In the ever-changing landscape of mandated paid leave, required minimum wage increases, what is federal leave versus what is state leave, comparing U.S. benefits with international offerings, and the moving target of managing a workforce during a national pandemic…. if you don’t have questions, you likely don’t work in HR. Absence management is a complex … Continued
Rule makers in Washington State are busy preparing for changes in 2021 to rules governing its Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program that will be of interest to employers. As part of the rulemaking process, Washington Employment Security Department (WAESD) publishes its rulemaking agenda twice yearly. This January, WAESD released its agenda here, which … Continued
Effective September 14, 2020, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) made permanent an administrative rule expanding the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) to allow employees to take leave to care for a child whose school or childcare provider is closed in connection with a statewide public health emergency. Eligible Oregon employees have been … Continued
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
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
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
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
On April 14, 2020, New Jersey enacted legislation, Senate Bill 2374, which expands and clarifies the circumstances in which an employee can take time off under the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) to care for a family member for reasons related to COVID-19. The legislation also amends the New Jersey Temporary Disability Benefits Law … Continued
As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the U.S., many state agencies have rallied to increase impacted workers’ access to wage replacement benefits through existing state-administered benefits programs. Some agencies have also revised documentation requirements in recognition of the current limitations on timely access to COVID-19 testing and diagnosis. The Rhode Island Department … Continued
On March 31, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued new guidance and FAQs for employers seeking COVID-19-related tax credits to offset the cost of providing paid leave under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The guidance, which includes 66 FAQs, imposes new requirements related to FFCRA leave in order for an employer … Continued
