COVID-19

April 9, 2020

COVID-19: Do I Have a Business Interruption Insurance Claim?

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic drags on, businesses large and small continue to feel the impacts in a variety of ways. In recent days and weeks, in a necessary effort to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 diagnoses, state and municipal governments across the country have issued shelter-in-place or safe-at-home orders that have forced closures of businesses deemed “non-essential,” altered hours or operations for almost all restaurants, and limited potential customer movement to only essential activities and travel. For example, Mississippi’s Shelter-in-Place Order, explained here, took effect last Friday.

April 6, 2020

COVID-19: Applying the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

With the recent implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), small business owners have more questions than answers applying the law in real time as shelter-in-place orders go into effect in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Department of Labor (DOL) has answered several questions in its Q&A sheets to assist employers on their responsibilities under the Act.  The following is a recap of the DOL’s answers to some of the more pertinent questions:

April 2, 2020

Mississippi Issues Shelter-in-Place Order: What You Need To Know

On April 1, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issued a Shelter-in-Place Order (“SIP Order” – Executive Order No. 1466) requiring all individuals currently living in Mississippi to stay home or in their place of residence (e.g., hotels, shelters, or rental units used as a person’s dwelling), except as specifically allowed by the SIP Order.

March 20, 2020

Employment Law Update – COVID-19 and the Workplace:  An Employer’s Quick Guide

With COVID-19 reaching pandemic status and the total number of cases in the United States surging, it has become critical that employers have a response strategy.  Any response strategy to COVID-19 should consider the current and developing labor and employment laws implicated by the COVID-19 crisis along with the concerns that could arise outside the employment context, including potential tort and contract liability.