Employer Alert: Families First Coronavirus Response Act Provisions are Mandatory

What you need to know to avoid problems

Due the COVID-19 outbreak and all of the government’s efforts to curtal its spread and to prop up the economy, we have been in information overload for just about a month now. One of the government’s efforts was to pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act which, at the government’s expense, requires employers to pay emergency sick leave and family medical leave benefits to employees affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

It appears that many employers are unaware the provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act are mandatory. The provision took effect April 2, and the Department of Labor has indicated they would use the first 30 days after the effective date to help employers comply with this new law before implementing enforcement actions.

There is no cost to employers to make these payments, other than administrative, since the government allows employers to reimburse themselves by withholding payroll taxes, and if that is not enough, to request an expedited refund. The details of the Act can be viewed here: Families First Coronavirus Response Act

If you have any questions, please give the office a call.