Regulatory Radar

REGULATORY RADAR - On June 5, 2020, President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, which makes amendments to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which helps businesses keep employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.

REGULATORY RADAR - At the end of May, the European Commission announced its adoption of a new biodiversity strategy, aimed at addressing biodiversity loss due to exploitation of natural resources and pollution.

REGULATORY RADAR - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance for employers on re-opening office buildings in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

REGULATORY RADAR - The Maryland legislature has passed a broad set of workplace legislation, including a prohibition against discrimination based on hairstyle, prohibitions on the use of facial recognition in hiring, and protections against retaliation in equal pay claims.

REGULATORY RADAR - On May 20, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance protecting employees from retaliation from employers for following public health guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

REGULATORY RADAR - The Colorado legislature has passed the “Healthy Families and Workplaces Act” requiring employers within the state to provide paid sick leave to all employees.

REGULATORY RADAR - The California Air Resources Board, the state’s clean air regulator, has passed a new rule requiring more than half of the trucks sold in California to be zero-emissions by 2035.

REGULATORY RADAR - The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has passed an ordinance requiring that as employers reopen, they must seek to rehire employees who had previously held the position prior to layoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

REGULATORY RADAR - The U.S. Department of Labor published a proposed rule that limits pension plan fiduciaries from investing in ESG investment vehicles if the investment strategy is found to sacrifice financial returns or creates additional risk in the investment portfolio.

REGULATORY RADAR - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal anti-discrimination law prohibits employment discrimination against gay and transgender employees under the law’s prohibition on sex discrimination.

REGULATORY RADAR - The European Parliament and Council have agreed on new rules that allow groups of individuals to pursue compensation through collective action against companies.

REGULATORY RADAR - Canada’s federal government has released a strategic assessment of climate change that will be used as the basis for evaluating Canada’s adherence to its climate change commitments, such as the Paris Climate Accord.