Updated on April 6, 2020

The United States has enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which will require employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid leave to employees who are impacted by COVID-19 and offer tax credits to employers that do so. The law takes effect on April 1, 2020 and expires on December 31, 2020.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has published a final rule that amends and clarifies the test for determining whether a joint-employer relationship exists for purposes of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The final rule takes effect April 27, 2020.

In recent years, the term “ghosting” has been used to describe situations in which a friend or partner stops communicating with you without any notice or explanation. Because there’s no warning, it takes a little time before you even realize that the relationship is over. Unfortunately for employers, ghosting can also occur in the employment context. For instance, after a lot of effort, you make an offer to a job candidate, they accept, and you schedule their first day of work. On the day they’re supposed to start, they fail to show up. Sometimes ghosting can happen even before you make an offer. Or, it can happen when an employee who has been with you for a while simply stops showing up for work.

Here are 10 guidelines to help you avoid workplace ghosting.

Updated on April 1, 2020

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (H.R. 748, "CARES Act") was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act is the third stimulus bill aimed at providing relief to employers and individuals affected by COVID-19. Below is a high-level summary of the provisions related to small business assistance, tax, retirement, paid leave, unemployment insurance, and direct payment to individuals. Small businesses should work with an experienced financial advisor to carefully assess available assistance programs to determine the interplay and best option for their specific circumstances.

The California Supreme Court has ruled that employers must pay employees covered under California Wage Order 7 for the time they spend on the employer's premises waiting for, and undergoing, required exit searches.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) has published an emergency rule that temporarily requires employers in certain industries to provide paid sick leave to employees with flu-like symptoms who are being tested for coronavirus (COVID-19).

The emergency rule took effect immediately on March 11, 2020 and will remain in effect for 30 days, or longer if the state of emergency declared by the governor continues.

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has issued an emergency rule requiring employers to file partial unemployment claims online on behalf of their employees who are temporarily laid off or whose hours have been temporarily reduced because of a lack of work due to coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

Maine has enacted legislation (Legislative Document 1986) that clarifies a recent law that generally prohibits employers from seeking social security numbers from prospective employees on employment applications.