Colorado Votes “YES” on Paid Family and Medical Leave
Colorado passed paid family and medical leave in the November 2020 election. Here’s what employers should know.
Hawaii Allows Eligible Employees to Care for Grandchildren Under the State’s Family Leave Act
On September 15, 2020, Hawaii Governor David Ige signed into law a bill that extends Hawaii family leave to include care of an employee’s grandchild with a serious health condition. Although just enacted, the law has an effective date of July 1, 2020. Hawaii’s Family Leave Act The legislative bill cited statistics regarding the large … Continued
2021 New York PFL Benefit and Contribution Rates – Up From 2020
On September 1, 2020, the New York Department of Financial Services (NY DFS) published the 2021 New York Paid Family Leave (NY PFL) benefit and contribution rates. Although we knew that the benefit amounts would increase, the premium rate for employee contributions will almost double beginning January 1, 2021. Here are the highlights of the … Continued
Are You Ready for Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave? ReedGroup Is!
The Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MA PFML) regulations are final, and eligible workers may start applying for benefits on January 1, 2021. Are you ready? Let us provide the details you need to know for absence management. MA PFML Basics As we’ve written on this blog in the past (e.g., here, here, and … Continued
Nursing Mothers Need a Break! What Are Your Responsibilities as an Employer?
In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, it is time to celebrate and honor working moms who juggle their job and family duties with equal vigor. For moms returning to the workplace while still nursing their new babies, that juggling act can present unique challenges. So, let’s explore how employers can give nursing mothers a break … Continued
New FMLA Forms Have Arrived!
With little fanfare, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published revised model notices and forms for use with administering Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave requests. On July 16, 2020, the DOL posted the revised forms on its FMLA webpage. As we reported last August, the DOL sought public feedback on proposed changes to … Continued
Podcast Transcript: As Workplaces Reopen the EEOC Continues to Issue New Guidance for Employers
Can COVID-19 antibody testing be used to screen employees? Do employers have to provide accommodations to workers living with someone who is “high-risk”? Sue and our guest-host Sarah Wisor answer those questions and more to help employers get their employees back to work safely. Transcript: Sue: Welcome to our Podcast. I’m your host, Sue Woods, … Continued
FFCRA: Summer Program Closures May Trigger Leave Benefits
School work is done for this academic year and kids are moping around, bored because their summer camp plans were cancelled due to COVID-19. Are employees able to take leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to care for their kids because their summer programs have been cancelled? Which programs qualify and what … Continued
California Paid Family Leave Entitlement Increase
Happy July 1 – the effective date for an additional two weeks of California Paid Family Leave (CA PFL)! As most of you will know, the CA PFL benefit entitlement has increased from six to eight weeks (as we wrote about here). Importantly, the additional two weeks of CA PFL entitlement applies only to claims/leaves that begin on … Continued
Podcast Transcript: How FFCRA Leave, PTO, and other Leave Laws Intersect
Employers and their employees are struggling to understand how new FFCRA leaves affect existing leave benefits. Join James and Sue as they break down how current leave laws intersect. Transcript: James: Welcome to our Podcast. I’m your host, James Venable, Vice President of Compliance and Employment Law for Reed Group, a Guardian company. Joining me … Continued