COVID-19 Employer Reopening Compliance Challenges

Employers are facing numerous dilemmas as they prepare to reopen their worksites. New York City employment attorney Jason Habinksy joins XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld to discuss how to handle these return-to-work challenges without violating employment laws. Habinsky chairs the labor and employment practice group at Haynes and Boone.

"HR professionals will be additionally busy as we return to the workplace," said Habinsky. "A big part of that is going to be reassuring employees that their employer is taking steps to protect them." Habinsky notes that the next phase after returning to work will likely be the complaint and litigation phase. Some key issues for employers to be aware of include:

• How to accommodate at-risk employees;
• Privacy concerns involving employee temperature checks;
• OSHA considerations;
• Discrimination claims involving furloughs; and
• Potential wage and hour claims.