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For Berke-Weiss Law’s insights and resources about current events and their effects on employment law, see below.
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Emergency Paid Leave and Sick Days under Fire in New Stimulus Negotiations

December 21, 2020
As Congress races to finalize a new round of stimulus for the nation, stricken at the moment with the winter surge that epidemiologists predicted, workers are under threat of losing access to paid emergency leave as well as paid sick days. According to the National Partnership for Women & Families, allowing such provisions to expire would be a grave mistake.

Childcare Costs Skyrocket in 2020

December 9, 2020
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Child care has not been affordable for a long time now, especially not for poor and working class parents, but with the pandemic forcing the closure of schools and childcare facilities across the country, costs have shot up even more as parents scramble to figure out what to do with their children as they try to balance work and family.

Special Issue of Harvard Law & Policy Review Focuses on Pregnancy

December 7, 2020
The Harvard Law & Policy review has recently devoted an issue to the special theme of “The Politics of Pregnancy.” It contains numerous responses to and discussions of myriad political issues of pregnancy in the U.S. and abroad, including increased emphasis on maternal health, abortion access, surrogacy, and state intervention into matters of women’s health, including the effects of incarceration on mothers.

Can Employers Require Workers to Get Vaccines?

December 3, 2020
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Now that a vaccine, or more accurately, many vaccines, seems inevitable, an important new question has emerged: Can employers require workers to vaccinate?

Changes to New York Employment Laws to Have Lasting Impact, Says Law360

December 3, 2020
This week Law 360 published a helpful guide to how the pandemic has changed employment law in New York and what kinds of impacts those changes will have into 2021 and beyond.

Women Leaders Weigh in on the Pandemic and Beyond

November 23, 2020
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As part of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, New York Times reporters and editors sought the perspectives of some of the leading executives in the business and finance world about the role women have and can continue to play in the post-pandemic work world.

As President, Joe Biden Can Protect Workers

November 19, 2020
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In a new blog post at the Institute for New Economic Thinking, professors David Michaels and Gregory Wagner lay out an 11-point overview of a longer policy paper that they believe president-elect Joe Biden can enact on day one in office to protect workers

Historic Victory for Paid Family Leave in Colorado

November 12, 2020
While much of the post-election attention has been focused on the presidential race, there has been little said about what looks to be a historic victory for working Coloradans, who have chosen to join eight other states, including New York, and Washington D.C. in providing paid family leave for new parents as well as those dealing with a family emergency. This is the first paid family leave law to be won through a ballot initiative, rather than implemented by elected officials.

Pandemic Continues to Affect Women, Even the Really Successful Ones

November 10, 2020
This reduction in childcare due to COVID is affecting mothers of all income brackets, and as NPR reports, the most successful women, even, are feeling the effects. Mothers remain the parent more likely to shore the care gap created by school closures and are more likely to step back from their careers to do so.

Court Rejects Amazon Warehouse Workers’ Safety Complaints

November 5, 2020
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A Federal judge in New York has rejected a lawsuit from Amazon employees, ruling that OSHA, not courts, should determine what constitutes workplace safety and safe practices.

New Lawsuit against Uber Alleges Civil Rights Violations

November 3, 2020
Uber is no stranger to accusations of labor and consumer rights violations, including charges of monopoly behavior, racial bias in poor neighborhoods, wage violations and preventing workers from accessing social welfare during the pandemic. Now, adding to this list, is a new lawsuit filed by former driver Thomas Liu alleging Uber violated non-white drivers’ civil rights protected by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Employment Litigation Dips during Covid

November 3, 2020
According to a new analysis by Lex Machina and reported on by Law360, workers filed 2,700 fewer federal complaints or lawsuits through the first three quarters of 2020. The report notes that the drop-off has been particularly apparent in the second and third quarters.

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