency. This new reality is posing abundant challenges to leaders who aim to continue supporting their teams as best…

San Francisco Enacts Paid Leave Law for Employees at Large Companies

On April 17, 2020, Mayor London Breed signed the San Francisco Public Health Emergency Leave Ordinance (“PHELO”), which was previously passed by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors on April 14, 2020.  The PHELO became effective immediately, and San Francisco’s Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (“OLSE”) issued guidelines regarding…

The Federal CARES Act Provides Some Relief for Small Businesses Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 27, 2020, Congress voted to enact The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on the same day.  The CARES Act is the most recent in a wave of federal legislation passed in an effort to counter…

U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance on the FFCRA

As we discussed in a previous blog post which you can find here, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) created two new paid leave entitlements employees working in companies with fewer than 500 employees.  We are referring to these new entitlements as Emergency FMLA Leave and…

When “Shelter At Home” Includes “Work From Home” – Legal and Practical Issues

Many businesses have some experience with employees working remotely whether from allowing certain employees to telecommute, employees traveling for business, or otherwise.  Until recently, though, very few California employers had 100% of their workforce working remotely.  The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly changed that.  Today—and for the indefinite future—all…