I am pleased to join as one of the regular contributors to the Manufacturing Law Blog. I am a labor and employment lawyer and I will be providing insights from that vantage point, which Matt Miklave has so ably contributed over the past several years. Matt is retiring from Robinson+Cole and we wish him well … Continue Reading
Thank you to Jonathan Schaefer for this post. Jon focuses his practice on environmental compliance counseling, occupational health and safety, permitting, site remediation, and litigation related to federal and state regulatory programs. Manufacturing equipment can be dangerous. Hazards associated with manufacturing equipment can come in a variety of forms, such as pinch points, sparks, or … Continue Reading
Thank you to my colleague, Jonathan Schaefer, for his contributions to this post. Jon focuses his practice on environmental compliance counseling, occupational health and safety, permitting, site remediation, and litigation related to federal and state regulatory programs. Since at least March, manufacturers, and the entire U.S. economy, have been experiencing unprecedented conditions as a result of the … Continue Reading
The Novel Coronavirus, the speed by which science continues to discover new aspects of the disease and the response of the United States government to these developments has tested manufacturers. One aspect of this testing concerns, well, testing. The Americans with Disabilities Act has long banned manufacturers from requiring medical evaluations unless both “job-related” and … Continue Reading
This is the second of two posts dedicated to reopening plans for manufacturers. In the first post on May 26, I addressed the first two questions which every manufacturer may wish to ask as it forms its reopening plans. Manufacturing; Back to Business (Part One) (May 26, 2020). Here, I address the next four questions. … Continue Reading
The disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic stressed the entire manufacturing sector. For the most part, manufacturers responded to those challenges quickly and responsibly. Now that every state has begun reopening, the manufacturing sector will once again be called on to lead. Manufacturers which respond well to those challenges will thrive in the months ahead. … Continue Reading
While a recent headline-grabbing Forbes article may have caused some concern (“Researchers Say Social Distancing To Prevent Coronavirus May Need To Continue Until 2022”), many manufacturers are now planning to return to “Business as (the New) Normal.” During the last two months, I have been fielding calls from essential manufacturers on how to conduct business … Continue Reading
The patchwork of federal, state and local laws addressing leaves of absence, protections of people with disabilities and a manufacturer’s general obligation to provide a safe workplace come head-to-head with public reports of an evolving situation. Right now, the CDC admits that “[m]uch is unknown about how the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads.” Manufacturers should … Continue Reading
New York City’s recent ban on pre-employment marijuana testing, coupled with recent decisions in New Jersey and Connecticut, could give manufacturers cause for concern. Effective May 20, 2020, New York City employers will no longer be allowed to require pre-employment marijuana testing for most jobs, testing which historically has been a routine part of the … Continue Reading
This is the last of our three-part series of predictions for 2019. First Matt provided our thoughts and predictions in the labor/employment arena. Last week, Jeff gave our outlook for corporate compliance and litigation. Last but not least, this week I am providing our predictions for hot topics in environmental, health, and safety compliance, enforcement, and … Continue Reading
Now that the first year of the Trump administration is behind us, I had the opportunity to write an article for the Hartford Business Journal regarding trends that are developing in 2018. To read my article, please click here. Topics covered include deregulation efforts, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the False Claims Act (FCA), … Continue Reading
As we mark the Manufacturing Law Blog’s 5th anniversary, I am also pleased to announce the launch of our new manufacturing law website. To access it, please click here. Last week, Megan provided our thoughts and predictions for environmental, health & safety. This week, I am providing our outlook for corporate compliance and litigation. GDPR … Continue Reading
I want to begin by celebrating the fifth anniversary of our Manufacturing Law Blog. We are passionate about providing you with legal updates that are relevant to your manufacturing business and are honored that you are here. With over 20,000 visits over the course of our blog’s relatively short life, we are proud of the … Continue Reading
Thank you to my colleague, Diana Neeves, for this post. Diana is an associate in our Environmental & Utilities Practice Group. As we outlined last year, OSHA recently revised its recording and reporting regulation to require certain employers to submit injury and illness data to OSHA on an annual basis for posting on OSHA’s website. … Continue Reading
This post is the last in our three-part series about what manufacturers can expect in 2017. In my humble opinion, we saved the best for last – Environmental, Health & Safety. Citizen Science With increasing awareness of environmental issues and advancing monitoring technologies comes a rise in citizen science. Citizens—be it a single person or … Continue Reading