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.
HR Might Be on the Front Line in the Battle Against Monkeypox Misinformation
By Michelle S. Strowhiro on Sep 20, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
More employers are beginning to take notice of Monkeypox and how it might impact their workplaces. In this HR Brew article, McDermott Partner Michelle Strowhiro said employers need to present information from a factual basis to dispel rumors that might circulate in the workforce. “To the extent that employees are…creating a hostile environment, it’s incumbent on employers...
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What You Should Be Telling Workers About Monkeypox
By Michelle S. Strowhiro on Sep 7, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
What should employers be telling workers about monkeypox? In this Fortune article, McDermott Partner Michelle Strowhiro said the first thing is to make sure workers properly understand the signs and symptoms of the viral disease. “Now’s the time to evolve [your] COVID-19 policy into a greater safety policy that includes monkeypox, and covers the symptoms...
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CDC Updates Its COVID-19 Guidelines: What Does It Mean for Your Business?
By Lindsay Ditlow, Michelle S. Strowhiro, Abigail M. Kagan and Melis Solaksubasi on Aug 31, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
On August 11, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unveiled its updated COVID-19 guidelines, revising both quarantine and isolation guidelines in the process. The updates reflect the growing number of vaccinated individuals (meaning, those individuals who have received initial doses and all recommended boosters) and past exposures, leading to a greater level...
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Monkeypox in the Workplace: Key Considerations for Employers
By Michelle S. Strowhiro and Lindsay Ditlow on Aug 4, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Labor
As of July 26, 2022, there are 3,591 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General has declared the multi-country monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). With much about the potential impact and...
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EEOC Potentially Limits Employer’s Right to Mandate COVID-19 Testing
By Abigail M. Kagan, Michelle S. Strowhiro and Lindsay Ditlow on Aug 3, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
On July 12, 2022, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) revised its guidance on compliance with disability discrimination law during the COVID-19 pandemic. While previous guidance, initially published on December 14, 2021, provided that COVID-19 viral testing was permissible for on-site employees and did not run afoul of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) due...
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California Updates COVID-19 Cal/OSHA ETS
By Michelle S. Strowhiro and Ludia Kwon on May 10, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Labor
On April 21, 2022, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board approved the Third Readoption of the state’s COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). Per Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-23-21, the Third Readoption will remain in effect for no longer than December 31, 2022. The Third Readoption makes some additional...
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Fired for Not Getting the COVID Vaccine? A Reality for Some, but Not All
By Michelle S. Strowhiro on Apr 5, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Labor
Many employers will likely encourage vaccination rather than mandate it. In this Ladders article, McDermott Partner Michelle Strowhiro notes the administrative burdens associated with tracking mandatory employee vaccination. Access the article.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Exemptions as Easy as Copy and Paste
By Michelle S. Strowhiro on Mar 29, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
The federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate has spurred an uptick in religious exemption requests. In this Politico article, McDermott Partner Michelle Strowhiro explains how some workers are copying and pasting exemption documents from anti-vaccine websites. “The religious exemption is not a tough standard for a worker to submit,” Strowhiro said. “There can be a level...
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California to Renew COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for 2022
By Ludia Kwon and Michelle S. Strowhiro on Feb 8, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Labor
On January 25, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that his office and state lawmakers had reached an agreement to reimplement a version of California’s COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave through September 30, 2022. It is expected that the state legislature will move quickly to finalize and vote on legislation to effectuate this statewide paid...
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After High Court Loss, OSHA Looks to Other COVID-Curbing Means
By Michelle S. Strowhiro on Feb 2, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
The US Supreme Court’s January ruling that stayed enforcement of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) shot-or-test mandate may limit some employers from introducing their own vaccination, testing or mask requirements. However, in this Bloomberg Law article, McDermott Partner Michelle Strowhiro said employers might still want to consider implementing portions of the standard—so...
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