DHS Extends I-9 Flexibility Guidance Another Four Months
On December 15, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a further extension of the flexibilities on Form I-9 compliance requirements that was initially granted last year. The guidance, which was slated to expire on December 31, 2021, has been extended through April 30, 2022. The guidance will continue to allow for remote inspection of Form I-9 documents in situations where employees work exclusively in a remote setting due to COVID-19-related precautions. 
CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview on the Biden administration’s blocked vaccine mandate, discussions surrounding a racial discriminatory discharge and retaliation case, student athlete misclassification complaints, a Harvard collective bargaining contract and more. Read the latest updates. 
On December 13, CUPA-HR and ten other higher education associations sent a letter to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur Jaddou requesting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extend its previously announced flexibilities on Form I-9 compliance requirements through June 30, 2022. The guidance, which has been extended continuously since March 2020 and was amended on April 1, 2021, permits remote inspection of Form I-9 documents in situations where employees work exclusively in a remote setting due to COVID-19-related precautions. 
Over the past several months, the Biden administration announced and implemented several vaccine and testing mandates for federal workers, federal contractors and private employers. States and business stakeholders quickly responded with lawsuits against the administration’s mandates, which continue to be challenged in courts around the country. To keep CUPA-HR members apprised of the legal challenges, we have detailed the most recent litigation updates for the federal contractor vaccine mandate, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) vaccine mandate for healthcare workers — all three of which are on hold pending the various lawsuits’ outcomes. 
It’s Employee Learning Week — a great reminder for employers to showcase their commitment to talent development by highlighting development opportunities available to employees. Whether you’re an HR practitioner in search of professional development ideas for yourself and your HR peers, or you’re looking for ideas to engage and develop other employees at your institution, here are several tools, tips and resources to help you take the next step. 
In 1992, as part of its focus on promoting the well-being of people with disabilities, the United Nations called for an international day of celebration for people with disabilities. Held on December 3 each year, International Day of People With Disabilities is a day to recognize and learn from the experiences of those with disabilities and for organizations to show support and take action to create more diverse and inclusive communities. 
On November 4, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued their highly anticipated Emergency Temporary Standard and interim final rule setting vaccination requirements for employers with 100 or more employees and healthcare workers, respectively. Under the new policies, covered employers with 100 or more employees, healthcare workers at facilities participating in Medicare or Medicaid, AND federal contractors requiring vaccinations under Executive Order 14042 will be required to be fully vaccinated — either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson — by January 4, 2022.