President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law on March 11, 2021. Along with providing financial relief for individuals, state and local governments, schools, businesses and for other purposes, the law contains measures of special interest to employers and their employees. Read more…
As the vaccine rollout progresses through the early part of 2021, the broader employer response appears to be a bit more measured than some anticipated just a few short weeks ago.
While the path forward is looking a bit more clear, some employers are still struggling to determine an appropriate level of involvement in the vaccination process. (more…)
President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 into law. The Act provides temporary special rules for health and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) that give employees additional time to use these funds. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees may be more likely to have unused amounts in health or dependent care FSAs. Read more…
An appropriations bill passed by Congress on Dec. 21, 2020, and expected to be signed into law by President Donald Trump, does not extend the leave mandates created by the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA), which expire on Dec. 31, 2020. However, the bill does extend the time limit for employer tax credits for employee leave required by those laws. Read more…
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued additional answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about how employers should comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal fair employment laws while also observing all applicable emergency workplace safety guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. The new FAQs address whether employers may require employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. They were added to guidance that the EEOC first issued on March 18, 2020, and then updated several times. Read more…
The IRS has added or updated more than 80 answers to questions in its series of FAQs on “COVID-19-Related Tax Credits for Required Paid Leave Provided by Small and Midsize Businesses.” The changes affect questions in all 13 of the subtopics covered by the FAQs. Refundable tax credits are available to businesses for employee paid leave taken under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), enacted in March 2020 and effective through Dec. 31, 2020. Read more…