BREAKING: Families First Coronavirus Response Act Signed into Law

Employco USA

On March 18th, the Senate passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the President signed it into law. Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the country, comments on the issue.

COVID-19“The new provisions take effect on April 2, 2020,” says Wilson. “The new requirements state that companies must provide employees with up to 12 weeks of job-protected paid leave. Companies will pay employees at 2/3 their regular rate, not to exceed $200 per day and $10,000 in aggregate per employee. The pay starts after the first 10 days of leave.”

Wilson says that these requirements exist if the employee is unable to work or telework in order to care for a minor child. “If the child’s school is closed because of the public health emergency, employers must take this into special consideration.”

However, Wilson says there currently exists an option to exclude companies with less than 50 employees if this action would jeopardize the continuation of their business, and companies with less than 25 employees may not be required to restore the employee back to the same position after the 12- week leave has been exhausted.

Wilson also addresses the new provisions for the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act.

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Furlough and Layoff Differences (amidst COVID-19)

Employco USA

Employco USA, Inc.

BULLETIN
March 18, 2020 (UPDATE)

COVID-19

As we continue through these uncertain times, many companies are dealing with the reality that lower revenue cannot support the current employment. As a result, employers are considering their options to lower payroll expense. We’ve created the following chart that summarizes the options and differences between Furlough and Layoff.

FURLOUGH LAYOFF
Description Short-term leave of absence Employment ended due to lack of work or other business reasons
Employment Status Remains “active” Changes to “terminated”
Employee Benefits Eligibility likely to continue. Employer can determine method of premium collection. Eligibility ends – typically on last day of month. COBRA would be offered.
Unemployment Claims
*subject to standard requirements		 Each state may handle differently.
(e.g., Furloughed Illinois residents likely to be approved*)		 Each state may handle differently.
(e.g., Laid-off Illinois residents would be approved*)
Return to Work No significant changes or paperwork required. Employees would complete new hire paperwork (e.g., I-9) and may be subject to new hire waiting period for benefits eligibility.

Outside of a furlough vs layoff decision, some employers are considering a company-wide reduction in pay (e.g., 20% pay cut for all employees). When reducing an employee’s pay or hours, ensure that you stay compliant in areas such as minimum wage, exempt/salaried employee pay threshold, and benefits eligibility.

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COVID-19 Updates

Employco USA

Employco USA, Inc.

BULLETIN
March 17, 2020 (UPDATE)

COVID-19

We remain dedicated to continuing operations for our clients, while keeping our employees health and safety in mind. We have put plans into action to both staff our office as well as work remotely to ensure your payroll is processing and HR support is available (keeping you up-to-date with the latest information).

  • 90% of our team is successfully working remotely, while a few remain in office to handle operations.
  • We are able to print checks remotely.
  • We have access to our phone lines remotely, and any messages left on our office voicemails are instantly emailed to us.
  • Our HR team is readily available for any HR questions or issues you may have.
  • We also encourage our clients to alert any employees who are not on direct deposit to enroll ASAP, in case there is any shut down of mail services (USPS, FedEx, etc).

We have updated our website to include a Sample Layoff Letter, our new web page is dedicated to sharing information about COVID-19 and how it relates to the workplace:

https://www.employco.com/coronavirus

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COVID-19 Updates

Employco USA

Employco USA, Inc.

BULLETIN
March 16, 2020 (UPDATE)

COVID-19

We remain dedicated to continuing operations for our clients, while keeping our employees health and safety in mind. As of this time, we have put plans into place to both staff our office as well as work remotely to ensure your payroll is processing and HR support is available (keeping you up-to-date with the latest information).

We also encourage our clients to alert any employees who are not on direct deposit to consider signing up ASAP, in case there is any shut down of mail services (USPS, FedEx, etc).

We have updated the FAQ on our website with recent details, our new web page is dedicated to sharing information about COVID-19 and how it relates to the workplace:

https://www.employco.com/coronavirus

FAQ Updates

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Coronavirus in the Workplace: What Employers Need to Know

Employco USA

Employment expert explains how companies can safeguard their workplaces from the threat of COVID-19

CoronavirusThe global coronavirus death toll has risen to 4,000. Over 729 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the United States, with 27 fatalities thus far. Fears have spread to the workplace, with many companies canceling meetings, work trips, and encouraging employees to stay home if they are ill.

Rob Wilson, employment expert and President of Employco USA says, “As the number of reported cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to rise, employers are increasingly confronted with the possibility of an outbreak in the workplace. Employers are obligated to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for their employees, but are also subject to a number of legal requirements protecting workers.”

So, what should employers do to help keep their workplaces as safe as possible from both coronavirus and legal concerns?

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Why March Madness Costs Companies Billions Due to Employee Distraction and Poor Productivity

Employco USA

Employment trends expert explains these findings and suggests staff management techniques

BasketballRecent statistics reveal that March Madness has become more popular than ever before, thanks in large part to the worldwide betting that takes place. Over 60 million people are expected to fill out brackets this year, with an estimated $10 million being put on the table. However, there is another cost which people may not expect: a downturn in employee productivity.

“March Madness can be a drain on a company’s time and resources,” says Rob Wilson, employment trends expert and President of Employco USA. “With millions of Americans filling out brackets and managing their bets, you can bet that employee productivity takes a hit during this time of year.”

In fact, research shows that lost wages caused by employee distraction and poor productivity during March Madness could amount to losses of up to $1.9 billion!

Wilson says, “Between filling out brackets, researching picks, watching the games and then calling in sick or skipping work due to game days or hangovers, you are looking at a sharp downturn in employee performance. Luckily there are some ways you can manage this common nationwide issue.”

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Workplace Conflicts Are on the Rise: Here’s How to Deal

Employco USA

Human resources expert offers advice on dealing with workplace conflict in today’s political climate 

Workplace ConflictResearch shows that 85 percent of employees say that they experience workplace conflict, with over 2 hours a week being spent on navigating workplace drama. Workplace conflict is not just stressful and unpleasant, it can have a major impact on employee productivity. Indeed, conflicts in the workplace cost companies about $359 billion dollars in paid hours.

Rob Wilson, human resources expert and President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the country, says:

“In today’s culture, employees aren’t just together when they’re literally on the job: they’re together all the time thanks to technology like Skype, WhatsApp, Slack and other coworker communication apps. Not to mention, our current political climate is so divisive right now, and social media only further encourages arguments and discord among your staff.”

Wilson, who has worked directly with many clients who have required assistance managing conflict within their workplaces, says that research shows that workplace conflict is on the rise. “From personality clashes to overwork to poor management, workplace conflict is inevitable and it’s actually getting worse,” he says.

So how can employers be proactive about workplace conflict?

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Employco USA Hires a Workers’ Compensation Claims Coordinator

Employco USA

A human resource and employment solutions firm, Employco USA is pleased to announce the growing expansion of its staff.

Employco’s newest team member:

Teresa ChambersTeresa Chambers, Workers’ Compensation Claims Coordinator – Teresa will be handling claims related to Employco’s master workers’ compensation program.

“I’m looking forward to joining the Employco family.” -Teresa Chambers

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

(Article) “Small businesses embrace wellness to help retain staffers”

Employco USA

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, was recently quoted in an article for The Associated Press:

Rob Wilson sees interest in wellness programs growing among his small business clients, and his company, human resources provider Employco, is focusing more on these programs.

“A lot of it so far has been online classes and health coaching, also a lot of online tools right now that employees can access anywhere to help them keep track of what they’re doing,” says Wilson, whose company is based in Westmont, Illinois.

“The companies doing it are really interested in keeping their employees,” he says.

Follow the link to read more:

Article

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.