HERO Act Update
The New York State Commissioner of Health has allowed the designation of COVID-19 as an airborne infectious disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health to expire on March 17. This means employers are no longer required to implement their workforce safety plans. Employers still need to maintain a workforce safety plan, and post and distribute it consistent with the provisions of the HERO Act. Health screenings and other precautions are no longer required, but can be implemented at the discretion of the employer. The official notice of this change can be found here.
Updated EEOC Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine Religious Exemptions
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated their guidance regarding the consideration of employee exemption requests based on religious beliefs. These updates, which provide additional guidance on how employers should approach and review religious exemption requests, are available here under subsection L.