Ep. 3: How does COVID-19 apply to the FMLA?
Part 1
March 24, 2020
Episode details
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our upcoming episodes will be offering updates on the fast-changing legislation around leave management. In this episode, Ellen McCann explains the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which was passed by the U.S. Senate. She unpacks the two key components of the law: Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency FMLA.
Top takeaways
- The law only applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees. This is different from the traditional FMLA threshold of 50 employees. [02:02]
- All employees who work for a covered employer can take Emergency Paid Leave. Employees who have been employed for 30 days can take Emergency FMLA. [05:26]
- Update: After recording this episode, the Department of Labor issued further guidance. They released the mandatory poster and also offered guidance on how the tax credit will work. Keep checking the DOL website for updates.
- Listen to Part 2 of this show, recorded March 31, 2020, where we discuss further guidance from the Department of Labor.
Have an idea for our next podcast?
Stay up to date and informed with the latest company information and helpful links on our COVID-19 resource center.
Featured speaker
Ellen McCann
Assistant Vice President, Leave Solutions — Unum Group
Ellen McCann serves as a leading expert in applying benefits and benefits technology to power modern solutions to more effective employee leave programs, stronger regulatory compliance and enhanced digital HR transformation. In this role, she combines more than 30 years of employment law experience with practical knowledge of the complexities of leave and accommodation management to help develop and create solutions that enable employers to address the challenges of leave and accommodations. She is an acclaimed national speaker on leave management issues including FMLA and ADA, and is a certified trainer for SHRM and CE credit.
About the host
Clare Morin
Unum Content Marketing Manager
Clare Morin is the Content Marketing Manager at Unum and a journalist who’s spent the last 20 years interviewing hundreds of thought leaders on topics ranging from wellness to culture, finance, human resources and technology. Born in the UK, raised in Hong Kong and based in the U.S. since 2009, she brings a global outlook to the HR Trends studio.
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