Author Archives for michael

Paid Leave for Parents Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

July 27, 2020 2:51 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

While many parents remain in limbo regarding the status of their child’s school this fall, some of your parent-employees have undoubtedly received confirmation as to whether their child will be attending full time in-person classes, full time distance learning, or a hybrid of the two. Your employees may be asking for teleworking arrangements or a period of continuous leave to stay home and care for school aged children whose schools have chosen a full time distance learning model.


Minnesota Governor Issues Mask Requirement

July 23, 2020 8:00 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Joining the long list of states with mask mandates, on July 22, Minnesota Governor issued Executive Order 20-81, which requires people in Minnesota to wear a face covering in all public indoor spaces and businesses, and even some outdoor spaces, unless they are alone or otherwise qualify for an exemption or accommodation. The face covering requirement is intended to supplement, and not replace, other prevention efforts such as physical distancing and hand washing. This Executive Order is effective starting July 25, and it remains in effect until the peacetime emergency declared in Executive Order 20-01 ends or until cancelled by a proper authority.


Paycheck Protection Program Extended

July 7, 2020 9:19 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

The original deadline to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan was June 30, 2020, but over the weekend, the President signed S. 4116 into law, extending the program for another five weeks. The program will now remain open until August 8, 2020. This program extension comes on the heels of The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act which already provided good news to borrowers by making important changes to some of the original program terms.


Supreme Court Rules That Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Prohibits Employment Discrimination Against Gay and Transgender Individuals

June 24, 2020 4:09 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

By now, you’ve likely heard about the landmark Supreme Court ruling issued last week in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia. Bostock is a consolidation of three cases involving employees who were fired either for being gay or transgender. In a 6-3 opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the Court stated that “it is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex.” Of course, discrimination on the basis of sex is specifically prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.