A Couple of “Labor” Related Items!
May 24, 2021
First, here is the survey link that we mentioned on the call on Friday — JLARC—the program evaluation agency for the Virginia General Assembly—is conducting a study of the unemployment insurance program and workforce services offered by the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). JLARC staff are collecting feedback from businesses that have had some experience with VEC. Your responses will be confidential and used to improve VEC’s programs as needed. (And, trust me, the survey is very short!)
On a related note! Remember the DOLI regulations?
16VAC25-220-20. Effective dates.
A. Adoption process.
1. This standard shall take effect upon review by the Governor, and if no revisions are requested, filing with the Registrar of Regulations and publication in a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Richmond, Virginia.
2. If the Governor’s review results in one or more requested revisions to the standard, the Safety and Health Codes Board shall reconvene to approve, amend, or reject the requested revisions.
3. If the Safety and Health Codes Board approves the requested revisions to the standard as submitted, the standard shall take effect upon filing with the Registrar of Regulations and publication in a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Richmond, Virginia.
4. Should the Governor fail to review the standard under subdivision A 1 of this section within 30 days of its approval by the Safety and Health Codes Board, the board will not need to reconvene to take further action, and the standard shall take effect upon filing with the Registrar of Regulations and publication in a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Richmond, Virginia.
5. The Governor reviewed the standard under subdivision A 1 of this section, and the effective date is January 27, 2021.
B. The requirements for 16VAC25-220-70 shall take effect on March 26, 2021. The training requirements in 16VAC25-220-80 shall take effect on March 26, 2021.
C. Within 14 days of the expiration of the Governor’s COVID-19 State of Emergency and Commissioner of Health’s COVID-19 Declaration of Public Emergency, the Safety and Health Codes Board shall notice a regular, special, or emergency meeting/conduct a regular, special, or emergency meeting to determine whether there is a continued need for the standard.
Note! While the Governor’s State of Emergency Order and the Public Health Emergency are still in effect the DOLI rules for how employers must implement COVID restrictions are still in effect. There is, obviously, a bit of contradiction. We hope that when the Governor lifts the Emergency, the highlighted clause above will be implemented.