Earlier today Gov. Charlie Baker established a new mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving in Massachusetts or returning to the state from anywhere except lower risk states. The new order, effective August 1, is the first time the Baker administration has included an enforcement mechanism for the state's long-standing traveler quarantine requirements. The mandatory quarantine [...]
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released guidance regarding Transportation and Facilities to assist school districts in planning for a possible Fall Reopening. Fall Reopening Transportation Guidance, July 22, 2020 Fall Reopening Facilities and Operations Guidance, July 22, 2020 Below is a copy of the On The Desktop Message from Commissioner Riley [...]
This week’s Advisor is a bit of a potpourri with an update on workplace specific safety standards in Phase III, an overview of DESE’s updates, requirements and guidance around school reopening plans, and a legislative update regarding Police Reform efforts in Massachusetts. COVID-19 Advisor vol 14 (July 20, 2020)
On July 15, 2020, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released information regarding a two-step process for submitting Fall Reopening Plans and a online form/template to be used by districts. Two-Step Process for District Fall Reopening Plans, July 15, 2020 Below is the text of the On the Desktop message from Commissioner Riley [...]
On Friday, July 10, 2020, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released an On The Desktop message with additional guidance on Fall Reopening Plans. The Initial Reopening Guidance issued on June 25, 2020 provided that districts' plans would be due in August. The revised guidance sets the due dates for districts to submit [...]
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has supplemented its Initial Fall Reopening Guidance with special considerations and guidance for services and instruction for students who qualify for special education. While DESE has asked all districts to develop plans that prioritize in-person learning, this new specialized guidance suggests that the focus on in-person is [...]
We have been hearing from a number of clients who are facing new challenges related to employee travel/vacations and an increase in requests for FFCRA leave related to a lack of child care. If you have been focused on these issues as well, you are not alone. On June 26, 2020, the U.S. Department of [...]
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ISSUES GUIDANCE ON CHILD LABOR; PAID SICK AND EXPANDED FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE AMID SCHOOL AND CAMP CLOSURES On June 26, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor issued two Field Assistance Bulletins to clarify issues relevant to the pandemic’s effects on the workplace. Of particular interest to employers is Field Assistance [...]
[Message from Commissioner's Weekly Update, June 29, 2020] On Thursday, June 25, DESE released initial fall school reopening guidance [download] following weeks of collaboration with stakeholders and the medical community. The guidance calls for schools to reopen this fall while meeting safety requirements, including the use of masks for all but the youngest students and [...]
This week’s advisor addresses the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the right of gay and transgender people to be free from discrimination in the workplace, as well as the EEOC’s prohibition of antibody testing for employees returning to work and COVID-19 waivers and releases in the [...]