On Monday, December 21, 2020, Congress passed another stimulus package to provide certain coronavirus relief for individuals and businesses, among other things. One looming question was whether Congress would extend the emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) and emergency paid family leave (EFMLA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) into next year?

The

On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, the CDC issued an expanded definition of who is considered a “close contact” for purposes of determining who should self-quarantine for 14-days following an exposure to a COVID-19 confirmed individual.  Previously, the CDC defined “close contact” as someone who was within six feet of a confirmed COVID-19 positive individual for

For clients having operations in Louisiana which were affected by the recent Louisiana stay-at-home order (which expired May 14, 2020), the State Fire Marshal has released new phasing plan requirements as Louisiana moves into Phase 1 of reopening.  The link can be found here.  Guidance is broken down as follows:

  • Outdoors sports
  • Business/Organizations
  • Fitness

Last week, President Trump unveiled his Guidelines for Opening Up America Again.  The Guidelines present a three-phase, criteria-based, framework to allow individuals and employers to return to normal activities.  The return-to-work envisioned by the White House calls for the easing of current restrictions, not the wholesale abandonment of those restrictions.  The guidelines are not statutes

On April 8, 2020, the CDC announced new guidance for how to handle essential workers who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.  To ensure continuity of operations, the CDC says the employer no longer needs to send the exposed employee home to self-quarantine for 14 days assuming the employee remains asymptomatic and does not

In addition to certain entities, independent contractors, sole proprietors and “eligible self-employed individuals” may be eligible to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan under the CARES Act.

What is an eligible self-employed individual? It is important to note that the statute did not refer to “self-employed individuals” which would have been very easy for

On April 1, the paid leave requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act took effect.

Prior to April 1, the DOL issued both a required employer notice and a series of questions and answers related to the required employer notice under the Act: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/posters/FFCRA_Poster_WH1422_Non-Federal.pdf and https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-poster-questions.  The IRS also issued a series of

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division continues to burn the midnight oil providing much needed guidance to employers and employees regarding leave issues under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  Overnight, Saturday, the DOL posted a third set of Q&As (Q&As 38-59) that address a number of recurring employer questions.

“Son or

Overnight, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division posted additional answers to pressing questions regarding leave issues under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  These Q&As address a number of recurring employer questions.

Documentation.  One of the topics addressed by the DOL includes required documentation to support the need for leave (which the

Yesterday afternoon, on March 25, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued its model notices that meet the requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”).  The DOL provided a model notice for private sector employees and for public employees.   All employers covered by the paid sick leave and