As part of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tallahassee Business Podcast, presented by 223 Agency, features conversations with a variety of guests who can share valuable insight to help our members in this trying time.
In this week’s episode, we are joined by two local employment law experts from the Ausley McMullen Law Firm to discuss the changes to federal employment law related to COVID-19. As part of the federal government response to the ongoing pandemic, Congress passed the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) which includes a temporary expansion to both the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Act (EFMLA) and Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA). Attorneys Deborah Minnis and Ruth Vafek have spent numerous hours dissecting these new laws and provide listeners with a thorough breakdown of what the changes mean for both businesses and employees.
Deborah Minnis covers the intro/general overview of the FFCRA, the ‘medical provider’ definition for purposes of the potential exemption, the exemption options for employers of fewer than 50 employees and some of the interaction between FFCRA leave and traditional FMLA and employer-provided PTO/sick leave.
Ruth Vafek covers which employees are eligible for what leave, the qualifying reasons for FFCRA leave (both EFMLA and EPSLA) and what those mean practically speaking, the payment amounts for each and the documentation needed/permitted for each per the DOL regulations.
Along with a variety of helpful tips and information, Attorneys Minnis and Vafek provide valuable insight into employment law that every business owner should be educating themselves on during this unique time.
For more information on Ausley McMullen, visit https://www.ausley.com/
