Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Effective April 1, 2020

UPDATE:
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) stated an effective date of “not later than 15 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.” The Act was enacted on March 18, 2020. The Department of Labor has directed that the Act will take effect on April 1, 2020, as stated on the employee poster released by the Department of Labor on March 25, 2020.


On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (“FFCRA”). Two major provisions of the FFCRA address paid leaves designed to assist American workers and families facing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, the leave provisions cover employers with fewer than 500 employees. However, the Secretary of Labor is authorized to issue regulations exempting employers with fewer than 50 employees if the law’s requirements will jeopardize the ongoing viability of a business.

The Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act requires covered employers to provide up to two weeks of paid sick leave for full and part-time employees to deal with their own or a child’s COVID-19 illness or quarantine, or to care for a child whose school or daycare provider is closed due to COVID-19.

The Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of partially paid emergency family leave to an employee whose minor child’s school or daycare is closed or unavailable due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Employers will receive quarterly payroll tax credits for amounts paid to their employees under these leave provisions, but those credits are capped per employee at specified levels.

A more comprehensive summary of the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” can be found here.

This appears to be the first step in a Congressional effort to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress is currently working on a more comprehensive economic package to put money directly in the hands of Americans. We at Lake Effect will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.

The legal and HR team at Lake Effect is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on the workplace. Keep watching for new blogs  or subscribe to our mailing list for important legal updates and HR best practices. If you have any questions regarding our quick tips, the attorneys and HR professionals at Lake Effect HR & Law are ready and willing to help. Contact us at info@le-hrlaw.com or 1-844-333-5253.

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