Dublin-Worthington News Stories
July 22 Virtual Club Meeting - Alicia Nesline Shaw - Employment Law: What Employers Should Consider
Following tradition, club members made their "Happy Dollar" announcements:
- President Jim Miller shared that he participated in the FORE! Miler- a 4-mile road race open to runners and walkers benefiting Nationwide Children's Hospital, in association with the Memorial golf tournament. This year's event was virtual, where registrants could participate anytime between July 9-19. Jim placed 1st in his age bracket of 70 and older.
- Connie Hendren reported that she had become very ill while on vacation recently and that a COVID test thankfully came back negative.
- Dave Hansen announced that his grandson has decided to take a year off from college to travel to Japan where he hopes to learn the language.
- Jerry Katz announced that his grandson, a rugby player, has undergone knee surgery for an injury sustained over 4 years ago. A bone chip was actually found and returned to its original location. Rehabilitation is expected to last @4 months.
Announcements:
- Alan Grossman gave a reminder of the memorial service planned for Bill Shantz on Wednesday, July 29 at 3pm at the Westerville Bible Church, 2665 W Schrock Rd., Westerville, 43081. Masks will be required, and social distancing guidelines will be followed.
- Steve then gave an update on the Communications Committee, sharing that there are currently 5 members. The next meeting is planned for Friday, July 24 at 8:00am, and there was a call for more club members to join the committee or to at least share their thoughts and ideas.
- Joe Patchen announced that Brian Elder has stepped down as co-chair of the Speakers Committee, leaving Joe as the chair. His committee is also seeking more members, and we were reminded that the virtual format allows for speakers to present from literally anywhere (no pants required!) so we should all be thinking about who we know and/or who we would like to hear from in the future.
Joe then introduced his colleague and our speaker, Alicia Shaw, an employment law expert who spoke specifically about employment law in relation to the pandemic.
The focus was on business owners and how they can operate safely during this challenging time. The main topics were workplace safety, potential liabilities, and complex employee leave issues. The best way to ensure safety along with decreased risk of liability is to follow the guidelines and procedures set forth by the following:
OSHA, CDC, Ohio Department of Health, Governor, Local laws
Alicia then discussed how Workers' Compensation claims could be filed by an employee who contracts the virus while employed if an employer has disregarded or violated safety standards. Paid leave- As of April 1, there are 2 acts that will require employers to provide employees with paid leave for reasons related to the pandemic:
- Emergency Paid Sick Leave: 2 weeks due to being quarantined and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis, or caring for someone who is under quarantine or for a child whose child care provider or school is closed due to COVID-19
- Extended Family Medical Leave: up to 12 weeks of pay (less than regular rate) for employees who have been employed for at least 30 days for COVID-19 related issues such as childcare or school closures.
The bottom line is that employers should make sure that they stay on top of all of the policies and recommended procedures to provide their employees with a safe work environment, however challenging that may be.
Steve followed the speaker by leading members through the FOUR WAY TEST.
President Jim Miller reminded us of the return of our normal meeting schedule starting on Wednesday, August 5 at 7:30am. Our speaker will discuss how West Virginia became a state and how this ties in with Black Lives Matter and racial injustice. Jim concluded the meeting by encouraging attendance to Bill Shantz's memorial service next week. He also encouraged members to stay after the meeting to continue with their previous conversations and to socialize- a key component of Rotary.
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