Head Start can override mask and vaccine requirements
- A federal judge shot down a vaccine and mask mandate by the Biden administration for Head Start, a federal program that pays for preschool for low-income families.
- The Biden administration issued a requirement that all teachers and staff involved in the program get a COVID-19 vaccine.
- The government also established a mask mandate, which covers all indoor situations and outdoor situations for all children involved in the program who are older than two.
- “The liberty interests of individuals mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any interest generated by the mandatory administration of vaccines,” wrote Judge Terry Doughty.
Starbucks to close 16 stores over safety concerns
- National retailer Starbucks plans to close 16 U.S. stores, mostly on the West Coast, by the end of July because of safety concerns.
- The closings will consist of six stores in Los Angeles; six in Seattle; two in Portland, Oregon; one in Philadelphia and one in Washington, D.C.
- The safety concerns center around increased violence and drug use in the area of the stores.
- The decision to close the stores came shortly after more than 100 stores have voted to unionize since the end of 2021.
Working from home brings increased workers comp issues
- Employees working from home are covered by the workers’ compensation system, but there are variable circumstances about whether an injury is work-related to qualify for coverage.
- A New York court allowed a claim for an employee who was injured carrying unassembled furniture for his home office into his house on a lunch break.
- A Florida employee was denied a claim after she tripped over her dog.
- Each state has its own workers’ compensation system and governing law, so employers need to stay up-to-date on the rules.
University employee injured after package detonates
- An employee for Northeastern University in Boston was injured after opening a package that had been delivered to the school detonated, school officials said.
- The incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. at the school’s main campus, causing minor injuries.
- The building where the detonation occurred, Holmes Hall, was evacuated, and the Boston Police Department’s bomb squad was investigating.
- The FBI is also on the scene.