Open Enrollment (OE) is just around the corner for many, and whether you are handling it on your own or with some guidance, making sure you are prepared for the task at hand will ensure that you have a smooth and seamless OE. Managing OE is extremely time consuming, and employer group health and welfare […]
As communicated in the March HR Special Alert, under the American Rescue Plan, employers with fewer than 500 employees have the option to voluntarily continue to offer FFCRA Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Emergency FMLA (E-FMLA) and receive a tax credit for such paid leave. Tax credits will be available for qualified leave taken through September 30, 2021. HR Works has been […]
On January 20, 2021, the New York Department of Labor issued Guidance on the Use of COVID-19 Sick Leave (Guidance). The law provides paid and unpaid sick leave with access to expanded Paid Family Leave and temporary disability depending on the size of the employer as follows: Small businesses with 10 or fewer employees as of January 1, 2020, and […]
Extension of FFCRA Tax Credits but No Leave Mandate The Appropriations Bill (Bill), signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 27, 2020, does not extend the emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) and expanded family and medical leave (EFMLA) mandates created by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). These leave requirements expired on […]
New York Paid Family Leave (PFL) contribution and benefit amounts increase in January. The New York State Department of Financial Services has announced that for calendar year 2021, employers may deduct 0.511% of an employee’s weekly wage, up to an annual cap of $385.34, to pay the premium cost for PFL. Effective January 1, 2021, […]
In April, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL) issued a joint notice providing for the extension of COBRA election and premium payments. The Notice stated that certain deadlines under COBRA, from the period beginning March 1, 2020, and ending 60 days following the announced end of the National Emergency (“outbreak period”) […]
As the New York Paid Sick Leave (NYPSL) is now in effect, employers should have begun employee accruals on September 30. Employees will become eligible to use accrued sick leave on January 1, 2021. The state still has not issued its final regulations and guidance which are expected to address many unanswered questions related to […]
The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued questions and answers (Q&As) on when federal contractors must include Service Contract Act (SCA), Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) or Executive Order 13706 fringe benefits or their monetary equivalent for workers taking leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The SCA and DBA require certain federal contractors to […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published new frequently asked questions (FAQs) about whether employees qualify for paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) in different school reopening situations, including those that offer hybrid learning, which blends in-person with distance learning. The FFCRA allows certain employees to take up to two […]
In a case brought by the New York attorney general, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has vacated portions of regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). It is not yet known whether the DOL will appeal the decision, whether […]
