Legal Issues in Pandemic

Cybersecurity and privacy challenges related to remote work, increased cyber threats, and compliance with privacy laws have been critical issues for clients during the pandemic. Examples: Many people are struggling with the stress of the Covid pandemic and need emotional support. The Illinois Call4Calm text line is a service that helps you connect to local resources. This service is free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “I think it`s fair to say that the pandemic has really created what I would call a dizzying set of legal problems,` especially for people of color and disadvantaged communities,” said panelist Jo-Ann Wallace, president and CEO of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and associated with the pandemic task force. In a stunning example, she said about 23 million people could face the prospect of eviction – out of a total population of about 110 million renters across the country. In light of these developments, employers should work with a lawyer to prepare their records, policies and procedures for a potential investigation. Employers who are notified of an internal complaint or regulatory investigation should consult a lawyer immediately to avoid accidental missteps. As always, employers should be aware of whistleblower laws and consult with a lawyer before taking real or perceived adverse action against an employee who has engaged in “protected activities” under federal or state labor laws. Pandemic preparedness and response raises many labour law issues.

Employers conducting pandemic preparedness procedures must do so in a manner that complies with the law. Employers are expected to make every effort to obtain timely and appropriate health advice for their location and, based on this information, to conduct appropriate assessments of working conditions. Sandman described the group`s new website, launched in early April, as a “central source of resources, connections, best practices and information” on legal issues related to the pandemic crisis. Fixed salary and reduction of basic hours. Employers can make a fixed reduction in future wages and base hours because the amount of work an employee can do during a pandemic is reduced in good faith. Employers who go down this route should be cautious, as the Ministry of Labour and federal courts have concluded that this practice is only acceptable if it occurs occasionally and because of long-term business needs or an economic downturn. The recovery from the pandemic certainly brings with it ever-evolving issues and challenges. We remain committed to providing you with thorough and timely analysis to help you overcome these challenges head-on.

Healthcare providers and life sciences companies have been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic from the very beginning. From immunity from liability measures to the expansion of telemedicine, companies and organizations in the healthcare and life sciences sector are facing a variety of legal issues. Here are some examples of our content: Mandatory closures were also a hot topic at the beginning of the pandemic and will be again when the virus resurfaces across the country. In addition to tips on how to comply with closure orders, our content on how businesses should handle the reopening of facilities and the return of employees to work was widely visited. That`s why we`ve dedicated a section of our resource center specifically to the next normal, including adapting to a post-pandemic environment. Examples: The contractual provisions of acquisition agreements are evolving in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, parties have focused on risk transfer provisions in acquisition agreements, such as exceptions to the definition of material adverse effect (MAE) and exceptions to interim operating clauses. Since 2020, many acquisition agreements have identified effects related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the definition of EAW or excluded pandemic-related acts or omissions from the agreement requiring a vendor to operate “only in the ordinary course of business in accordance with past practice.” As the pandemic enters an endemic phase, Parties will need to reassess how the COVID-19 exemption provisions of the AMG or the “ordinary course of business” are interpreted. For example, the measures taken by a company to respond to the pandemic can now be considered part of the company`s “normal course of business”. Before a pandemic is declared, employers are not allowed to ask their employees to disclose health conditions that could make them more vulnerable to the virus. However, employers may ask about non-medical reasons why an employee may miss work during a pandemic, such as the closure of a public transit or school.

Various factors, both health-related and other factors, that may cause an employee to miss work during a pandemic can be listed in a one-page form, with instructions to employees to provide a single yes or no answer as to whether any of the listed reasons would prevent the employee from reporting to work in the event of a pandemic. What`s yet to come: Companies continue to learn from the crisis by revising their contract models and processes. Force majeure, business continuity/disaster recovery and financial stability regulations will continue to be the focus of all parties as suppliers and buyers strive to improve their risk management. Troutman Pepper`s core commercial contracts and commercial litigation practices will continue to provide analysis of these critical issues. We will discuss the most common legal issues that have arisen during the pandemic, examine a forecast of legal issues that may arise or spread after the initial phase of the pandemic, and examine challenges in responding to legal issues that have arisen and are likely to arise in the future. The program will also provide an overview of best practices in pro bono engagement to address legal needs during and after a national emergency. Laura Farber will provide an overview of ABA`s new Practice Forward Coordination Group, which will leverage expertise across the ABA to address potential long-term changes in legal practice and the justice system in light of the pandemic. Laura will discuss the results of the ABA Business Survey on the ABA Resource Landscape, as well as the key opportunities and challenges of the pandemic. What`s coming: As vaccine distribution begins across the country, employers, health care facilities, frontline workers, schools and others will be grappling with a variety of legal issues. In response, our COVID-19 Task Force has developed a list of FAQs that we are continually updating as we recover from the pandemic. Over the next year, we will continue to provide advice on accommodation, employment, benefits and other issues that continue to pose challenges for businesses.

The survey identified two main legal needs – applications for unemployment benefits (19% of respondents) and housing-related problems, particularly evictions and landlord-tenant issues (17% of respondents). About 56% of respondents said they had already noticed an increase in demand for legal services. The vast majority (91%) said they expect additional legal needs in the future due to the pandemic. IDHS has also launched a free line of text for emotional support. It is aimed at people with mental health problems related to Covid-19. If you want to speak to a psychiatrist in English, you can send the word “TALK” to 552020. If you prefer Spanish, write “HABLAR” on the same number. For more resources, visit the DHS website. Below is a brief overview of some of the most important legal issues related to COVID-19 over the past nine months, examples of our most visited content on these topics, and thoughts on how to proceed in early 2021. Contact a member of our COVID-19 Task Force for our latest information and advice on any questions. What`s yet to come: In addition to an increase in civil fraud cases and other pandemic-related economic sanctions, we expect the Biden administration to innovate criminal investigations and enforcement in several areas, including financial and securities fraud, antitrust, healthcare, and life sciences. and the environment.