COVID-19 U.S. Employment Law Update and Guidance for Employers

The coronavirus outbreak created serious and unusual challenges for U.S. businesses, and handling them called for careful planning. Chief among them were new legal requirements for employers.

This 90-minute COVID-19 employment law webinar reviews the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), signed in March 2020, and its two leave laws: the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA). These were temporary measures, with the expanded leave and paid sick leave provisions set to expire on December 31, 2020.

It also covers the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed on March 27, 2020, which provided one-time payments to individuals, stronger unemployment insurance, added health care funding, and loans and grants to businesses to deter layoffs.

• Explain the FFCRA and its EPSLA and EFMLEA leave provisions
• Describe the main relief measures in the CARES Act
• Identify covered employers, the small business exemption and employee eligibility
• Apply the rules on qualifying reasons, leave amounts, pay and health benefits
• Meet posting, notice and documentation requirements
• Handle telework and performance-related terminations under the FFCRA

Background and legislation

• What COVID-19 is
• Current employment laws to be aware of
• The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
• Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA)
• Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA)
• Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act

Applying the FFCRA

• Covered employers
• Small business exemption
• Employer posting requirements
• Employee eligibility
• Qualifying reasons for leave
• Amount and use of leave
• Effect on employees' health benefits
• Employee notice and documentation requirements
• Enforcement of the regulations
• Performance-related terminations during COVID-19
• Compensation under the EFMLEA and the FMLA
• Telework under the EPSLA and EFMLEA
• Key FFCRA compliance steps

The FFCRA made sweeping changes to employer obligations: a paid sick leave mandate for employers with fewer than 500 employees, a temporary expansion of FMLA with paid leave for COVID-19 reasons, unemployment benefits for COVID-19 reasons, and tax credits for paid sick and family leave.

This session explains those provisions for senior leaders, HR, compliance, operations, accounting and recruiting professionals, managers, supervisors, team leaders and employees.

• Senior Leadership
• Human Resources Professionals
• Compliance Professionals
• Operations Professionals
• Accounting Professionals
• Recruiting Professionals
• Managers & Supervisors
• Project Managers
• Team Leaders
• Employees

Diane L. Dee, President and Founder of Advantage HR Consulting, LLC is a senior Human Resources professional with over 25 years of experience in the HR arena. Diane’s background includes experience in HR consulting, training, and administration in corporate, government, consulting, and pro bono environments.

Diane founded Advantage HR Consulting in early 2016. Under Diane’s leadership, Advantage HR Consulting provides comprehensive, cost-effective Human Resources solutions for small to mid-sized public and private firms in the greater Chicagoland area.  Diane also develops and conducts webinars on a wide variety of HR compliance and administrative topics for various training firms across the country.   Additionally, Diane is the author of multiple white papers addressing various HR compliance topics.

Diane holds a Master's Certificate in Human Resources from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and has attained SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications. Diane is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Diane performs pro bono work through the Taproot Foundation assisting non-profit clients by integrating their Human Resources goals with their corporate strategies.