Law Office Manager

coronavirus

Make the most of your time during coronavirus

By Elizabeth Miller bio I know this is not only a time of uncertainty but also fear as we try to make sense of this situation.  It’s difficult to know what to do and what not to do.  Conflicting stories and information seem overwhelming.  And then there is your law practice to worry about. When all is said and done, your law practice needs to survive. Fortunately working … [Read more...] about Make the most of your time during coronavirus

Can my employer fire me for going to a bar or do I have any freedom? Left?

Question: My employer sent a two-part email to every employee last week. “As you know we’ve had a local spike in COVID-19 infections. The health department has provided a list of the establishments, primarily bars, where COVID-19 individuals spent extended time. The health department asks that anyone who was in these businesses during these times monitor themselves for … [Read more...] about Can my employer fire me for going to a bar or do I have any freedom? Left?

Coworker exposed all of us to COVID-19

By Lynne Curry bio Question For weeks, “Carolyn” told the five of us in our department that she had allergies whenever any of us asked her about her sneezing. She worked with us in the same building, used the same copier, restroom and office fridge and handled the same coffeepot. I tried to avoid her because she kept forgetting her mask and didn’t seem to understand what six … [Read more...] about Coworker exposed all of us to COVID-19

How to create and implement a mandatory face mask policy at your law office

What began as a CDC guideline is evolving into a legal duty with more than 20 states and countless municipalities across the country adopting laws requiring individuals to wear masks or face coverings in enclosed indoor public spaces. As a result, law offices must adopt and enforce mandatory mask policies at their facilities. While mask requirements vary slightly by … [Read more...] about How to create and implement a mandatory face mask policy at your law office

Employment offers pulled and start dates for law grads uncertain

Law schools are reporting rescinded employment offers and law firms report uncertainty about associate start dates. These are key findings from a second round of pulse surveys conducted by the National Association for Law Placement, Inc. (NALP) about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. legal employers, law schools, and JD students. In May 2020, NALP began conducting a … [Read more...] about Employment offers pulled and start dates for law grads uncertain

Use contact logging to ensure law office employees practice social distancing

Managing a law office compliance program in the age of COVID-19 poses new and unprecedented challenges. One of the biggest and most important is ensuring that employees and the persons they interact with on the job follow social distancing requirements. To succeed in this effort, you must have the capability to track actual encounters. One possibility is digital technology, the … [Read more...] about Use contact logging to ensure law office employees practice social distancing

Tool: Model COVID-19 Contact Log Sheet

Maintaining social distancing will be the price that law offices and other businesses will have to pay to reopen and remain open until the COVID-19 threat goes away. But for social distancing to work, there must be a way to track and analyze actual encounters between people at your office. One simple way to gather the essential data is to have employees and visitors complete a … [Read more...] about Tool: Model COVID-19 Contact Log Sheet

Feds say insurers not required to pay for employer return to work COVID-19 testing

Since the public health emergency began, the US government has taken the position that insurers shouldn’t be allowed to make consumers pay for COVID-19 lab tests. But now comes news that insurers will not be put in that same position with regard to return to work screening conducted on employees by their employers. FFCRA rules for COVID-19 test payment The key piece of … [Read more...] about Feds say insurers not required to pay for employer return to work COVID-19 testing

How to create a COVID-19 exposure control plan

For as long as COVID-19 remains a threat, businesses—both essential and nonessential—won’t be allowed to re-open and remain open unless they implement a plan to control workplace infection risks. The challenges posed by COVID-19 are unprecedented and unique and you probably won’t find any great templates in your current policy folders and binders. As a result, you’ll need to … [Read more...] about How to create a COVID-19 exposure control plan