An increasing number (42%) of employers are making changes to their PTO, vacation and sick day policies, as employees are reluctant to take days off during the unstable times of the pandemic. As unused vacation days pile up, some employers (16%) are requiring employees to take time off to reduce the year-end build-up, according to […]
Posted on June 22nd, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 440 Comments »
Since the feds replenished the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in May, many more small employers have requested the forgivable coronavirus-relief loans. And now, the feds have issued a new round of guidance on what makes the loan forgivable. Forgiveness applications On May 15, the Small Business Administration (SBA), which is administering the loans, released its […]
Posted on June 21st, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 203 Comments »
With COVID-19 keeping many campuses closed and air travel remaining at a near standstill, employers are uncertain about what will happen this fall recruiting season. If things don’t quite go back to normal—which is looking increasingly likely—operating in the new landscape will require employers, students, and schools to explore unfamiliar options to prepare for any […]
Posted on June 20th, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 222 Comments »
It’s probably what many of you have been waiting for: OSHA has issued guidance, all in one document, on returning employees to the workplace safely. Here’s a quick overview from Safety News Alert. OSHA recommends a 3-phase approach: Phase 1: Make telework available when possible. Limit the number of people in the workplace to maintain […]
Posted on June 19th, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 222 Comments »
Your employees know the advantages of working for a small company or start-up – the feeling of being part of a friendly close-knit team and less like a tiny cog in a huge machine. But do their friends’ tales of big corporation benefits like the on-site fully-equipped gym and subsidized restaurant, or free travel and […]
Posted on June 18th, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 205 Comments »
For many benefits pros, intermittent FMLA leave can be burdensome, but now it’s even more complex as to when to allow employees to take the incremental time off under the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). During the pandemic, the DOL is encouraging firms to be flexible in allowing employees who have children at […]
Posted on June 17th, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 216 Comments »
After years of district and circuit courts debating whether sexual orientation is a protected class under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Supreme Court finally ruled it is. In a 6-3 landmark decision, SCOTUS decided that employees can’t be fired due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Defining ‘sex discrimination’ Since 1964, […]
Posted on June 16th, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 216 Comments »
While it’s optional for employers, many will likely opt to allow employees to make mid-year health plan changes since so many have had their lives upended in 2020, as the IRS gives the go-ahead in a new coronavirus-related ruling. Normally, employees are prevented from changing their health insurance plans after the open enrollment period ends […]
Posted on June 13th, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 214 Comments »
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on June 11 released updates to its document “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.” The guidance, presented in a Q&A format, is especially critical as more businesses prepare to re-open facilities for the first time since state governments issued stay-at-home […]
Posted on June 12th, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 211 Comments »
The ADA protects employees from disability-related termination, but what happens if the person never mentioned they had a disability? Here’s what the 2nd Circuit had to say about that question. No prior notice Jesse Longway worked at Myers Industries when he began missing work to receive treatments for his pancreaitis. He told his supervisor the […]
Posted on June 11th, 2020 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 242 Comments »