During the past week or so, various federal agencies have issued additional COVID-19 guidance of significance (more or less) to employers, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). We summarize these developments below.
The Lighter Side of COVID-19 State Laws
The current COVID-19 pandemic is obviously an incredibly devastating and stressful situation. Federal, state and local governments have been working diligently to enact legislation to address this crisis. But in the midst of this, we can all use a smile – and several states have taken a moment to give us one.
Updated Workplace Cleaning Guidelines from the CDC and a New OSHA Poster!
The Centers for Disease Control recently updated its guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting, including those that apply to employers. These guidelines address proper disinfectant techniques and solutions, and specifically advise how to clean soft surfaces (i.e., carpeted floors, rugs, and drapes), electronics, and laundry. The CDC’s guidelines also address the appropriate steps to take if an individual in your building or facility tests positive for COVID-19. Continue Reading Updated Workplace Cleaning Guidelines from the CDC and a New OSHA Poster!
IRS Identifies What Documentation Can Be Required by Employers for FFCRA Leave, and Much More on Tax Credits
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act mandates that private employers with 500 or fewer employees (with exceptions for certain small employers as well as health care providers and emergency responders) and some public sector employers must provide emergency paid sick leave and emergency Family and Medical Leave Act leave for specific COVID-related reasons. The Act, however, did not address what documentation, if any, an employer could request in order to substantiate the leave and receive the tax credits that will fund the leave. The DOL initially provided guidance in its Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions and Answers, but subsequently retracted it, directing employers to the Internal Revenue Service for further guidance. And on the eve of the FFCRA’s effective date of April 1, 2020, the IRS finally provided such guidance.
Wait – the DOL Made Their FFCRA Guidance LESS Useful?!!
I don’t like it when the federal agencies don’t play fair. I previously blogged about the EEOC’s sneaky change in its position on whether sexual orientation discrimination is covered by Title VII (it revised its guidance without any kind of announcement. It was just suddenly… the exact opposite). And now, the Department of Labor has pulled the same trick with regard to it
s guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act!
Continue Reading Wait – the DOL Made Their FFCRA Guidance LESS Useful?!!
What Does Governor Hogan’s “Stay-at-Home” Order Mean for Employers?
Governor Hogan has issued an Executive Order, effective 8:00 p.m. on March 30, 2020, requiring all Maryland residents to stay at home except to conduct essential activities. Certain employees of essential businesses and non-essential businesses, however, may continue to travel to work, as described below.
Continue Reading What Does Governor Hogan’s “Stay-at-Home” Order Mean for Employers?
To Avoid Job and Wage Cuts CARES Act Funds Payrolls
In our March 27 E-lert, we explained important provisions of the CARES Act. One of them provides small businesses and nonprofits with forgivable loans to fund payroll and other costs incurred between February 15 and June 30, 2020 as an incentive to keep employees on the payroll. Under the “Paycheck Protection Program” the federal government will essentially give an employer 2.5 times its monthly payroll, to use for paying wages, rent, mortgage interest and utilities.
Continue Reading To Avoid Job and Wage Cuts CARES Act Funds Payrolls
DOL Explains Small Business, Healthcare Provider and Emergency Responder Exemptions to Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and Many Other Things
The U.S. Department of Labor updated its Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions and Answers on Saturday, March 28, 2020 to provide guidance on a number of key issues, including the exemptions to the paid leave mandates under the FFCRA for small businesses, healthcare providers, and emergency responders.
Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Becomes Law
On March 27, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion bill that contains provisions that will provide relief to businesses and individuals negatively impacted by the recent pandemic.
Continue Reading Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Becomes Law
DOL Answers More Burning Questions and Provides a Poster About Families First Coronavirus Response Act
On March 26, 2020, the Department of Labor updated its Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions and Answers to provide more guidance about the paid sick leave and expanded Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requirements under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL addressed a number of open issues of significant interest to employers. Additionally, as we mentioned in our March 26, 2020 E-lert, the DOL released the mandatory notice, and it has now followed up with guidance on its posting and distribution.