How the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can help you keep your employees safe, explained by James Venable, Esq., SPHR and Sue Woods, Esq. Transcript: Welcome to our weekly podcast. I’m your host, James Venable. I’m the Vice President of Compliance and Employment Law for ReedGroup, … Continued
On March 17, 2020, the Mayor of the District of Columbia (D.C.), Muriel Bowser, signed the COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (CREA), which amends D.C.’s Family and Medical Leave Act (DCFMLA) to permit leave when an employee is unable to work as a result of the circumstances giving rise to a declared public … Continued
Just when we thought the Department of Labor (DOL) was taking a break, it published a Final Rule along with several Frequently Asked Questions as they relate to ERISA claims procedures. This guidance is in addition to the DOL Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Disaster Relief Notice, which it issued in partnership with the Department of … Continued
The top five takeaways from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), explained by James Venable Esq., SPHR and Sue Woods, Esq. Transcript: Sue: Welcome to our weekly podcast. I’m your host today, Sue Woods, senior compliance counsel at ReedGroup, a Guardian company. And joining me today is James Venable, the vice … Continued
Non-exempt employees in Puerto Rico are entitled to five working days of paid leave if they become infected or are suspected of being infected with COVID-19. Effective immediately upon its April 9, 2020 enactment, the new leave provision amends the Puerto Rico Minimum Salary, Vacation and Sick Leave Act, Act 180-1998, which excludes employees classified … Continued
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued Proclamation 20-46 on April 13, 2020, requiring all public and private employers to offer accommodations to high-risk employees to protect them from exposure to COVID-19. The proclamation is effective from April 13, 2020 through June 12, 2020, unless extended by Governor Inslee. The proclamation adopts the Centers for Disease … Continued
Grappling with reasonable accommodation requests from disabled employees can be difficult, even without layering COVID-19 related concerns on top of the process. To help employers stay compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued new Q&As regarding how to address the interactive process during the COVID-19 pandemic. … 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
Update: Our latest post about the DOL’s FFCRA guidance can be found here. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) recently released Temporary Rule and Q&A guidance concerning the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provided much-needed detail for employers and third-party leave administrators grappling with administering the FFCRA’s new paid leave entitlements. However, … 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 18, 2020, only weeks after the first coronavirus cases were confirmed in Oregon, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) issued Temporary Administrative Order BLI 4-2020, expanding the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) to allow leave to be used during COVID-19 related school and daycare closures. Specifically, the order amends the definition … Continued
More DOL Q&As: Clarifying the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Another day, another group of Q&As from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)! In recent days, the DOL published 20 new Q&As regarding employee benefits and employer obligations under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act). As we’ve written previously, the FFCRA … Continued
