DOL Employer Resources for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

Coronavirus Action Alert #5
From The Ward Damon Employment & Labor Law Team
I. Jeffrey Pheterson, Bari Goldstein and Kenneth Rehns

The U. S. Department of Labor (DOL) has provided several helpful resources on its website for employers preparing for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that will go into effect in April.

CLICK HERE for all of the information:  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic 

First, the DOL has provided a series of answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding the law’s provisions.  One of the biggest takeaways is that the FFCRA will now take effect on April 1, 2020, and not April 2 as originally expected.  In addition, the FAQs provide help for employers in calculating if they are subject to the FFCRA’s provisions by employing less than 500 employees at the time employee leave is requested, as well as how much an employee can expect to be paid for leave under the FFCRA.

The DOL has also released Field Assistance Bulletin 2020-1 which provides that the, the DOL will maintain a Temporary Non-Enforcement Period through April 17, 2020.  This means that the DOL will not bring enforcement actions against any employer for violations of the FFCRA occurring prior to April 18, 2020, provided that the employer has acted “reasonably” and “in good faith” when all of the following facts are present:

A Message from Ward Damon: WE ARE HERE FOR YOU

Dear clients and friends,

 

During this challenging and unprecedented time with the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, we wanted to assure you that Ward Damon is fully prepared to continue providing our clients with the same superior care and service you have grown accustomed to. The safety of our clients and our employees is our top priority.

 

While we all weather these tumultuous and uncertain times, it serves as a reminder that we are all in this together . We have taken precautionary steps and developed strategic plans to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our team, as well as our clients.

 

• We continue to assist our valued clients, and are moving cases and transactions along electronically and telephonically whenever possible. We are vigilantly implementing enhanced protocols due to the Coronavirus.
• If you have specific questions about your legal matter, please feel free to contact us for an update at 561.842.3000. We offer secure videoconference appointments, and are available via phone or email.
• If you wish to come to our office, we can be here for you at this time, but by appointment only. In an abundance of caution, we are encouraging virtual appointments. Please call our offices and we will arrange a meeting for you by phone, FaceTime or other means.

In addition, we are closely monitoring the various Court-mandated delays and governmental restrictions and will continue to update our strategies as policies change, and communicate these changes with our clients as necessary. You can stay up to date with all of the latest news and how it affects your business, court proceedings, real estate transactions and more on our blog , social media , and email alerts.

 

We are hopeful that this period of uncertainty for our community and our nation will be resolved soon. We pray that you and yours remain safe through this period, and thank you for your continued trust in your team at Ward Damon.

 

Thank you,

Phil Ward

Conrad Damon

Michael Posner

Jeff Pheterson

Denise Bleau

Adam Seligman

Eddie Stephens

Dane Leitner

and the entire Ward Damon team

 

Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Update 3.20.2020

Coronavirus Action Alert #4 From The Ward Damon Employment & Labor Law Team:

I. Jeffrey Pheterson, Bari Goldstein and Kenneth Rehns

In follow-up to our prior article, the Senate has passed and the President has now approved the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“Act”), which goes into effect on April 2, 2020.  We have summarized some of the more important provisions below, namely those that will immediately impact employers and employees.

Keep in mind that this is a very fluid situation, with Congress already discussing additional coronavirus relief-related legislation.  The Ward Damon Employment & Labor Law Team continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates as new information becomes available.

 

EMERGENCY PAID SICK LEAVE ACT

Eligibility:

The Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act requires private employers with less than 500 employees and all government employers to provide two weeks (80 hours) of paid sick leave to full-time employees if they are unable to work (or telework) and:

COVID-19 and Court Implications in Florida

Coronavirus Action Alert #3: Court Proceedings During the Crisis

By Dane Leitner

On March 17, 2020 the Florida Supreme Court issued an administrative order regarding court operations.  As a result of the World Health Organization declaring the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic, the Governor of Florida declaring a state of emergency, and the Surgeon General and State Health Officer declaring a public health emergency, the Florida Supreme Court is drastically restricting Florida courts until the close of business March 27, 2020, or as provided by a subsequent order.

What Does This Mean?

• All grand jury proceedings, jury selection proceedings and criminal civil jury trials are temporarily suspended.
• Additionally, the Florida Supreme Court directed that no proceedings or other court events other than essential proceedings and proceedings critical to the state of emergency or the public health emergency shall be conducted through in-person hearings until such time as the public health emergency is resolved, or as provided by subsequent order.

Florida Helps Small Business Affected by Coronavirus

Coronavirus Action Alert #2 From Our Business & Finance Law Teams:

Rana M. Gorzeck, Philip H. Ward, and Adam R. Seligman

At the request of Governor Ron DeSantis, the State of Florida has just made available to small employers in Florida who experience economic injury from COVID-19, short-term, interest-free bridge loans of up to $50,000.00 for one year.  Small employers are defined as those who have from 2 to 100 employees.  The bridge loans may be applied for until May 8, 2020 and are intended to provide immediate cash relief until either a Federal SBA loan or commercial loan can be obtained.  The loans are being administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO).

For further information, please click on the following link: https://www.enterpriseflorida.com/news/governor-ron-desantis-activates-emergency-bridge-loan-program-for-small-businesses-impacted-by-covid-19/

The Ward Damon team will continue to monitor changes to the rapidly evolving coronavirus crisis along with the progressing response from all of our national, state, and local agencies, and provide updates as needed.  If you have any Business or Finance questions related to the COVID-19 crisis, or need help with your loan transactions during this time, our Ward Damon Business & Finance Law teams are here to help you.  Please call us at 561-842-3000, or you can contact us directly at: Rana M. Gorzeck, Philip H. Ward, and Adam R. Seligman.