Ep. 3: How does COVID-19 apply to the FMLA?
Part 1
March 24, 2020
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Episode details
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our upcoming episodes will be offering updates on the fast-changing legislation around leave management. In this episode, Ellen McCann explains the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which was passed by the U.S. Senate. She unpacks the two key components of the law: Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency FMLA.
Top takeaways
- The law only applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees. This is different from the traditional FMLA threshold of 50 employees. [02:02]
- All employees who work for a covered employer can take Emergency Paid Leave. Employees who have been employed for 30 days can take Emergency FMLA. [05:26]
- Update: After recording this episode, the Department of Labor issued further guidance. They released the mandatory poster and also offered guidance on how the tax credit will work. Keep checking the DOL website for updates.
- Listen to Part 2 of this show, recorded March 31, 2020, where we discuss further guidance from the Department of Labor.
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Featured speaker
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Ellen McCann
Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel, Unum's Employment Law Group
Ellen McCann is an acclaimed national speaker on leave management issues, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She is also a certified trainer for the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and continuing education (CE) credit. As Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel for Unum’s Employment Law Group, Ellen advises Human Resources on all employment-related legal issues. She also provides legal support to Unum’s Absence Management Center, which provides leave administration services to its customers. Presently, Unum’s leave administration product includes administration of close to 200 state leave laws in addition to FMLA and covers close to 3 million lives. Ellen has been employed by Unum for 23 years and worked for a law firm in Boston for seven years prior to joining Unum.
About the host
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Clare Morin
Unum Content Marketing Manager
Clare Morin is the Content Marketing Manager at Unum and a journalist who’s spent the last 20 years interviewing hundreds of thought leaders on topics ranging from wellness to culture, finance, human resources and technology. Born in the UK, raised in Hong Kong and based in the U.S. since 2009, she brings a global outlook to the HR Trends studio.
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FMLA Handbook
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