Chicago City Council Passes COVID-19 Anti-Retaliation Ordinance
Chicago’s City Council has passed an ordinance to protect employees from retaliation by their employers if they obey public health orders or orders of a healthcare provider to stay at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ordinance was passed by the City Council on May 20, 2020.
The new ordinance incorporates the definitions from the City of Chicago’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance. Accordingly, covered employers include individuals and companies that maintain a business facility within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago or who are subject to at least one of the City’s licensing requirements.
Drug Testing During COVID-19: Essential and Smart
During a national crisis, substance abuse increases. And at a time when substance abuse is already on the rise, Americans now find themselves in the throes of a worldwide pandemic that is causing many people to experience stress, anxiety, and fear.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, studies found that substance abuse generally increased, especially in New York, as many people sought ways to deal with the symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
CDC Issues Guidance for Reopening Office Buildings
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidance for companies to prepare office buildings for returning employees and protect them from exposure to COVID-19.
The guidance includes familiar recommendations such as social distancing and enhanced cleaning, but also puts more emphasis on improving ventilation in the building by opening windows when possible or increasing the percentage of outdoor air used in HVAC systems. Employers should also consider running the ventilation system even when the building is unoccupied and adding portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems to enhance air cleaning.
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