Washington Governor Jay Inslee has further extended employment protections for medically vulnerable workers for as long as the current state of emergency lasts due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). In addition, the new proclamation (20-46.2) and accompanying guidance memo clarify who is protected and change the circumstances under which employers may request…
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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its frequently asked questions on paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL added questions #94 to 97. As we initially reported in March, the FFCRA applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees within the United States.…
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Governor Doug Ducey recently issued two executive orders, Executive Order 2020-40 (June 17, 2020) and Executive Order 2020-43 (June 29, 2020), to help limit and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Some of the key elements of these orders that are important to most employers include: Directing businesses to assist in containing the…
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On June 9, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee extended the protections for employees who are at a higher risk to contract COVID-19 (coronavirus), specifically those aged 65 and over and those with certain chronic underlying health conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The original proclamation expired…
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Question: Due to the recent economic downturn related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), we temporarily laid off a number of employees. Do we count them for purposes of determining if we’re a covered employer (with at least 50 employees) under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? If we drop below 50…
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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its frequently asked questions on paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL added questions #89 to 93. As we previously reported, the FFCRA applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees. These new FAQs address COVID-19 leave questions related to domestic…
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On May 4, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee extended the Stay Home — Stay Healthy order through May 31, 2020, and issued the state’s Safe Start plan that sets out the criteria for reopening Washington in phases so as to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 (coronavirus). Phase 1 of reopening began May…
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its list of possible COVID-19 symptoms. Previously the agency had listed only fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The new list of symptoms expands “shortness of breath” to include difficulty breathing and adds the following six symptoms: chills, repeated shaking with chills,…
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Washington Governor Jay Inslee has amended his Stay Home – Stay Healthy order to permit protected leave for employees who are at a higher risk to contract COVID-19 (coronavirus), specifically those aged 65 and over and those with certain chronic underlying health conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The amended order, which was…
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On March 25, 2020, Governor Inslee signed an amendment to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WPFML) program (SHB 2614). This bill doesn’t have anything to do with the current pandemic. Instead, it makes technical corrections to the WPFML program, to ensure the intent of the original bill is intact. The…
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