IRS Guidance on Leave Donation Programs
As communities continue to face challenges related to COVID-19, employers may consider implementing a Paid Time Off (PTO) donation program that allows employees to help charitable organizations provide relief to those impacted by the pandemic. The IRS recently released Notice 2020-46, which provides guidelines on employer-sponsored charitable leave-based donation programs. Through December 31, 2020, this […]
DOL and HSA Updates
Over the past several months, most businesses and organizations have been focused on the ever-changing landscape created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, the Department of Labor (DOL) and other federal agencies have been busy implementing new and amended regulations affecting employers. Here are the recent HR and employment law updates you really need […]
Phase 2 Reopening Requirements
At 8:00 a.m. on June 15, Dane County began Phase Two of reopening under Forward Dane (revised June 2, 2020). Public Health Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) released Emergency Order #5 to coincide with Phase Two. The order provides requirements for organizations as they continue to gradually reopen. Emergency Order #5 is effective June 15 […]
U.S. Supreme Court Rules on LGBTQIA Workplace Protections
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that federal law prohibits employers from firing an individual merely for being gay or transgender. Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, 590 U.S. ___ (2020). Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers may not discriminate against any individual because of race, religion, national origin, or sex. The […]
EEOC Updates Guidance On COVID-19 And EEO Laws
Earlier today, the EEOC updated its Q&A Covid-19 Guidance as it relates to the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and other federal EEO laws. Key new provisions specify: The ADA does not require an employer to accommodate an employee without a disability in order to avoid exposing that employee’s family member who might be at a […]
Important Changes to the Paycheck Protection Program
On Friday June 5, 2020, the administration enacted the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (“PPPFA”) of 2020 which makes important changes to the original Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Reopening your Firm Carefully and Compassionately in the COVID-19 Era
Phase 1 Reopening Requirements for 5/26/20
UPDATE, May 27, 2020 Public Health Madison and Dane County announced at a meeting today with the Madison Chamber of Commerce that employers are required to document receipt, acknowledgment, or training on the policies required in Emergency Order #3. The order’s original language requiring receipt, acknowledgment, and training was a mistake. We have updated the […]
#bekind #staywell #grantgrace
For most of us, Memorial Day weekend has always served as the unofficial kick-off to the summer season, a long weekend spent with family and friends enjoying time together and creating memories. But the reality of life with COVID-19 has put many of these plans on hold and makes leaving the house feel like an […]
OSHA reinstates normal reporting and investigation standards for COVID
On May 19, 2020, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) reversed an earlier enforcement policy for recording cases of COVID. As Lake Effect reported in April, OSHA had announced that it would not enforce its record-keeping requirements on employers to make COVID “work-relatedness” determinations, except when (1) there was objective evidence that an employee’s […]
