U.S. Department of Labor Publishes Guidance for Workers and Employers Offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced guidance to provide information to workers and employers about how each will be able to take advantage of the protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when it takes effect on April 1, 2020.
The new guidance includes questions and answers addressing critical issues such as what documents employees can be required to submit to their employers to use paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave; whether workers can take paid sick leave intermittently while teleworking and whether workers whose employers closed before the effective date of the FFCRA can still get paid sick leave.
This guidance adds to a growing list of compliance assistance materials published by WHD, including a Fact Sheet for Employees, a Fact Sheet for Employers, and an earlier Questions and Answers document. Available are two new posters, one for federal workers and one for all other employees, that will fulfill notice requirements for employers obligated to inform employees about their rights under this new law, Questions and Answers about posting requirements and a Field Assistance Bulletin describing WHD’s 30-day non-enforcement policy.
The National Endowment for the Arts Posts Announcement
The National Endowment for the Arts received a $75 million appropriation which is intended to assist nonprofit arts organizations “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally.” The legislation allows funds to be used for general operating expenses, a departure from the Arts Endowment’s requirement of supporting project-based funding and an acknowledgment of the dire situation facing the arts community. In addition, arts organizations do not have to provide matching funds to receive their grant.
Details regarding timing and applications are being developed and will be announced as soon as they are available. Please check arts.gov in the coming days for more information.