News

The past few months have seen multiple instances of aggression and violence against workers who attempted to enforce their establishment’s COVID-19 prevention policies and practices with customers. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued new guidance instructing employees not to force any customer who appears upset or potentially violent…

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order and three memorandums to address pandemic relief in response to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. After negotiations for a relief package between the White House and lawmakers collapsed, the executive actions extend pandemic unemployment benefits, student loan payment deferrals, eviction protections for renters and…

On July 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the agency’s publication of additional guidance on applying federal employment laws in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance is in the form of questions and answers added to sets of Q&As the agency issued earlier in the year about the operation of…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking information from the public about the effectiveness of paid employee family and medical leave. In a Request for Information (RFI) issued July 15, 2020, the DOL said it intends to gather information about the effectiveness of current state- and employer-provided paid leave programs, and how access (or…

July 14, 2020 As we move into the middle of summer, it’s apparent that COVID-19 does not diminish in warmer weather similar to the flu virus. In fact, as we’ve re-opened our economy cases have spiked with more people testing positive and additional hospitalizations occurring across the country. St Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Joplin, and…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has created an online tool to help workers determine whether they qualify for paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The tool works by posing a series of questions that help employees assess whether the paid leave provisions of…

(May 20, 2020) In our last communication, we focused on our return to work plans and policies that businesses should consider to protect their organization, their employees and their customers. Several areas are difficult and controversial (masks and travel) and each business should implement what works best for them. We’ll cover another “hot topic” in…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued new model notices for group health plan administrators to use to comply with COBRA notification requirements, the agency announced on May 1, 2020. Although plan administrators are not required to use the updated model notices, the DOL generally considers their use—with the addition of appropriate plan information—to…

Among other measures aimed at easing student loan burdens during the coronavirus pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) includes a provision that temporarily allows employers to make tax-free payments of up to $5,250 toward their employees’ student loans. Under this provision, employer payments toward their employees’ qualified educational loans between…

(May 7, 2020) As we continue to move into May, our communities step down their orders and open many business operations. On Monday, the City of Branson lessened restrictions and are using the State of Missouri Guidelines. On Thursday, the City of Springfield and Greene County further reduced the restrictions allowing gathering at churches, theaters,…