Category: Compliance

The Department of Labor Reaffirms and Clarifies Provisions of its FFCRA Rule Invalidated by Federal District Court in New York

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When the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York invalidated several provisions of the Department of Labor’s (“DOL’s”) FFCRA regulations last month, many employers were left wondering whether to change their policies in response to the decision.  Meanwhile, the legal community debated the geographical scope of the ruling’s impact and wondered how … Continued

COVID-19 Update: DOL’s New Guidance on FFCRA School Closure Leaves

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New DOL Guidance for FFCRA Leaves On Re-Opening Schools With schools reopening across the country, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued three new FAQs that clarify certain school closure scenarios under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The new FAQs, numbered 98-100, specifically limit FFCRA benefits to those instances when a child’s … Continued

As Businesses Reopen, the DOL Continues to Update FFCRA Q&As

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On July 17, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued additional Q&As related to COVID-19.  Though employers are probably exhausted by these updates, the Q&As provide guidance that will help businesses stay compliant during the pandemic.  This blog summarizes the new Q&As, which are numbered 94 through 97, but we recommend that employers and their human … Continued

Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act. Here’s What the HFWA Means for Employers

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Between July 15, 2020 and December 31, 2020, Colorado’s new Healthy Families and Workplace Act (“HFWA”) requires all employers to provide up to 80 hours of paid sick leave to employees for reasons related to COVID-19 (e.g., having COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a diagnosis, being subject to a quarantine or isolation order, caring for someone … Continued

New York Paid Sick Leave Law Takes Effect September 30, 2020

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On September 30, 2020, many New York employees will begin accruing leave under New York state’s new paid sick leave law. Enacted in April as part of a state budget bill (S7506B), the new law applies to all employers in New York regardless of size. While the accrual provisions of the law are effective September … Continued

New FMLA Forms Have Arrived!

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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

FFCRA: Summer Program Closures May Trigger Leave Benefits

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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

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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