COVID-19 and the Workforce: May 29, 2020

TOP HEADLINES 

Responding to Employee Fears When Reopening the Workplace 
SHRM – May 26, 2020 
Employers usually are not required to allow employees to continue to work remotely if the employer can demonstrate that it has complied with all appropriate measures to reduce the risk of exposure in the workplace. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. 

Another 2.1 Million File Jobless Claims, but Total Unemployed Shrinks  
CNBC – May 28, 2020 
First-time claims for unemployment benefits totaled 2.1 million last week, the lowest total since the coronavirus crisis began, though indicative that a historically high number of Americans remain separated from their jobs. 

U.S. Economy Shows Signs of Life 
LinkedIn – May 28, 2020 
After a severe downturn, early signs suggest the U.S. economy is very slowly beginning to recover — or at least it’s not getting worse, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

What’s New from the CDC 
Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

GLOBAL NEWS 

AUSTRALIA 
Australia Calls on Younger People to Get Virus Tests as Reopening Accelerates 
Reuters – May 22, 2020 
Australia’s most populous state said on Saturday it recorded just three new cases of the coronavirus the previous day and urged younger people to get tested as it prepares to further loosen restrictions on pubs and restaurants. 

CANADA 
Canada Wants National Sick Leave Plan in Place for Second Wave of the Coronavirus Pandemic  
CNN – May 26, 2020  
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is trying to give all workers a minimum of 10 days paid sick leave per year as Canada starts to prepare for a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

INDIA 
India’s Economy Slows in March Quarter, with Worse to Come 
Reuters – May 29, 2020 
India’s economy grew at its slowest pace in at least eight years in the January-March quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic weakened already sluggish consumer demand and investments. 

UNITED KINGDOM 
How the UK’s Test-and-Trace Coronavirus Program Works 
Bloomberg – May 27, 2020 
Boris Johnson’s British government has launched a track-and-trace system, aimed at allowing the country’s economy to restart while suppressing the spread of coronavirus. 

UNITED STATES 
CDC Flowchart Maps Employers’ Road to Reopening 
HR Dive – May 21, 2020 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a flowchart outlining the actions employers should take before reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

POLAND 
Poland Lifts More Lockdown Restrictions After ‘Containing’ Killer Virus 
The First News – May 27, 2020 
The government has said it will further ease lockdown restrictions by opening fitness clubs, theaters and cinemas as well as scrapping the face mask requirement in open spaces.