Protecting the health and safety of employees is a high priority for most employers. Every year, as flu season approaches, many consider adopting a mandatory vaccine policy to help prevent the spread of the flu in the workplace. And now more than ever, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this issue is top of mind for both employers and employees as the world awaits news of an approved vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While employers may view that future vaccine as the linchpin in their plans to resume pre-COVID workplace protocols, simply mandating it for employees may not be feasible.

Beginning January 1, 2021, the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) will require businesses with five or more employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected family care and medical leave annually to eligible employees.

During the pending COVID-19 crisis, many employers are considering layoffs to make sure they can keep their companies afloat. However, because the duration of the crisis is unknown and may be temporary, employers may wish to consider other cost-saving measures that are designed to be temporary and reversible in the event that the economy bounces back sooner rather than later. This article will address some of the cost-cutting strategies that Massachusetts employers can use in lieu of layoffs which will ensure that employers have an available workforce to call upon once business rebounds, and also save jobs.  

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which will go into effect on April 1, 2020, provides Coronavirus-related emergency paid sick leave and emergency family and medical care leave to eligible employees.  Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a “Questions and Answers” to address some preliminary questions related to the new FFCRA.  Earlier today, the DOL published a workplace poster which covered employers must distribute to current employees.  The posting requirement may be met by emailing or direct mailing this notice to employees, posting the notice on an internal or external website, or by physically posting the notice in a conspicuous place on the premises. 

Since the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus outbreak an international public health emergency in January, there have been more than 105,000 confirmed cases in more than 100 countries, with the majority in China, which has reported nearly 81,000 confirmed cases. In the U.S., as of March 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed more than 150 cases and eleven deaths across more than a dozen states.