For those of you who may not have heard, the Families First Act is now in effect. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) website is full of frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) pages that are of use, but moments ago we received regulations. These regulations are very lengthy and complex. I strongly recommend that if you have any employees requesting this leave, you reach out to discuss the specifics.

As discussed previously, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Famlies First Act) requires employers to provide paid sick leave and expanded Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time. However, the act provided that the Secretary of Labor could exempt small businesses with fewer than 50 employees when the imposition of these requirements would jeopardize the viability of the business. In my earlier blog posts, I noted that lawyers were unable to identify the criteria for the exemption because the Department of Labor had not yet identified them. Notably, we anticipated regulations from the Department of Labor. However, as of this morning, we have informal “FAQ” guidance on the Department’s website that does give some clarity to the situation.

In a guidance document issued on its website, the IRS announced that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees.

On March 24, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which contains both the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Expansion Act. The FAQ introduced a new detail that we were all waiting on: the actual effective date for the Families First Act.

On March 18, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed and President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which we first described to you on March 16, 2020, following its passage of the U.S. House of Representatives. This new law comes as employers around the world are reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Lanier Ford's employment lawyers have already provided guidance to multiple employers to assist them in responding to this virtually unprecedented issue.