Workplace Policy Check-Up Prepares for the ‘New Normal'

A Special Report by Tripp Scott's Catalina Avalos as published in Florida Trend

Almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, some companies still struggle to manage the workplace and personnel realities they face. From remote work policies; to how, when, and whether workers should come back to the office; to how technology is deployed and used, a quick check-up of practices and policies can help ensure the office reflects the new reality.

Judge: School Districts Must Assign Safe-School Officers to Charter Schools

As published in the Daily Business Review

At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, many charter public schools faced extreme difficulty in hiring qualified safe-school officers for their campuses. In Broward County, the school board took the extraordinary step of immediately revoking the charter of Championship Academy of Distinction at Davie and taking over the school after a safe-school officer was not present on campus during the first two days of class.

The Current State of Evictions in Florida

As published in the Daily Business Review

The federal moratorium regarding evictions ended on July 24. However, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued his latest Executive Order #20-180 on July 29 titled “Limited Extension of Mortgage Foreclosure and Eviction Relief.” The current order extended the governor’s previous executive order (#20-94) to Sept. 1. Now, exactly how does this current order impact pending and new eviction actions throughout the state of Florida, at least until we reach Sept. 1? The answer to this question is, it depends. 

The Supreme Court Speaks: What Employers Need to Know Moving Forward

As published in the Daily Business Review

The holding, authored by Republican-appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch, provides millions of additional employees with greater protections from discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

In a landmark ruling on June 15, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ+ employees from workplace discrimination. In a 6-3 ruling, the high court found that Title VII extends to claims of discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation and gender identity. The holding, authored by Republican-appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch, provides millions of additional employees with greater protections from discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

Are Municipalities Jeopardizing Their Municipal Bonds By Failing to Take Needed Action to Avoid a Crisis?

Based upon our professional experience, we fear that the failure of municipal entities, which includes cities, towns, counties, hospital districts, water districts, etc., to take immediate action in light of the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic will seriously jeopardize the ultimate payment of outstanding municipal bonds.