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Monday HR Minute: COVID-19 Employment Reminders
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COVID-19 Employment Reminders

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we wanted to remind you of a couple important compliance regulations that made headlines a few months ago but may have fallen off your radar.

Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) paid time off:

The FFCRA went into effect on April 1, 2020 and is still in effect until at least December 31, 2020.  While many employees have used at least some of this time off at this point, if an employee has not taken their full benefit, they are still entitled to this mandated benefit.  Additionally, this paid time off must be used before any other paid time off benefit is exhausted. 

Employees are only entitled to 2 weeks of FFCRA paid sick time so, if they have used their 2 weeks of paid sick time already, they are not entitled to additional FFCRA sick time even if they have another qualifying event.

However, as school re-openings are in question, employees who have taken sick time are still entitled to take the 10 weeks of extended FMLA if they now need it.  

To ensure compliance  all employees should have access to the FFCRA poster and have the employees submit a request and documentation so you can claim the credit on your payroll taxes.

Flexibility for completing section 2 on form I-9 for new hires working remotely:

In March, the DHS offered guidance for processing Form I-9 when hiring new employees remotely. This was originally set to expire July 19th but was recently extended another 30 days.

To meet Form I-9 documentation requirements while remote:

Within 3 days of start date:

  • Complete Section 2 by viewing employment eligibility documents electronically (video, fax, or email);

  • Enter “COVID-19” as reason for delay of physical inspection; and

  • Retain copies of viewed document 

Within 3 days of returning to the office or upon expiration of this rule, whichever comes first:

  • Physically inspect employment eligibility documents; and

  • Note “documents physically examined” with the date of inspection in the Section 2 additional information field 

This exception is only for employers hiring remotely; those that are hiring employees to work in-person must follow regular I-9 regulations.

Please contact Affinity HR Group with any questions about COVID-19 regulations and compliance. We are here to help!

The Monday HR Minute, brought to you by Affinity HR Group, is designed to provide you with practical, applicable human resources and management advice and information in a format that will take you 60 seconds or less to read.  We believe that by dedicating just one minute a week to thinking about people management practices, business owners and managers can make enormous strides in improving workplace performance.
Affinity HR Group is a full service human resources consulting firm that specializes in advising small and medium-sized enterprises. Our services include recruiting and selection, HR policies and compliance, ad hoc HR support, compensation and performance management, and training and development. We are an endorsed HR partner of a number of leading national trade associations and offer free initial consultations and discounted services to their member companies.
 Email us at contact@affinityhrgroup.com or call 877-660-6400.
 
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This e-mail may contain general information about legal matters. Affinity HR Group does not provide legal counsel. The information provided should not be considered legal advice and should not be relied on as an alternative to legal advice from your attorney or other professional legal services provider. If you have any specific questions about this content or any legal matter you should consult your attorney or other professional legal services provider.
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