Michelle S. Strowhiro
Subscribe to Michelle S. Strowhiro's PostsMichelle S. Strowhiro is an employment advisor and litigator. She provides trusted counsel to US and international companies on all aspects of employment law compliance. Michelle partners with clients to establish and maintain their strong and lawful employment policies and practices; manage their employee relationships from hire to termination; conduct workplace investigations; administer leaves and other workplace accommodations; and resolve disputes. She provides manager and employee trainings on management and sexual harassment. She regularly prepares and negotiates agreements, and advises companies on employment law issues for mergers and acquisitions. Michelle works with clients in the technology, fashion, food and restaurant, health care, sports, media and entertainment industries. Read Michelle Strowhiro's full bio.
Healthcare Employers: What You Need to Know about the New FFCRA “Health Care Provider” Exclusion and California COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
By Michelle S. Strowhiro on Oct 20, 2020
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
Healthcare employers are immediately impacted by two recent developments in federal and California COVID-19 paid leave laws: a Department of Labor revision to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and a new California supplemental paid sick leave legislation. For both changes in the law, quick action is required for compliance. Access the article.
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Can Employers Make Vaccines Mandatory in a Pandemic?
By Sandra M. DiVarco and Michelle S. Strowhiro on Oct 14, 2020
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Labor
Even though a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 isn’t available yet, it’s not too early for employers to start considering whether they will require employees to get the vaccination when it is ready. In a recent article by the Society of Human Resource Management, McDermott partners Michelle Strowhiro and Sandy DiVarco highlighted some of the factors,...
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California AB 685 Requires Employers to Provide Notice of COVID-19 Exposure in the Workplace
By Michelle S. Strowhiro and Saniya Ahmed on Sep 30, 2020
Posted In Employment, Labor
California’s AB 685, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last week, does two things: (1) it creates an enforceable statewide standard for how employers handle potential exposure to COVID-19 and outbreaks of COVID-19 in the workplace; and (2) it expands the power of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to enforce this standard and...
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Preparing Your Workplace: How to Navigate Safety Mandates and Recommendations
By Stephania Sanon and Michelle S. Strowhiro on Jul 2, 2020
Posted In Employment
Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are thinking about returning to work and what this will look like in practice. While it will not be business as usual, this article highlights how employers can prepare their workplaces and navigate safety mandates and recommendations. Access the full article.
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Can Companies Be Held Liable When Their Employees Fall Ill with Coronavirus?
By Michelle S. Strowhiro on Jun 30, 2020
Posted In Employment
While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has not released specific standards covering COVID-19, Michelle Strowhiro, a partner in the Los Angeles office of McDermott Will & Emery, is quoted in a recent ABA Journal article saying that employers could face risks under Occupational Safety and Health Act’s general duty clause if they don’t...
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COVID-19: FAQs on Employees Experiencing Symptoms and Employee Absences
By Michelle S. Strowhiro and Carole A. Spink on Jun 8, 2020
Posted In Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Privacy and Data Security
With rapid developments in local, state and federal guidance and law, the appropriate approach for each employer in relation to COVID-19 will vary depending on the nature of their work, the industries served and their location and size, among other considerations. This article outlines what employers need to know about employees experiencing symptoms and employee...
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Pandemic Unemployment Aid Intensifies Debate Over Classifying Gig Workers
By Michelle S. Strowhiro on May 28, 2020
Posted In Employment
The federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program extends relief to workers and employees who don’t have access to state benefits, but it will almost certainly put pressure on gig economy companies to start paying into state unemployment insurance funds as government resources continue to diminish due to COVID-19, attorneys say. Michelle S. Strowhiro, partner at McDermott...
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Open for Business: How ‘Essential’ Businesses Can Keep Their Workplace Healthy and Safe
By Lindsay Ditlow and Michelle S. Strowhiro on May 19, 2020
Posted In Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Labor
Most states have issued some form of ‘shelter in place’ or ‘stay at home’ order to flatten the curve of COVID-19. As a result, many business operations have been temporarily suspended, unless the business is engaged in essential or critical infrastructure functions or supports businesses engaged in such functions. For businesses that are considered ‘essential’...
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Coronavirus Resource Center | Preparedness Planning for Businesses
By Michael J. Sheehan, Lindsay Ditlow, Carole A. Spink and Michelle S. Strowhiro on Mar 4, 2020
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Labor
In our global economy, Coronavirus (COVID-19) raises serious concerns for employers in all industries. Workers may be on the front lines caring for patients and developing vaccines, travelling for business, or in close contact with individuals who travel or may have been affected. At this time, there is no vaccine or medication approved to prevent...
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Emerging Trends Alert | Filling in the Gaps: Pay Equity
By Michelle S. Strowhiro, Maria C. Rodriguez, Jeffrey Holdvogt, Ellen M. Bronchetti, Andrew Liazos and Ron Holland on Mar 5, 2019
Posted In Employment, Executive Compensation
In a presentation at McDermott’s Employment and Employee Benefits Forum, our lawyers discuss the patchwork of state and local laws surrounding pay equity for similarly situated employees doing the same job. Particularly in California, new developments have emerged further clarifying pay equity laws. For best practices, they recommend: Establishing compensation ranges across substantially similar jobs...
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