By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD Last month, the New Jersey District Court ordered the release of psychiatric records related to a plaintiff’s claims that her colleagues created a hostile work environment and caused her to suffer severe emotional distress. This action is an important reminder that an employer can compel the release of an employee’s…
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Unvaccinated or At-Risk Employees? OSHA has Updated Guidance For That
By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD On June 10, 2021, OSHA updated its guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the spread of COVID-19. The guidance applies to all employers and employees who do not fall within the scope of OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). It contains both recommendations and descriptions of existing mandatory OSHA standards, but is…
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COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard: OSHA acts to ensure continued protection of healthcare employees
By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD On June 21, 2021, OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) was published in the Federal Register. Fueled by concerns over divergent approaches to workplace safety taken by state and local governments, the healthcare industry specific regulations were issued in conjunction with updated guidance for other industries. The ETS is…
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Preparing to Reopen Your Business? What You Should Know About Recent Changes to Masking and Social Distancing Mandates
By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD Last month, Governor Murphy signed two new executive orders that relaxed several restrictions originally designed to limit person-to-person contact during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing recent statistics showing significant progress in the battle against the coronavirus, Executive Order No. 242 and Executive Order No. 243 specifically address masking and…
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Job Stress and Workers’ Compensation: What makes a claim?
By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD As workers begin to emerge from their homes and return to their offices, it is important to recognize that a certain level of additional stress is inevitable thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the way it has changed the work environment and personal interactions. Even prior to the pandemic, recent…
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Assembly Bill No. 3548: New Jersey Prioritizes Adolescent Mental Health
By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD On April 30, 2021, Gov. Phil Murphy signed A3548 (P.L. 2021, c.73) into law. It requires insurance coverage for expenses incurred in screening adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 for major depressive disorder. This disorder can profoundly affect children during their formative adolescent years which are crucial to…
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Case Law Alert: New Jersey Courts Address Issues Raised By Employee Use Of Marijuana
By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD As the effects of New Jersey’s recent personal use cannabis legalization begin to percolate throughout the state, it is imperative that employers ensure that their practices and policies fairly recognize this evolving area of law. When Governor Murphy signed cannabis reform into law last February, employers were already struggling to…
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Gina Campanella is a Featured Guest on The Difference Makers LinkedIn Live
Last month, our Principal Attorney, Gina L. Campanella, Esq. FACHE was a featured guest on The Difference Makers on LinkedIn Live! The Host, Jacqueline Grant, welcomed Gina to discuss Legal “Minefields” to Watch out for in 2021 & Beyond”. Watch the episode on YouTube right here! Get motivation and Inspiration from those making a difference…
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U. S. House of Representatives approves H.R. 1195: The importance of addressing workplace violence in health care facilities gains traction
By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD Introduced to the House of Representatives in February and approved last week, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195) has taken another important step toward addressing the unacceptable level of workplace violence experienced by health care and social service providers while on the job….