Sing along if you know the words… “over the river and through the drive-in testing site to grandmother’s house we go!” With the official start of the holiday season just a few days away, many families are making difficult decisions: How can we celebrate the holidays with the people we care about the most? Is it safe to travel? Or is it going to be a FaceTime Thanksgiving? (Is it me, or does that sound like a Hallmark holiday movie?)
From the perspective of employers in New York State (“NYS”), questions abound. As the number of positive COVID-19 tests continue increasing, they’re concerned about their employees’ health and safety. They’re also concerned about the State’s restrictions negatively impacting their already struggling businesses.
One of the most common questions I hear from clients is, “why does everything need to be so complicated?” Unfortunately, compliance with employment and business laws and regulations has always been complicated. There are just more laws and regulations continually clamoring for your attention right now. That’s not going to change anytime soon. However, employers can manage the stress of new and competing compliance requirements with knowledge. That means knowing which laws and regulations apply to their businesses and what they can, can’t, should, shouldn’t, must, and absolutely must not do to comply. With the Thanksgiving holiday only days away, the most pressing employer concerns are related to employee travel and the State’s travel advisory. Continue reading