COVID-19 Update March 24, 2020

Below is the latest info hot off the press from the Dept. of Labor about the law that was passed last week.

It gives basics of many of the questions that have been asked about the new Leave Law that was passed last week. You can check out the DOL website, and you can’t download the document below.

One of the items that we may have talked about before is the new leave for employers under 500 is paid at 2/3 rd the rate of normal pay to the employee not to fall below minimum wage and not to exceed the limits shared previously. If you have questions about this, please let us know.

Also, the look back period for average hours is 6 months, that is how you determine the 2-week average for part time people. I have added some highlights below from the attachment.

Another interesting tidbit learned today was that employees do not have to exhaust their current PTO before opting into the sick leave or the FMLA leave that they would now be eligible for. Since PTO is a benefit that is normally offered as an incentive to your employees as part of your benefit package, employers have the option to change their current plan at any time.

Here are some highlights:

✔ The FFCRA’s paid leave provisions are effective on April 1, 2020 (NOT April 2)

✔ You have fewer than 500 employees if, at the time your employee’s leave is to be taken, you employ fewer than 500 full-time and part-time employees within the United States.

✔ When calculating pay due to employees, you must include overtime hours. For example, an employee who is scheduled to work 50 hours a week may take 50 hours of paid sick leave in the first week and 30 hours of paid sick leave in the second week. In any event, the total number of hours paid under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act is capped at 80.

✔ Paid sick leave and expanded FMLA run concurrently and are NOT retroactive.

Also below is an email from Michael Hecht with GNO, Inc., which shares some very good resources if you need access to other information.

I would like to ask everyone to contact your congressmen and put pressure on them to pass the stimulus package, as of this email is has not been passed.

As always please reach out if you have any issues or concerns.