EMPLOYMENT LAW

2020 Headlines
While Halloween is now officially behind us, it’s still worth a quick look at 2020 headlines that are sure to give HR professionals—and the rest of us—nightmares! Steer clear of lawsuits by managing with care and attention to employment law.
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I-9 AND E-VERIFY

Extension Still Applies: Form I-9 Requirements in response to COVID-19
The in-person requirement for the Form I-9 is temporarily suspended if your company is closed or taking other precautions due to COVID-19. The general rule is that an employer must undertake a physical inspection of the document(s) presented by the employee for section 2 purposes.

UPDATE: Because of ongoing COVID-19 precautions, remote I-9 document review has been extended; the expiration date for these accommodations is now November 19, 2020.

The government has suspended the in-person and physical inspection of the document(s) presented by the employee when completing the Form I-9. During this time, an employer can view the document(s) presented by the employee via Zoom or Skype, for example.
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Exploring the Basics of Form I-9
With U.S. government focus on enforcement and audit of employee authorization to work, it’s always worth taking a few moments to review the basics of Form I-9. Every employer must have a Form I-9 for every employee. While the form itself is not complicated, accuracy and process counts to ensure that you’re prepared for an audit.
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SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING

Substance Abuse Trends Reported by Quest Diagnostics
U.S. General Workforce drug positivity hits 16-Year High in 2019. Quest Diagnostics—a trusted A-Check drug screening partner and leading provider of diagnostic services—recently released their Drug Testing Index™ analysis of more than nine million workplace drug test results. As Quest Diagnostics reports, even prior to COVID-19, workplace drug positivity rates were trending in the wrong direction. Now, with many Americans under higher stress levels as they continue to juggle remote work schedules, childcare and homeschool responsibilities, and even frustration from ongoing social isolation, it stands to reason that there may have been negative impact on general health and well-being during these recent months.
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AS A REMINDER: At A-Check, we’re happy to help implement a drug screening program that meets your evolving needs—or make adjustments to the program you’re already running with us. Just give us a call at 877-345-2021 and ask to speak with someone on your Client Relations team.

BAN THE BOX AND CRIMINAL HISTORY DISCLOSURE

Hawaii
Now effective, Hawaii has amended its Ban the Box law, offering protections for individuals with old and/or relatively minor conviction records. The law prevents most private sector employers from considering felony convictions older than seven years, and misdemeanor convictions older than five years. However, an employer making employment decisions may inquire about and consider an individual’s criminal conviction record, provided the conviction in question has a logical relationship to the position’s duties.
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South Carolina
In other Ban the Box news, the city of North Augusta, SC, is removing a question about criminal history from job applications for city positions. This change won’t alter the hiring process at all; it will simply remove the question from upcoming applications.
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A Ban the Box Overview
36 states and 150+ municipalities have Ban the Box laws to prohibit employers from asking about criminal history on job applications. This article quickly details a number of the most recent changes and updates in Hawaii, California, and St. Louis, Missouri.
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SALARY HISTORY

Maryland
Now effective as of October 1, 2020, there are more boxes to ban from Maryland employment applications. Maryland prohibits employers from asking about an applicant’s current or prior pay. This new law will 1) prohibit employers from requesting or relying on job applicants’ prior pay history to make decisions about employment or initial pay in most circumstances; and 2) require an employer to provide an applicant, upon request, with the wage range for the job applied for. The new law amends Maryland’s existing Equal Pay for Equal Work (EWEW) law, and will apply to all private, state, and local government employers in Maryland.
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A Look at Salary History Bans Already in Place
State and local governments are increasingly adopting legislation to prohibit employers from requesting salary history from job applicants. For your reference, here’s a great running list of states and localities that have legislation in place.
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COVID-19

Updated COVID-19 Guidance from the EEOC
While we mentioned this in last month’s email, it’s worth repeating, especially as many organizations continue to make cautious, careful decisions about the balance between remote and in-office workforces.

The EEOC recently updated guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Coronavirus pandemic. This new information expands their prior guidance on how the ADA applies to the current pandemic. In a question and answer form, this guidance covers a number of important issues surrounding COVID-19 and the workplace, including: the right for an employer to ask employees entering the office if they have COVID-19 symptoms, the right for an employer to report employees with COVID-19 or associated symptoms to appropriate personnel, the right for an employer to require a temperature check, and much more.
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Questions? We’re here to help!