U.S.
Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced its first
round of published guidance to provide information to employees 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.
FFCRA
will help the United States combat and defeat COVID-19 by giving all
American businesses with fewer than 500 employees funds to provide
employees with paid leave, either for the employee’s own health needs or
to care for family members. The legislation will ensure that workers
are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health
measures needed to combat the virus while at the same time reimbursing
businesses.
The guidance – provided in a Fact Sheet for Employees, a Fact Sheet for Employers and a Questions and Answers
document – addresses critical questions, such as how an employer must
count the number of their employees to determine coverage; how small
businesses can obtain an exemption; how to count hours for part-time
employees; and how to calculate the wages employees are entitled to
under this law.