Covid-19, which the World Health Organization declared a pandemic in March, shuttered many staffing firms’ brick-and-mortar operations—it has presented the greatest legal and legislative challenge for the staffing industry since the Affordable Care Act. Developments have been rapid and unprecedented, implicating antidiscrimination, workplace safety, financial assistance, and other laws—often presenting novel issues without clear-cut answers.

ASA activities have largely consisted of advocating before Congress, the U.S. Department of Treasury, and the U.S. Small Business Administration with respect to financial assistance for staffing firms. ASA also has worked to educate staffing firms and their clients about new laws and about the application of existing laws to the new work environment.