CARES: The Impact on Business, Employers and Employees Today, March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the largest and most comprehensive act to aid businesses, employers and employees, particularly in the small business segment, during this COVID-19 pandemic. The hefty price tag, $2 trillion, will provide direct relief to businesses, with the specific goal of assisting […]
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES)
DOL Posts Model Notice for Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
In response to our current emergency, the President signed the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” or “FFCRA.” The effective date is April 1, 2020. See other KRCL blogs on this topic: Update on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, March 25, 2020 Families First Coronavirus Response Act, March 19, 2020 Coronavirus FAQ #2 for Employers […]
Update on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA” or the “Act”), into law. The law overhauls leave requirements for employers – amending the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to add new Public Health Emergency Leave and enacting Emergency Paid Sick Leave for reasons related to the Coronavirus. The […]
Families First Coronavirus Response Act
COVID-19 has already significantly impacted the U.S. in unprecedented ways. In response, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law yesterday evening a law designed to provide relief to families impacted by the recent coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. As most people already know, the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020 declared COVID-19 a global […]
Coronavirus FAQ #2 for Employers – Now What?
Dear AJ: Some healthy employees want to work at home. Do I have to allow that? AJ’s Answer: The question posed, in my view, requires a larger look at our businesses and what we want to accomplish, how we want to do that, what we actually are able to do, and what makes sense for our […]
A Coronavirus FAQ for Employers – Compensation
Dear AJ: What if I have to tell employees to stay home, be “self-quarantined,” or shut our office for a couple of weeks? What am I required to pay people? AJ’s Answer: Required (by law) payment of employees on quarantine is dependent on whether the employee works or not and if they are exempt/salary or not. […]
DOL Clarifies Standard to Determine “Joint Employer” Status
On January 12, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced its final rule (“Final Rule”) to revise and update the standard for determining “joint employer” status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) – the federal law requiring minimum wage and overtime pay. The new rule provides guidance to determine when additional individuals or entities […]
Our Patchwork of Sick and Vacation Pay Rules Is Counter-Productive to American Employment
My Dear Mr. President . . . and to our Esteemed Congress, Here’s the perspective of one employment lawyer in Texas. Guys, [1] we still have a country to run. [2] And, the reality is our country runs on business, which means employers and employees. In the Employment Law Area, we Need National Thought, Practice, […]
Regulation of Workplace Violence Under OSHA’s “General Duty” Clause
Workplace violence, defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation or other threatening behavior that occurs at the worksite” has become front and center in the minds of many employers. It is an increasingly important topic of discussion, with important legal ramifications. According to […]
Your Opinion Matters: Submit Comments to a Newly Proposed Federal Overtime Rule
Your Opinion Matters: Submit Comments to a Newly Proposed Federal Overtime Rule that Intends to Raise the Annual Salary Requirement’s for the Fair Labor Standard Act’s Overtime Exemptions. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employees must receive at least time and one-half their regular pay rate for all hours worked over 40 in a […]