GRA Weekly

July 7, 2022

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner, Workstream.

REMINDER: NEW LAWS IN EFFECT

New laws in effect as of July 1, 2022

HB 389 | Independent Contractors definition + GA DOL civil penalties: Codifies existing case law to include a definition for independent contractors. Also includes Georgia Department of Labor civil penalties for employers who do not classify workers correctly (companies with less than 100 employees capped at $2,500.00, companies with 100 or more employees capped at $7,500.00).
HB 961 | Apportionment of Damages: Restores Georgia's apportionment statue so all responsible parties should pay their fair share of damages to an injured party
SB 331 | Protecting Georgia Business and Workers Act: Preempts local governments from mandating work schedules and rate of pay for employees of a private business.

For more information on the Georgia Restaurant Association's Advocacy efforts, click here.

HIRING TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES?

Here is what employers need to know to comply with disability accommodation requests:

-Practical Guidance on Contingent Workers and the ADA | Job Accommodation Network/US DOL Office of Disability Employment Policy

-The ADA: Your Responsibilities as an Employer | EEOC

-Employers and the ADA: Myths and Facts | EEOC

Recent legal cases:

-EEOC Sues Hobby Lobby for Disability Discrimination

-Waterway Gas and Wash Company Settles EEOC Disability Discrimination Case

EMPLOYEE PAID TIME OFF

How to Document and Manage Employee Paid Time Off

Co.- by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - From flexible accrual banks to a “use it or lose it” policy, accounting needs to record the use of paid time off. Here’s how small businesses can track employee PTO. Paid time off (PTO) is a commonly offered employee benefit that allows employees to take time away from work without losing pay. Though not federally mandated, many states require employers to offer a certain amount of accrued paid leave to part- and full-time employees, often based on the number of hours they work. Organizations can offer a variety of PTO plans — from flexible accrual banks to a “use it or lose it” policy — but no matter which one the business chooses, the policy needs to be managed by the accounting department. Read on to discover the best ways to record PTO in accounting for small businesses. Read more.

FEDERAL UPDATES

Data privacy bill contains worrisome language for operators

The American Data Protection and Privacy Act would create national standards dictating that businesses protect consumer information they collect, store, and use. While following one comprehensive federal data privacy law would—in theory—make compliance easier for businesses (vs. a patchwork of state laws), the proposed ADPPA’s language as currently written is troubling for restaurants. Read why.

Please share your Tariff Impact Stories

As supply chain disruptions and skyrocketing food inflation continue to challenge our industry, the National Restaurant Association is working to encourage the Biden Administration to eliminate all tariffs that affect the restaurant supply chain. But they need your help to tell the story of how these tariffs are continuing to harm American businesses and consumers. They are working with a coalition of businesses to share tariff impact stories highlighting the negative impact tariffs have had on businesses. Please find a link below to share your story. If you prefer, the stories can be short and can remain anonymous. This information will be incredibly helpful to continue to show the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Administration the ongoing negative impact of the 301 tariffs on companies across the U.S. Share your tariff impact story here.