FLOOR ED
Employment Issues to Watch Out for in 2021
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Stacy Eickhoff Stacy Eickhoff is senior vice president for Risk Strategies Company. She has worked in the insurance industry over 25 years with a focus on property and casualty within the floor covering and construction industries. Ms. Eickhoff holds licenses in over 40 states. Risk Strategies Company is the endorsed provider for the World Floor Covering Association.
s a business owner, you have a wide range of relationships to manage, and how you manage these relationships can make or break your business. One of the most important relationships you have is the one between you and your employees. In a direct to consumer business driven by sales, we tend to overlook our internal relationships and focus externally on our customer’s needs. Therefore, it is not uncommon for internal processes and procedures to fall by the wayside and become less of a priority. While 2020 was a very difficult year for everyone, retail businesses were particularly affected. The impact of Covid-19 on revenue and the complexity of the local, state, and federal guidelines have forced businesses to make significant changes, including reductions in workforce via layoffs or furloughs, remote working environments, redesign of office space, and showrooms, and employee privacy/leave issues. A USA Today article from January 5, 2021, reported that COVID-19 sparked more than 1,000 workplace-related lawsuits in 2020. It was also reported that 690 of these suits were filed due to layoffs or firings, and nearly 25 percent were brought about by employees due to safety related concerns. https://www.advisen.com/tools/fpnproc/fpns/articles_new_1/P/386555636.html?rid=386555636&list_id=1
Allegations cited poor sanitation, lack of social distancing protocols, or inadequate personal protective equipment, which contributed to employees getting sick or dying from COVID-19; employer retaliation after an objection to unsafe working conditions or workplace exposure to individuals displaying COVID-19 symptoms; disability discrimination by failing to accommodate remote working or inconsistency on who is allowed to work remotely; improper notice prior to layoffs or furloughs; and discrimination related to laying off or furloughing employees. On January 21, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order titled “Protecting Worker Health and Safety.” The order seeks to reorient worker safety guidelines and enforcement at the Labor Department’s workplace safety division, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This new order requires OSHA to update Covid-19 safety recommendations for businesses within the next two weeks.
On January 21, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order titled “Protecting Worker Health and Safety.” The order seeks to reorient worker safety guidelines and enforcement at the Labor Department’s workplace safety division, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 36 Premier Flooring Retailer | Digital 4 2020
