Governor DeWine Lifts Curfew in Ohio

by Jennifer Hart | Feb 11, 2021 | Government, Individuals and Family

By Jennifer Hart Nearly three months after it was enacted, Ohio’s COVID-19 curfew has been lifted. During his afternoon press conference Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that because the state has reached a pre-determined benchmark on COVID-related...

Ohio At-Home Workers May Get a COVID Income Tax Refund… Eventually

by Demetrius Robinson | Jan 29, 2021 | Finance, Government

By Demetrius Robinson & Melissa Yasinow Thanks to a recent lawsuit, Ohioans who have worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic can now request a refund on local income taxes from the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA). The only hitch: they may never get it....

New Executive Order & OSHA Guidelines Geared Toward Worker Health & Safety

by Rob Gilmore | Jan 29, 2021 | Employment, Government

By Rob Gilmore & Lyndsay Ross On Jan. 21, 2021, President Biden signed the Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety. The Executive Order proclaims the Administration’s policy that “[e]nsuring the health and safety of workers is a national priority...

What Happens When Schools Require Vaccination?

by Janet Stewart | Jan 28, 2021 | Government, Individuals and Family

By Janet Stewart Just as many employers are evaluating whether they can or should require that their employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a precondition to return, in person, to work (as further discussed in this article), this same type of analysis will also...

Cleveland Court Finds in Favor of Restaurants on COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims

by James P. Sammon | Jan 22, 2021 | Finance, Government

By Jim Sammon & Brett Krantz In a matter decided this week, a judge in the Northern District of Ohio granted summary judgment in favor of the insureds, Plaintiff Henderson Road Restaurants (a group that includes the Hyde Park Prime Steakhouses). The Court found...

Update: EEOC Releases Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine

by KJK | Jan 15, 2021 | Employment, Government

By Rob Gilmore & Kirsten Mooney In November, prior to the release of the COVID-19 vaccination, we asked the question: What Does a COVID-19 Vaccine Mean For Employers? In the article, we discussed the intersection of various laws on the issue of mandated...

Biden Releases $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Plan

by Stephanie Mercado | Jan 14, 2021 | Finance, Government

By Stephanie Mercado President-elect Joe Biden has released the details of a proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package aimed at supporting businesses and individuals impacted by the pandemic. Dubbed the American Rescue Plan, the package comes on the heels of the...

The Consolidated Appropriations Act and FFCRA

by Rob Gilmore | Jan 13, 2021 | Employment, Government

By Rob Gilmore & Alexis Preskar The new COVID-19 relief bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, eliminated the mandatory paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  However, even though paid leave is voluntary in 2021, employers can...

Second PPP Loan Allocates More to Those Who Need It Most

by Demetrius Robinson | Jan 11, 2021 | Finance, Government

By Demetrius Robinson The Economic Aid Act, a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, updated the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide an additional allocation of PPP funding to businesses that were hardest hit by the economic devastation of the...

Paycheck Protection Program Relaunches With Expanded Eligibility

by Demetrius Robinson | Jan 11, 2021 | Finance, Government

By Demetrius Robinson The Small Business Administration (SBA) has reopened the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for applications for either a first initial draw of PPP funds (First Draw) or a second allocation (Second Draw), authorized under the Economic Aid to...