Maryland workers’ comp: Tying new symptoms to a previously covered work injury
Consider this fact pattern. A bus driver injures their knee and ankle while stepping off the bus. Their Maryland workers’ compensation claim is approved, along with a finding of permanent partial disability of the injured leg. Five years later, the driver requests...
Employers can probably require a COVID-19 vaccine, with exceptions
It seems that the news changes every day about if and when a COVID-19 vaccination is going to become a reality for the American public. Employers are already thinking about how to keep their workplaces safer in this pandemic, especially as industries begin to slowly...
Workers’ compensation claim denied? File an appeal
A work-related injury now prevents you from clocking in daily at your job. Your injury will take time to heal, perhaps several weeks or months. In such a situation, you know that you deserve and need workers’ compensation. Those payments will provide a temporary...
FFCRA gives 2020 COVID-19 paid sick and family leave to some employees
From April 1 through December 31, 2020, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) directs certain smaller employers to provide coronavirus-related paid family and medical leave as well as paid sick leave to employees in certain circumstances. On...
EEOC guidance on opioid addiction, disability and accommodation
At our law firm, we represent people who have faced illegal discrimination on the job because of their physical or mental disabilities. Under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and similar state laws, disability discrimination occurs when a covered...
Worker safety organization publishes reopening guidelines
As governors across the country ease lockdown restrictions, America’s quarantined populations begin to return to work. With the federal government leaving state governors to establish a reopening policy, many lawmakers turn to the National Council for Occupational...
Pandemic-related lawsuits expected to increase among workers
In Virginia, lawmakers recently passed a series of workplace mandates designed to protect workers from COVID-19. The mandates, which are part of what’s called an “emergency temporary standard,” create impermanent measures that employers must abide by for the duration...
Tips and clarifications for Maryland’s workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Both the federal government and the state of Maryland have been under declared states of emergency since early 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time frame, Maryland’s recorded COVID-19 cases and deaths have risen from the first three cases confirmed...
Can I ask for reasonable employment accommodations right now?
If you’re one of the 61 million adults in the United States living with a disability, the global health crisis may be impacting you more significantly than others—especially if you are in a population identified as highly vulnerable to the virus. Although it may seem...
What your boss can and can’t make you do during the coronavirus
For employers and employees alike, navigating a global public health crisis is unfamiliar territory. These are uncertain times, and many workers have unanswered questions regarding their safety and their rights in the workplace. Here are some things your employer can...