Yesterday, Congressional leaders agreed on a $900 billion stimulus package that would provide modest stimulus funding to Americans and employers to help them overcome the hardship created by the COVID-19 pandemic. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer issued a press release late yesterday indicating that, among other things, this latest stimulus package will extend the payroll tax subsidy for employers offering workers paid sick leave. (News outlets are reporting the same …

Hearing the growing calls to provide clear guidance on the extent to which employers can require their employees to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine, the EEOC has updated its Technical Assistance guide “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws” on the subject of the COVID-19 vaccine. What the heck does this have to do with FMLA, you ask? Well, not a whole lot. But: 1) advising…

Thanks to those who attended my webinar last week with Matt Morris on “Navigating Difficult FMLA and ADA Issues in the Middle of a Pandemic.” You still can access the recording here (a short registration is required), and the presentation PowerPoint slides can be downloaded here (pdf). To the nearly 11,000 people who registered for the webinar, thank you. Among other things, you were rewarded with photos of Golden Retriever puppies, beautiful owls, dancing dads…

It’s year end.  And although the pandemic has taken a sledgehammer to business profits across the country, some employers are set to issue year end bonuses. In fact, a fair number of employers are set to award bonuses to employees in recognition of their commitment to customers and clients during the pandemic. Perhaps you offered a pay incentive to employees to improve attendance or production during the pandemic. Under this incentive program, employees are downgraded…

Nothing ushers in the holidays like a COVID-related FMLA webinar. Join me for my annual FMLA webinar, which comes to you, as always, free of charge! When: Wednesday, December 9, 2020 (12:00 – 1:30 p.m. central time) Online registration: Click here The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible impact on the workplace, causing employers to deal with a wave of medical leaves and a shift to virtual workplace.  As a result, employers face a host…

As we enter the home stretch of 2020 [thank God!], clients are increasingly asking me: Will FFCRA be extended into 2021? When Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) in March, it set the Act to expire on December 31, 2020. Wishful thinking at the time, wasn’t it? With the end of the pandemic now no where in sight, what are the chances the FFCRA is extended into 2021? Quick Answer: I. Have.…