Advice for Businesses in Dealing with the Expanding Coronavirus Events

SEC Advises Staff to Telework

March 11, 2020

Paul Hastings Covid-19 Task Force

On March 10, 2020, the SEC encouraged its Washington, D.C.-based employees to work remotely for the foreseeable future following an announcement that a doctor referred one of its employees for Coronavirus testing.  The move likely will result in postponement of SEC meetings, as well as upcoming SEC depositions and testimony.1  The SEC is the first major federal agency to advise its employees to telework in light of Coronavirus concerns, but almost certainly will not be the last, as the virus continues to spread.  The Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) recently advised all federal agencies to “maintain a viable telework-ready workforce” to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.2

1 See, e.g., Karanga Johnson & Lawrence Delevingne, U.S. SEC staff stay home after employee treated for coronavirus symptoms, Reuters (Mar. 10, 2020), https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-sec/us-sec-staff-stay-home-after-employee-treated-for-coronavirus-symptoms-idUKKBN20X2FW.
2 Press Release, OPM, OPM Issues Further Coronavirus Guidance to Agencies (Feb. 7, 2020), https://www.opm.gov/news/releases/2020/02/news-opm-issues-further-coronavirus-guidance-to-agencies/; OPM Human Resources Flexibilities and Authorities for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, https://www.chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/Coronavirus%20Memo%20Attachment.pdf.