Some big changes went into effect on April 1, 2020, and as an employer, you need to be sure you become educated quickly about them.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act applies to all employers with less than 500 employees. It outlines sweeping changes applying to paid sick leave and expanded medical leave definitions under FMLA.
Here is a brief rundown of the changes that have come along with FFCRA. Please keep in mind, many small businesses that have never previously had to worry about FMLA regulations ARE INCLUDED in the new laws. Should you have specific questions about the new laws we highly recommend you seek the counsel of an HR professional and can recommend some highly knowledgeable consultants in our area should you need their assistance.
What you need to know as an Employer
As an employer, you must be sure to post the Employee Rights poster where your employees can see it.
1. Each employer is required to provide 80 hours (for full-time employees, or two weeks equivalent for part-time employees) of sick leave to all employees that fall into any of these categories:
2. To comply with government-mandated isolation or quarantine
3. To self-isolate, if diagnosed with coronavirus
4. To get a medical diagnosis when experiencing symptoms
5. To care for a family member that is diagnosed or has symptoms
6. To care for a child if their daycare is closed
The law also states that employers may not require employees to use any other paid time off before they can utilize the above outlined sick leave. This is an additional leave on top of any leave you provide as an employer.
FMLA Expansion
If an employee has been employed by you for more than 30 days, they are entitled to 12 weeks of leave at 2/3 of their regular pay in the event their child’s school or daycare is closed due to coronavirus.
Of course, if your business is completely closed these regulations do not apply at this time. Any other exclusions have not yet been debated by Congress as of the time of this post.
Employers are responsible for paying the up-front costs associated with the new laws. There will be tax credits for your business to help offset the costs associated with these regulations.
Here is a link to an outstanding one-pager from our friends at The People Perspective – First-Coronavirus-Response-Act-overview.pdf
Matthew Maennche
Chief Strategist
With over two decades of in-the-trenches marketing experience, Matthew Maennche’s views on developing and supporting a successful business are fundamentally different from the norm. As a developer and strategist, Maennche has helped thousands of businesses of all sizes, both domestic and international, take their organizations to the next level.
Matthew also spends time giving back to the local business community as a volunteer, mentor, and leader for the local chapter of SCORE.