Although most of the benefits associated with Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) passed last March expired on December 31, 2020, many of the COVID-19 related issues it was created to address still exist. Employers should note that when the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) was passed on December 27, 2020, it did not extend the employers’ obligation to provide employees with emergency paid sick leave or emergency family and medical leave, but it did extend…
With the opening of schools and the re-opening of some businesses – not to mention all of the opportunities that folks had for exposure over this past Labor Day holiday weekend – an uptick in COVID infections may be part of the September forecast. As such, we thought it prudent to revisit some of the CDC guidelines first shared at the beginning of the summer and try to provide some clarification around how to legally…
On April 1, 2020, the U.S. DOL enacted a temporary rule operational through the EOY that provides direction for administration of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA). With schools opening this month we anticipate more employers having questions about obtaining credits related specifically to EPSLA (due to contagion) and EFMLEA (due to school closings). Please know that in instances where claims are made for…
Required filings of IRS Form 941 looked a little bit different for employers this quarter due to changes in Form 941 for COVID-19 related employment tax creds and other tax relief. IRS Form 941 is the employer’s quarterly payroll tax report. Forms are due on the last day of the month following the end of the quarter meaning that forms submitted on July 31, 2020, were the first to reflect tax changes made as part…
Employees are taking their employers to task for a myriad of COVID-19 related employment and workplace issues. With 463 lawsuits filed thus far this year, it comes as no surprise that population dense states like California, Florida and New Jersey lead the way in terms of number of lawsuits filed. (Meanwhile only seven have been recorded in Georgia.) This handy Employment Litigation Tracker, published by Fisher Phillips, tracks and allows users to pivot on one…
With fear and uncertainty circulating about the continued spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, it’s no surprise that employers are wrestling with the best way keep employees healthy and to ensure that sick employees stay at home for as long as needed. In particular, I am concerned about industries with heavy concentrations of hourly employees – such as retail and restaurants – that could be hit worse because sick employees will still try to come…
With flu season peaking this month, you may be wondering what rights you have to control the workplace and its culture when employees might be sick. Do you encourage employees to go home when they are coughing and sneezing—even if they don’t want to? Do you intervene if your employees “sick shame” their peers, or do you consider it acceptable? Historically, employers have often worried more about employees taking off when they were not sick…
Although flu season doesn’t really get started until late October, especially in the South, now is a great time to get your office and your workers ready to battle it. Last year’s flu season was especially dangerous—and deadly. Flu sent more than over 700,000 people to the hospital, and 180 children died. The 2017-2018 season was driven by a flu strain, the H3N2 virus, which tends to result in more hospitalizations and cause more deaths….
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that its Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) certification forms and notices are valid for three more years, until Aug. 31, 2021. (The DOL must submit its FMLA forms to the Office of Management and Budget for approval every three years to ensure the FMLA certification and notice process isn’t too bureaucratic.) In late August 2018, seven forms were certified. The DOL didn’t make any substantive changes to the forms,…
It might seem logical to assume that flu season would ramp down as temperatures moderate, but per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu season lasts until mid-May. This year’s flu season has been especially dangerous—and deadly—and CDC experts say it isn’t peaking, yet. With cumulative hospitalizations at the highest rate since the CDC has been tracking them, employers should remind personnel to stick with flu prevention strategies at least through March, if not longer….
MarathonHR Helps Thomas Eye Center Focus on Patient Care and Service