Alabama News & Analysis

My husband and I have been grieving the loss of one of our most steadfast companions, someone with whom we spent hundreds of hours over the years but had never actually met. Sadly, Alex Trebek, the long-time Jeopardy! host, passed away on November 8 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Although new episodes of the game show will continue to air through Christmas and a new host will eventually be named, we'll sorely miss Trebek, who made us smarter and helped us unwind each day after work.

Recent class action litigation by New York court police officers shows how long-standing state whistleblower protection laws can lead to litigation against unwary employers during the COVID-19 crisis. As states continue to roll out and revise return-to-work plans with protective measures to ward off the virus, employees who complain employers aren't following the standards to the letter might file "whistleblower retaliation" suits if they're subsequently terminated or otherwise negatively affected at work. As you review and implement the various return-to-work guidelines, be sure to factor in the risk and take steps to mitigate it.

Before the COVID-19 crisis, employees could pop into the office supply closet for the ream of paper they needed to print that 50-page report or a box of staples or pens to refill their dwindling stash. Now, they may be buying office supplies as they work from home. To ensure costs don't spiral out of control and to reduce the risk of potential wage and hour claims, employers should develop or fine-tune their remote work purchasing and reimbursement policies.

The year 2020 has been a challenging one for our nation and the world. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has faced heightened racial tensions and a deep political divide culminating in a contested presidential election. Emotions have been running high, and fear seems to rule the day. Through it all, our workplaces unfortunately haven't been spared from the turmoil. Millions lost their jobs, and millions of others are working from home, often in physical isolation from their colleagues. If the health crisis doesn't end soon so we can get back together, I worry about the unavoidable loss of collaboration and trust that helped many employers and employees to weather the first round of the outbreak.