Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) announcement that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can shed their masks in many settings, including indoors, no doubt came as welcome news to mask-weary workers, but employers are warned not to relax rules too quickly. For one thing, the CDC announcement applies only to fully vaccinated people. […]
As more and more organizations bring employees back on-site, including those that always kept employees on-site, we must continue to be aware of COVID-19 and what it means for employers and employees as the economy picks back up. In particular, employers still have an obligation under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to provide […]
Q: If an individual provides authorization for a disclosure, can the individual later revoke the authorization? Is the covered entity (CE) then required to “take back” or demand the erasure of any documentation by third parties that may have been made following the original authorization? A: Individuals have the right to revoke their authorizations in […]
All of us are facing the uncertainty and burdens of dealing with COVID-19’s impact on the workplace. One issue revolves around when employees have good cause to abandon their jobs because of the risks created by the virus. The Arkansas Court of Appeals recently addressed the question and sided with the employee. Tracy Keener was […]
The Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act was reintroduced in Congress in 2021 and is known as S. 463 and H.R. 1185. The Act has been introduced repeatedly during legislative sessions for the past 7 years but has yet to progress. The FAMILY Act strives to create paid time off at a portion of […]
Access to COVID-19 vaccines continues to expand in the United States, and employers are navigating many questions about employee vaccinations and return to work. Current polling shows a substantial number of workers are hesitant about getting the shots or may refuse to be vaccinated against the virus. Now, a New Mexico employee has filed what […]
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave is a more complex topic than it may seem. Basically, for any eligible employee at a covered employer, up to 12 weeks of leave must be provided each year for a qualifying event or events. This may seem fairly straightforward, but administering FMLA leave can be fairly complicated. […]
Q: As case managers strive to best support patients recovering from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), what are some of the most important things to keep in mind? A: Ellen Fink-Samnick, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, CCM, CCTP, CMHIMP, CRP, DBH(s), of EFS Supervision Strategies LLC, in Burke, Virginia offers five strategies for supporting COVID-19 patients. Discharge to […]
Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued guidance titled “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.” The new guidance, which is advisory, addresses not only some of the more commonplace safety practices but also other employment policies and practices not as readily associated with workplace safety.As […]
The long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine’s arrival has provided a ray of sunshine for employers hoping for a better 2021. But it also raised a slew of questions: How long until my workforce has access to it? Can I require all employees to be vaccinated? What if an individual worker refuses? Let’s look at the reasoning behind […]